{"id":2661476,"date":"2026-09-15T08:33:45","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T12:33:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignstate-freedom-caucuses-chart-the-path-for-making-red-states-great-again\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T08:40:27","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T12:40:27","slug":"utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignstate-freedom-caucuses-chart-the-path-for-making-red-states-great-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignstate-freedom-caucuses-chart-the-path-for-making-red-states-great-again\/","title":{"rendered":"State Freedom Caucuses Work To Make Red States Great Again"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Futm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignstate-freedom-caucuses-chart-the-path-for-making-red-states-great-again%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2661476&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Teh article discusses the misconception that Republican-led states are automatically conservative, highlighting instances where Republican legislators in so-called \u201cred states\u201d work against conservative voter interests, especially on issues like redistricting and immigration. The State Freedom Caucus Network (SFCN), spanning 15 states, aims to promote a true \u201cAmerica First\u201d conservative agenda and combat establishment \u201cswamp\u201d politics. Recent successes include passing laws to limit foreign influence, improve election integrity, and expand school choice in states like Louisiana, Missouri, South Dakota, Wyoming, and even efforts in Illinois to oppose anti-homeschooling legislation.<\/p>\n<p>however, the movement faces setbacks such as ineffective legislative efforts in Montana, increased government spending in South Dakota despite caucus opposition, and major defeats in Wyoming where establishment-backed candidates, boosted by left-wing spending and media campaigns, ousted many freedom caucus members. Challenges also include outside interference and media narratives designed to weaken conservative efforts.<\/p>\n<p>Looking ahead, Roth and other leaders emphasize the importance of grassroots support to counteract outside influence and plan to focus on upcoming key races across states including Alabama, Arizona, Florida, and Wyoming. They also consider expanding the caucus network to other states, maintaining their mission to expose and challenge establishment corruption in state governments across the country.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>DALLAS, Texas \u2014 A common misconception throughout modern American politics is that, because a state is run by Republicans, it\u2019s automatically conservative. But as has been <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/gop-establishment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">shown<\/a> time and time again, that could not be further from the truth. <\/p>\n<p>From the high peaks of <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/03\/17\/wyoming-is-ground-zero-for-rinos-war-against-conservatives\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wyoming<\/a> to the sandy shores of <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/05\/26\/by-sabotaging-redistricting-south-carolina-republicans-beg-voters-to-hand-them-the-pink-slip\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">South Carolina<\/a>, elected Republicans in many of the country\u2019s supposedly \u201creddest\u201d states <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/05\/05\/conservatives-cant-make-america-great-again-until-they-hold-red-state-rinos-accountable\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">routinely<\/a> work against the interests of their own voters. Whether it be on redistricting or immigration, the establishment\u2019s preference for the status quo is almost universally the same.<\/p>\n<p>But rather than simply complain about the problem, the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/state-freedom-caucus-network\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">State Freedom Caucus Network (SFCN)<\/a> is seeking to do something about it. Spanning 15 states and a growing number of state lawmakers, the organization and its members gathered in Dallas over the weekend for its third annual summit to strategize on how best to advance a true \u201cAmerica First\u201d agenda for conservatives. <\/p>\n<p>Several of the network\u2019s members who spoke with The Federalist discussed the necessity of these freedom caucuses in spotlighting and combatting the \u201cswamps\u201d in America\u2019s state capitals. While detailing the highs and lows of the past year, they also signaled what the future may hold for the network\u2019s expansion in other states throughout the country.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe biggest deceit in state politics is these red states where the voters are conservative, but the members of the legislature are not, and it\u2019s for the very simple fact that I say over and over again, which is a Democrat knows he can\u2019t get elected in a red state, so he puts an R after his name, gets elected, and then he governs like a Democrat,\u201d SFCN President Andy Roth told The Federalist. <\/p>\n<h2>The Good<\/h2>\n<p>In order to map out a successful strategy for the coming legislative year, the SFCN had to conduct an analysis of its most recent work to see what went right and what didn\u2019t. <\/p>\n<p>Starting with the positives, Louisiana and Missouri\u2019s freedom caucuses passed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.committee100.org\/our-work\/federal-and-state-bills-prohibiting-property-ownership-by-foreign-individuals-and-entities\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">various<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/missouriindependent.com\/2026\/04\/17\/missouri-lawmakers-debate-bill-barring-foreign-and-religious-laws\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">measures<\/a> cracking down on foreign influences in their respective states. The latter\u2019s freedom caucus members also helped the Show Me State implement significant <a href=\"https:\/\/missouriindependent.com\/2026\/06\/30\/gov-mike-kehoe-vetoes-restricts-nearly-500-million-from-missouri-state-budget\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cuts<\/a> to government spending. <\/p>\n<p>In South Dakota, freedom caucus members helped lead the charge to <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/03\/06\/while-thune-slacks-on-save-america-act-his-home-state-passes-its-own-version-of-the-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pass<\/a> the state\u2019s version of the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/save-america-act\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SAVE America Act<\/a>, which requires documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote. While speaking to The Federalist, the bill\u2019s sponsor, South Dakota Freedom Caucus Vice Chair and State Rep. John Carley, noted the irony of U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune\u2019s home state approving a version of the legislation that he and his Republican colleagues have continuously failed to pass.<\/p>\n<p>It \u201cwas a good success not only for our state, but then it motivates both the federal [Congress] and other states to do the same,\u201d Carley said. <\/p>\n<p>One of those states was Arizona, where freedom caucus lawmakers successfully placed a version of the SAVE America Act on the state\u2019s fall ballot in the form of a <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Arizona_Proposition_144,_Voter_Identification_and_Citizenship_Voting_Requirements_Amendment_(2026)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">constitutional amendment proposal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/07\/22\/judge-tosses-russia-hoaxer-marc-elias-suit-against-wyomings-proof-of-citizenship-law\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Election<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/03\/19\/west-virginia-wyoming-secure-elections-with-ranked-choice-voting-prohibitions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">integrity <\/a>was also one of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus\u2019 legislative achievements throughout the past year. Since attaining an outright majority in the state House, the Cowboy State\u2019s caucus members approved laws <a href=\"https:\/\/www.billtrack50.com\/billdetail\/1764802\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">invalidating<\/a> out-of-state driver\u2019s licenses issued to illegal aliens, <a href=\"https:\/\/oilcity.news\/wyoming-news\/legislature\/2026\/03\/06\/new-wyoming-law-allows-law-enforcement-to-enforce-english-proficiency-for-truck-drivers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cracking down<\/a> on non-English speaking commercial truck drivers, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.edchoice.org\/wyoming-joins-list-of-states-offering-all-families-educational-choice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">expanding<\/a> school choice, and <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/02\/28\/wyoming-protects-state-employees-from-coerced-use-of-preferred-pronouns-despite-governors-refusal-to-sign\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Freedom caucus lawmakers even saw some success in Democrat-dominated states like Illinois. <\/p>\n<p>State Rep. Brad Halbrook described the key role the Illinois Freedom Caucus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wfiwradio.com\/2025\/04\/10\/homeschool-bill-controversy-in-illinois\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">played<\/a> in stopping passage of an anti-homeschooling bill last year despite being a minority within the minority party. As The Federalist previously <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/04\/11\/democrat-bill-would-create-prison-pipeline-for-illinois-homeschooling-parents-critics-say\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a>, critics argued that the controversial legislation \u2014 which generated major protests at the Illinois Capitol \u2014 attempted to \u201ccriminalize parents\u2019 ability to homeschool their children in the Prairie State.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it helps us to have a platform, a kind of a lane to run in, if you will. We stay fairly united on our messaging and our votes \u2026 [and] I think it helps lead other members of the Republican caucus along \u2026 to move the conservative agenda forward,\u201d Halbrook told The Federalist. <\/p>\n<h2>The Bad<\/h2>\n<p>This year hasn\u2019t been without its downsides, however.<\/p>\n<p>While set to grow their team\u2019s ranks in the state House after the 2026 primaries, Montana Freedom Caucus members Jerry Schillinger (state representative and MTFC chair) and Bob Phelan (state senator and MTFC secretary) noted the immense difficulty of getting meaningful conservative priorities through the legislature\u2019s most recent session. Both lawmakers pointed to a cabal of nine state Republican senators who colluded with Democrats to instead pass items such as \u201cprogressive\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernmt.news\/2025\/04\/26\/gianforte-touts-legislative-wins-as-freedom-caucus-blasts-property-tax-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">property tax reform<\/a>. The Montana GOP formally <a href=\"https:\/\/dailymontanan.com\/2025\/04\/04\/montana-republican-party-censures-nine-gop-senators-no-longer-considers-them-republicans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">censured<\/a> the \u201cNasty Nine\u201d over such antics last year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA tremendous frustration among conservatives [has been] that we were always the majority of the caucus in the legislature, but we could never really push the conservative agenda because of Democrats posing as Republicans \u2014 people [who] knew they couldn\u2019t win as a Democrat in their district, so they run as Republicans,\u201d Schillinger told The Federalist. <\/p>\n<p>In South Dakota, the Republican-controlled legislature successfully grew government spending despite <a href=\"https:\/\/www.keloland.com\/news\/capitol-news-bureau\/freedom-caucus-wing-votes-against-state-budget\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">protests<\/a> from the state freedom caucus. <\/p>\n<p>On the redistricting front, the Missouri Supreme Court recently <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/09\/14\/missouri-freedom-caucus-eyes-judicial-reform-after-state-redistricting-debacle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">nuked<\/a> the state freedom caucus and Co.\u2019s efforts to use a more GOP-friendly map for the 2026 midterms. Meanwhile, the Maryland Freedom Caucus\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wbaltv.com\/article\/maryland-redistricting-ballot-question-lawsuit-judge-ruling\/73532084\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">legal bid<\/a> to stop a Democrat-backed redistricting amendment from appearing on the fall ballot was effectively <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wbaltv.com\/article\/redistricting-ballot-question-maryland-supreme-court-ruling\/73609135\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">shot down<\/a> by the state Supreme Court. <\/p>\n<p>The SFCN\u2019s biggest defeat, however, came in Wyoming, where the state freedom caucus suffered heavy losses in the 2026 primaries. The drubbing came amid <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/03\/17\/wyoming-is-ground-zero-for-rinos-war-against-conservatives\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reports<\/a> of GOP establishment officials seemingly encouraging Democrats to vote in Republican primaries and <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2026\/09\/10\/grassroots-wyoming-conservatives-challenge-eric-barlow-wyoming\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">heavy spending<\/a> by liberal interests against freedom caucus candidates. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened in 2026 is the left took over the narrative through the media in Wyoming and through messaging through several different left-leaning organizations to energize a group of voters that dislike the conservatism of the freedom caucus,\u201d Wyoming Freedom Caucus member and State Rep. John Bear told The Federalist.<\/p>\n<p>Spending by left-wing interests against freedom caucus candidates has also been <a href=\"https:\/\/insideclimatenews.org\/news\/29082026\/super-pac-targets-conservatives-against-clean-energy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a> in this year\u2019s GOP primaries for Texas attorney general, the South Carolina U.S. Senate runoff, and a Tennessee U.S. House seat. <\/p>\n<h2>The Future<\/h2>\n<p>Looking ahead, Roth acknowledged the uphill battle state freedom caucuses face in combatting the influx of outside money and unfavorable media that attempt to \u201ccontrol the narrative\u201d in primaries. Given these headwinds, he said, it will be imperative for the SFCN\u2019s members to \u201ctalk directly to the voters\u201d and \u201cbuild an army of grassroots supporters\u201d necessary to overcome those hurdles. <\/p>\n<p>In the short term, the organization seems poised to elevate their current members \u2014 including those running for higher office \u2014 in the upcoming midterm elections. Notable races involving freedom caucus candidates will take place in Alabama (U.S. Senate), Arizona (governor and secretary of state), Florida (governor), and Wyoming (U.S. House).  <\/p>\n<p>In closing his remarks, Roth left the door open for additional state freedom caucuses in states like Arkansas, Ohio, Tennessee, and Maine. More to the point, however, he reaffirmed that the purpose in even considering such possibilities rests on the network\u2019s foundational role in exposing the establishment corruption plaguing state governments across America.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMost people, when they turn on their TV or open their phone, the first thing they see is Congress or Trump or the war in Ukraine or Iran. The state politics are able to operate in the dark, and shining a light on that is arguably one of the most important parts of my job,\u201d Roth said. <\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He is a co-recipient of the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics and RealClearHealth. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many GOP-led states often oppose their voters&#8217; interests<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2661477,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_4413-scaled.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[48382,32976,5894,33640,33833],"class_list":["post-2661476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-conservative-activism","tag-freedom-caucus","tag-politics","tag-red-states","tag-state-government"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_4413-scaled.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2661476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2661476"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2661476\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2661479,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2661476\/revisions\/2661479"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2661477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2661476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2661476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2661476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}