Wyoming voters are casting ballots Tuesday for an unusually high number of open seats in the state primary elections. The departures of Governor Mark Gordon and Senator Cynthia Lummis, coupled with Representative Harriet Hageman’s bid for the Senate, created concurrent vacancies for governor, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House for the first time in 32 years.
The vacancy for governor follows Mark Gordon's decision not to challenge state term limit laws for a third term. Four Republicans are competing for the nomination: Superintendent Megan Degenfelder, state Senator Eric Barlow, Brent Bien, and Curt Blake. Degenfelder and Barlow lead in fundraising with $1.3 million and $1.2 million respectively, while Degenfelder has received an endorsement from Donald Trump. The winner will face Democrat Kenneth Casner in the general election.
In the U.S. Senate race, Representative Harriet Hageman, who has raised $2.4 million and received Trump's endorsement, is one of five Republicans seeking to replace Lummis. Her closest fundraising competitor is former Mayor Sam Mead, who raised roughly $240,000. For the U.S. House seat being vacated by Hageman, nine Republicans are competing in a race marked by significant personal loans from candidates, including $3 million from Steve Friess, $1.9 million from Reid Rasner, and $1.4 million from Secretary of State Chuck Gray.
Individual voters are navigating new participation rules following a 2023 law that prohibits changing party affiliation at the polls on Election Day. This means the 25,000 unaffiliated voters and those registered with the opposing party cannot influence the other party's primary. The impact is visible in participation numbers: while 164,000 Republicans voted in the 2022 gubernatorial primary before the law change, only about 104,000 Republicans participated in the 2024 primary. Voters who cast ballots on Tuesday will see results starting after polls close at 7 p.m. MT, with recent history suggesting most results are finalized within six hours.
The results will also shape the future of Wyoming's legislative balance, as 62 House seats and approximately half of the 31 Senate seats are up for election. The "Freedom Caucus" currently holds a majority in the state House, and these primary contests will determine if that faction maintains or expands its influence. Following Tuesday's vote, candidates will have 77 days to campaign before the midterm general election. Under Wyoming law, an automatic recount will occur if the margin of victory is less than 1% for the winning candidate.