“I don't think any of us anticipated this kind of loss.
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Wyoming Sends Harriet Hageman to a Near-Certain Senate Seat and Election-Denying Secretary of State Chuck Gray to Her House Seat — but Rejects Trump's Pick for Governor
August 20, 2026
Wyoming's August 18, 2026 primaries reshuffled the entire federal delegation of the country's reddest state, and split the difference on President Trump. Rep. Harriet Hageman, the state's lone House member and Trump's endorsed candidate, won the Republican nomination for retiring Sen. Cynthia Lummis's open seat with roughly 65% of the vote against businessman Sam Mead. She will face Democrat James Byrd, a former state representative, in November. In her victory statement Hageman framed the race as a fight against "a rising tide of Marxists." Secretary of State Chuck Gray — a prominent election denier and Trump ally — won the crowded nine-way primary for Hageman's open at-large House seat with about 25% of the vote, ahead of conservative activist Steve Friess at 20%. Former Wyoming Freedom Caucus chairman John Bear, whose faction backed rivals, said "I don't think any of us anticipated this kind of loss." But in the governor's race, Trump's endorsement did not carry. State Sen. Eric Barlow, a Gillette rancher and former speaker of the Wyoming House, beat Trump-backed Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder and Wyoming GOP-endorsed Brent Bien for the nomination to succeed retiring Gov. Mark Gordon. Barlow, who ran on a "we're running for Wyoming, not against anybody" message, credited a backlash to "a lot of out of state money and agendas." Degenfelder's loss was one of three Trump-endorsed primary defeats that night, pushing his 2026 cycle total to 12 — more than 2018, 2020 and 2024 combined.
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“I am incredibly humbled by the trust Wyoming Republicans have placed in me tonight. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to every voter, volunteer, and supporter, who stood with us throughout this campaign.
“President Trump needs a Republican Congress that will stand for our America First values.
“There's been a lot of out of state money and agendas and voices trying to tell us things that aren't true. And today Wyoming showed up, and showed us that Wyoming's voice matters most.
“As I've said, we're running for Wyoming, not against anybody.
“Wyoming has always been a pioneer for the rights of individuals, and I am grateful to the people of our great state for entrusting me with the responsibility of promoting and defending our ideals in Congress at this moment in history. It comes at a turning point, as we are engaged in a struggle for the existence of the United States of America as we know them, with patriots on one side and a rising tide of Marxists on the other. It will take all of us to fight them off, and I will be proud to serve as a vigilant lookout and champion for Wyoming in the Senate.
“I am deeply grateful to the thousands of neighbors, friends, supporters, volunteers, and people who love Wyoming as much as I do who placed their trust in me throughout this campaign. I am also grateful to my opponents and their supporters. Their support meant more to me than I can adequately express.