Gray and Hageman advance in federal races, Barlow one step closer to governor's office

CHEYENNE — Chuck Gray and Harriet Hageman advanced in their push for seats in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, respectively, while Eric Barlow took a step toward becoming Wyoming’s next governor in Tuesday’s Republican primary.

Wyoming voters also chose who will represent their respective parties for secretary of state, state superintendent of public instruction, state treasurer and state auditor in the Nov. 3 general election.

All vote totals listed below were compiled by the Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office from results reported by county clerks in all 23 counties. They are considered unofficial until the State Canvassing Board meets.

U.S. Senate

In the race for Cynthia Lummis’ U.S. Senate seat, current U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman won the five-person Republican primary, receiving 83,794 votes.

Sam Mead finished second with 35,875 votes, and Jimmy Skovgard was a distant third with 3,525. Jill Edwards finished right behind Skovgard with 3,431 votes, and John Holtz finished fifth with 2,539.

Hageman will face Democratic candidate and former state legislator James Byrd in the general election. Byrd received 9,589 votes on Tuesday, besting Billy Benavidez, who finished with 2,497.

Hageman released a statement by email after being declared the winner Tuesday night.

“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,” she wrote. “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.”

U.S. House of Representatives

The race for Wyoming’s lone U.S. House seat was hotly contested, with nine Republican candidates vying for the nomination.

Current Secretary of State Chuck Gray won, receiving 31,222 votes, or about 25%. Runner-up Steve Friess got 25,054, or about 20%. Kevin Christensen finished third with 21,632 votes.

Jillian Balow finished a distant fourth statewide with 12,590 votes, Reid Rasner was behind her with 10,807, closely followed by David Giralt, who finished with 10,130. Bo Biteman finished in seventh place with 6,255 votes, followed by Keith Goodenough with 3,341, and Richard Dodson got 1,777.

Frank Chapman withdrew after official ballots were printed and received 2,161 votes, meaning he would have finished ninth if he had not withdrawn.

Friess won Laramie County by a margin of 4,384 to 4,046 over Gray, with Christensen coming in third with 2,904 votes.

Friess said by email that he called Gray to congratulate him shortly before addressing his supporters at the Friess family office.

“I called Chuck Gray a few minutes ago and congratulated him on his victory. He won the race, and he has my respect,” Friess said by email. “Republicans in Wyoming made their choice tonight, and in this country we honor that choice. That is not a technicality. That is the whole point. It is the thing that separates us from the radical socialists we must unite to defeat and save our country.”

Gray will face Lisa Kinney, who won the Democratic primary with 9,343 votes, over Elena Del Real’s 2,657. Constitution Party candidate Jeff Haggit, and Libertarian Party candidate Shawn Johnson also will be on the general election ballot.

In a statement declaring victory, Gray thanked Wyoming voters and promised to work to deliver President Donald Trump’s agenda should he win the general election.

“President Trump needs a Republican Congress that will stand for our America First values. Our job now is to unite, win in November, and deliver the America First agenda the people of Wyoming voted for,” he wrote.

Wyoming governor

The race for Wyoming governor featured competing endorsements as President Donald Trump endorsed Megan Degenfelder, the current Wyoming superintendent of public instruction, and the Wyoming Republican Party endorsed Brent Bien.

Neither advanced, however, as state Sen. Eric Barlow of Gillette won the Republican primary with 58,820 votes. Degenfelder came in second with 38,739 votes, while Bien received 30,843.

Curt Blake finished a distant fourth with 2,161 votes.

In a statement, Degenfelder said, “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. Thank you for your support, for your vote, for the miles you drove and doors you knocked, and most of all, for your prayers.”

In a statement following the announcement of Barlow’s win, the Republican Governor’s Association issued the following statement:

“Congratulations to Eric Barlow on his primary victory. As a marine, veterinarian, and rancher, Barlow knows how to lead and will champion limited government, personal responsibility, and Wyoming values,” RGA Chairman and Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte wrote. “Barlow knows how to deliver: by showing up, doing the work, and getting results. Wyomingites know Barlow will serve them well as their next governor.”

Barlow will face Democratic candidate Kenneth Casner and Constitution Party candidate Rebecca Bextel in the general election. Casner was unopposed Tuesday.

Bextel was involved in the controversy known as “Checkgate” earlier this year after she handed out campaign checks on the floor of the state House of Representatives. A Republican from Teton County, Bextel has said she would run on the Constitution Party ticket in opposition to Barlow, should he win the GOP primary.

Following his victory, Barlow announced a Healthcare Strike Team to convene stakeholders in hopes of improving healthcare in Wyoming.

“On January 4th, I want to have specific action items that my administration can tackle to make healthcare better in Wyoming. We can’t solve healthcare on day one, but I will take consistent, meaningful steps to improve healthcare in Wyoming,” he wrote.

Wyoming state superintendent of public instruction

State Rep. Steve Harshman of Casper won the Republican primary to replace Degenfelder, receiving 67,784 votes.

He bested state Rep. Tom Kelly, R-Sheridan, who earned 36,624 votes, and former state Education Department chief of staff Chad Auer, who got 12,636.

Harshman will next face Democratic candidate Ana Cordova, who received 7,300 votes in the Democratic primary, besting Sergio Maldonado Sr., who got 4,314.

Wyoming secretary of state

Robert Short won the Republican primary to replace Gray with 53,314 votes. The runner-up in the four-person race was state Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, R-Cody, the current head of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, who got 38,567 votes.

CJ Young finished a distant third with 17,846 votes, and Qwenton Eagle Oviatt ended up fourth with 7,087.

Rodriguez-Williams released a statement Tuesday night conceding defeat in the race and thanking her supporters. She also affirmed her commitment to legislation that secures elections, loosening restrictions on businesses and protecting Wyoming land.

“Running for Secretary of State has been one of the great privileges of my life,” Williams said. “I am proud of what we accomplished and grateful for every person who was part of it.”

Short will face Democratic candidate Bryan McCarthy, who ran unopposed Tuesday, and Constitution Party candidate Tamara Trujillo, who formerly represented House District 44, in the general election.

Wyoming state treasurer

The race for Wyoming state treasurer featured incumbent Curt Meier, who was elected in 2018, and took office in January 2019. He faced current state Rep. Scott Smith of Lingle.

Meier received 78,702 votes to Smith’s 36,613. Meier is expected to retain his post, since no Democrat filed to run for state treasurer.

Meier spoke with the Wyoming Tribune Eagle and shared his appreciation for voters reelecting him.

“I think the voters looked at the job we were doing and said that they wanted more of the good results,” he said.

Wyoming state auditor

Wyoming State Auditor Kristi Racines ran unopposed in the Republican primary; she was first elected to the position in November 2022.

Racines received 107,024 votes Tuesday. There is no Democrat in the race.