August 18, 2026
Today is primary election day.
Quite a few of us have already voted of course, myself in cluded.
Early voting in Wyoming’s primary election trails historic 2022 contest, clerks say
Wyoming’s primary election live: The consequences of today’s election
This will bed a consequential day. After the polls close, most of the races in Wyoming will have been determined.
The polls, for that matter, just opened.
August 19, 2026
Results are in.
Like most elections, it's a mixed bag. Some good results, and in this instance, some really awful ones.
Governor:
Erick Barlow trounced his opposition including Trump endorsed Megen Degenfelder. A win for Wyoming and a loss for Trump and a major loss for the Wyoming Freedom Caucus. The GOP/WFC endorsed Bien came in a career ending third.
A very good result. Barlow was the only good candidate, and stands to be a better Governor than Governor Gordon.
Senate:
Harriet Hageman, in spite of holding views on public lands and being fairly nasty publicly, handily beat out her competition. She'll face Democrat James Byrd whom is likely to lose, but who would win this contest in any normal situation.
A very bad result.
Wyoming will regret this choice, and almost immediately, if it sticks and Byrd doesn't win, which he's not likely to in spite of being the clearly better candidate.
House:
Chuck Gray took a minority of overall votes but more than anyone else to squeak by with 25.4% of the vote./ Friess came in second with 20% and Christensen just behind him.
How anyone could vote for Gray is a complete mystery. 75% of Wyoming Republican voters didn't.
He'll face Lisa Kinney who will lose. Gray will be our horrific complete Trump sycophantic Congressman. He'll be the worst Congressman in the state's history.
A very bad result. My guess is that he might be a one term Congressman, bucking the normal Wyoming trend.
Secretary of State
Robert Short won beating out WFC Rachel Williams. Wiliams was the titular head of the WFC, and her career is now over.
He'll face Bryan McCarthy, who will lose.
A very good result.
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Harsham easily beat his opponents and will win in the fall.
He'll face Ana Cordova, which is surprising. She's likely a good candidate, but will lose.
Local races.
Really interesting results locally. The night was a disaster for the well funded Freedom Caucus.
Freedom Caucus candidates in Natrona County were trounced. Bob Ide was sent packing, which was a great result. Tony Locke was booted. Jayme Lien was booted. Jeanette Ward lost big to Elissa Campbell in her bid to recapture her seat. Allemand retained his seat by only eight votes, which is pathetic and surprising.
Major Freedom Caucuser John Bear is out, a huge defeat for the WFC.
Elsewhere, Ogden Driscoll kicked out Freedom Caucus member Neiman
Melissa Butcher kicked out WFC member Ken Pendergraft.
Eve Brennan booted Daniel Singh, a WFC member.
Conservative Republican Albert Sommers is back in the House.
All in all the Wyoming Freedom Caucus lost at least fourteen seats in the legislature with two of its main figures, Ide and Bear, going down in defeat. Reps. Steve Johnson, Tony Locke, Ocean Andrew, Ken Pendergraft, Marlene Brady, Jayme Lien, Nina Webber, Mark Jennings, Gary Brown, Daniel Singh, Ann Lucas, Robert Wharff and Darin McCann, Chip Neimann and Sen. Bob Ide, all lost.
A very good result.
In the Natrona County Commissioner GOP race, where six candidates advance, ancient Dallas Laird took the highest number of votes, which is franky bizarre. The other candidates advancing aren't too surprising.
An interesting night, and a bit difficult to explain. At the statewide level, the voters made a hard correction towards the center, where as for Congress, they sent two people who don't represent Wyoming's views, and one who is a pathetic sycophantic liar.
Of course, the general is yet to come, but it's very difficult to imagine Lisa Kinney, who is ancient, beating screaming whiner Chuck Gray, even though 75% of Wyomigites voted against Gray. It's not impossible to imagine Byrd defeating Hageman, but it'll be hard.
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