Wyoming’s Rep. Harriet Hageman announces run for U.S. Senate

Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman will run for U.S. Senate in 2026.

“We must keep up this fight. And that’s why today I am announcing my campaign for United States Senate,” Hageman said in a campaign video. 

The announcement follows last week’s news that Sen. Cynthia Lummis would not seek reelection and would retire in 2027 after serving in the upper chamber since 2020. Lummis earlier this year indicated she would seek a second term, but said last week that she realized she didn’t have the energy for another six years in office.

Hageman quickly announced that she would pursue the suddenly open seat. 

“For forty-six years in jobs with the public trust, Cynthia Lummis has embodied the clear-eyed common sense that Wyoming is known for,” Hageman wrote in a statement on Lummis last week. “Her retirement marks the close of an extraordinary era in our state’s political history — one defined by integrity, independence, and unwavering devotion to the people she served.” 

Hageman was first elected Wyoming’s sole congressperson in 2022, soundly defeating then-Rep. Liz Cheney in the Republican primary with the backing of President Donald Trump. The race drew national attention as Hageman triumphed over one of Trump’s harshest Republican critics.

Since then, Hageman has remained loyal to the president, who endorsed her Tuesday afternoon in a social media post. Both Trump and Hageman are popular among Republican voters in Wyoming. 

“I know Harriet well, and she is a TOTAL WINNER!” Trump wrote. 

Hageman announcing a Senate run is likely to set other GOP candidates in motion, particularly those who have expressed deference to the congresswoman and her plans. Both Secretary of State Chuck Gray and Speaker of the House Chip Neiman previously told news outlets their 2026 plans hinge on Hageman.  

Who’s Hageman?

Born in Douglas and raised on a ranch near Fort Laramie, Hageman attended Casper College before earning a bachelor’s and a law degree from the University of Wyoming. As a trial attorney, Hageman spent several decades opposing environmentalists and federal regulations.

Before serving in Congress, Hageman was an active member in the Laramie County GOP, including as a delegate at the National Republican Convention in 2016, where she supported Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas over Trump. 

Two years later, she lost a bid for Wyoming governor, placing third behind Foster Friess and Mark Gordon. 

In January, Hageman was named chairwoman of the House Committee on Natural Resources’ Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee. 

In that role, she has sought to delist grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem from the Endangered Species Act. She’s also worked to reverse the Bureau of Land Management’s resource management plan for its Rock Springs, which she has described as a threat to Wyoming’s fossil fuel industries. Alongside Lummis and Sen. John Barrasso, Hageman introduced legislation in October to overturn a Biden-era ban on new federal coal leasing in northeast Wyoming. 

In March, as Republican congressional leadership urged members to stop hosting in-person town halls to avoid angry constituents and viral confrontations, Hageman held a town hall in Laramie. 

After more than 500 people showed up, the congresswoman faced tough questions and angry constituents, several of whom pressed Hageman for answers about the federal government’s mass layoff of federal workers. 

“It’s so bizarre to me how obsessed you are with the federal government,” she said when asked about the fate of Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks.

“You guys are going to have a heart attack if you don’t calm down,” Hageman said. “I’m sorry, you’re hysterical.”

In September, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson appointed Hageman to a newly formed congressional committee tasked with further investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. 

Response

Endorsements promptly followed Hageman’s announcement Tuesday morning. 

“Not only has [Hageman] returned millions of dollars to the people of Wyoming, she has defended our natural resources, parental rights, safety of our roads and more,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder wrote in a press release. “She is the fighter that we need to defend the conservative movement in this country and in Wyoming.” 

Secretary of State Chuck Gray posted his endorsement on social media. 

“Harriet has advanced our Wyoming values as a member of the US House, protecting Wyoming industries and our way of life,” Gray wrote. “She will do the same as our US Senator.” 

Club for Growth PAC, a powerful, conservative political action committee, also announced it would back Hageman. 

The committee is affiliated with Club for Growth Action, which was among the super PACs that spent record amounts in Wyoming in 2022 when Hageman challenged Cheney.

This is a breaking news story and may be updated. —Ed.