The race for Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction is heating up with three Republicans now vying for the job.
When long-time Casper coach and state legislator Steve Harshman entered the race last week, he joined fellow Republicans Tom Kelly and Chad Auer. All bring classroom and policy experience.
One of five statewide elected officials, the superintendent of public instruction leads the Wyoming Department of Education. Current Superintendent Megan Degenfelder is running for governor.
Degenfelder’s seat opens as lawsuits, policies, funding decisions and technological innovation pose major changes to Wyoming’s educational landscape. The Legislature just passed a recalibration bill that represents a new funding model for school districts; Wyoming’s universal school choice program is tied up in court and the state just overhauled literacy standards and instruction.
The three Republicans will face off in the Aug. 18 primary election. Additional contenders have until May 29 to file for office.
A libertarian-leaning educator
Kelly, a state legislator from Sheridan, was the first to throw his name in the hat. He announced his bid just days before the 2026 Legislature convened.
Kelly began his career in the classroom as a paraprofessional while he was earning his teaching certificate. A paraprofessional works under a certified teacher to assist and often works with students with special needs.
From there, he spent 10 years teaching social studies and special education in public schools before transitioning to teaching college part time and then full time. The move to post-secondary education was necessary, he said, as a teacher’s salary is insufficient for supporting a large family. He and his wife have six children, including one with special needs.
Kelly currently heads the political science department at American Military University. He holds a master’s degree in education and a doctorate in political science. His family moved to Sheridan from Colorado in 2019.
As a political science educator, Kelly has been nudged to actively participate in politics as a professional development tool as well as by acquaintances who support him. Though he lacks political ambitions, he said, those appeals spurred him to run for office, including the Colorado State House as a libertarian, Sheridan City Council and Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2022.
It was always more of an exercise than a serious endeavor, he said, until 2024, when former Rep. Mark Jennings asked him to run for his seat in House District 30. “Somebody else put his trust into me and asked me to do this,” Kelly said. “I really dug down and said, ‘I plan on winning this.’”
He was elected. As a freshman lawmaker, Kelly, who is 6 feet, 9 inches tall with a ponytail, cut a distinct figure. He was appointed to the House Education and Judiciary committees, as well as the Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration.
In education policy matters, Kelly, who described himself as a “free-market libertarian-leaning Republican,” has referenced personal experience while showing an independent streak. He has been critical of the increasing presence of screens in Wyoming’s classrooms, advocated for salary raises for teachers and supported school choice and parental rights.
Going into the 2026 session, Kelly was undecided about running for reelection, he said. “Then I had several prominent people across the state make phone calls, visit me in person and say that,‘we’d really like to see you in the superintendent position.’”
He did not want to challenge Degenfelder, he said, but once she announced her run for governor, he decided to go for it.
His run for superintendent had nothing to do with his absence during the session. Just days into the Legislature, a back issue became intolerable and Kelly was forced to return to Sheridan, where he got back surgery.
As superintendent, Kelly said he would focus on the state stepping back from interfering with local control in Wyoming’s 48 districts.
“I really think the state taking a step back, giving more academic freedom and trusting educational professionals in the classroom would result in better improvements for students,” he said. “We need to trust our educational professionals to innovate and to work with kids and then perhaps share with other districts what works and what doesn’t. You’ll hear me say it over and over: I’m not a fan of a one-size-fits-all policy.”
A policy advisor
Auer was a senior policy advisor to Gov. Mark Gordon until March, when he stepped down to pursue the superintendent position.
Auer got his start in education, teaching high school English and math, coaching track and working with students on alternative paths after encounters with law enforcement.
The thing was, he said with a laugh, “I was a mediocre teacher.” While some teachers are naturals, it was something he had to work very hard at, he said.
Auer went on to work in administration, as a principal and in the Colorado Department of Education. While earning his master’s degree in education administration from the University of Colorado Denver, he worked on an initiative to reform and improve outcomes in Denver Public Schools. And he became involved with local politics, serving as the mayor of Firestone, Colorado.
As he was finishing out his mayoral run, he said, he and his family started looking for a new home base. While they were researching different options, he said, “Wyoming just kept rising to the top.” A huge part of that was the quality of its public schools. They moved to Wyoming in 2016.
At age 48, Auer enrolled in law school at the University of Wyoming, earning his Juris Doctor in 2021.
Through the experience in various layers of education and political office, “I was able to gain an appreciation for how important policy is and how it impacts the classroom and the day-to-day experience of teachers and students and parents,” Auer said.
Former Superintendent of Public Instruction Brian Schroeder appointed Auer as the Wyoming Department of Education’s Chief of Staff in 2022. Most recently, Auer was Gordon’s senior policy advisor. He was also encouraged to run for superintendent by outside requests, he said
In addition to prioritizing literacy and math proficiency, Auer said, as superintendent, he would prioritize dedicated funding for school resource officers, mental health support and infrastructure. A goal, he said, is creating Wyoming-tailored approaches to equip the state’s students for success. Auer believes education is on a precipice of great change due to global innovation and technology.
“With that comes a tremendous opportunity to stand on the strong foundation that Wyoming has,” he said. “Our education system needs to thoughtfully embrace those technological advancements without destroying our strong foundation.”
Wyoming’s coach
Harshman is a Natrona County native who has been a member of Wyoming’s House of Representatives since 2003. That makes him one of the longest-serving representatives in state history.
He and his wife, both educators, moved back to Casper after college and some early teaching jobs. Harshman taught history and physical education for 35 years at Natrona County High School before retiring. Harshman, who earned a master’s degree in exercise science, hasn’t retired from coaching. He has coached football, wrestling and track for 41 years.
He enjoys service, he said, which led him to run for a state House seat. When he first entered the Legislature, education and state finances were top of mind, but his childhood also instilled in him an understanding of the important role of energy in Wyoming’s economy. Over the years, the legislative role has enabled him to learn the ins and outs of many Wyoming issues.
“One of the wonderful things about the Legislature is you learn so much every year,” he said.
Harshman spent 10 years on the Appropriations Committee, including as chair, along with stints on the Education, School Facilities and Recalibration committees. He served as Speaker of the House in 2017-2018 and 2019-2020.
As a lawmaker, Harshman has historically championed funding for Wyoming schools, and was instrumental in creating the Hathaway Scholarship and Wyoming’s Tomorrow Scholarship.
More recently, Harshman opposed the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship program, warning his colleagues the universal voucher program would end up in court — which it has.
During his tenure, he said, he worked alongside three respected lawmakers who served 24 years: Jim Hageman, Harry Tipton and Marlene Simons. When he recently reached that milestone himself, he said, he figured it was a good opportunity to bow out.
“I thought, ‘It’s time to pass the baton on to the next generation,’” he said.
When the superintendent position opened, Harshman saw an opportunity to support Wyoming students in a new way, he said.
In the position, he said, he would work to further the state’s excellence in education, which he stridently defends.
“We’ve got the best schools, the best school facilities and the best teachers in the country,” he said. “Our public schools, they’re the foundation of our society.”
That said, Harshman believes educational standards need examination and simplification. As superintendent, he aims to responsibly shepherd education funding and to ensure that districts have the tools they need to implement state directives while maintaining local control.
