Sen. Eric Barlow, a Gillette rancher and former speaker of the House, won the GOP nomination for Wyoming governor Tuesday, making him the overwhelming favorite to become the state’s next chief executive officer.
The Associated Press called the race at 8:54 p.m. with 21% of the votes counted.
“I ran on a simple idea: show up, do the work, get the job done. That is how we run our ranch, that is how I have served in the Legislature, and that is how this administration will operate,” Barlow wrote in a statement to WyoFile.
“Kelly and I are grateful to everyone who knocked on a door, hosted a coffee, or took a chance introducing us to their family and friends during this campaign,” Barlow wrote. “I ran for Wyoming, not against anyone and this state’s future is safe with people like you paying attention.
Barlow triumphed over a Trump-backed opponent in a state where the president remains deeply popular. He also succeeded despite the Wyoming GOP endorsing another candidate and steady criticism from the right wing of the party that he was too moderate.
His election puts Wyoming on track to welcome another traditional Republican governor with ranching roots. Current Gov. Mark Gordon and former Gov. Matt Mead also won office despite skepticism from their party’s flank.
Barlow will still face two challengers in November, but given Republican domination of Wyoming politics, they face long odds.
Barlow sought the nomination against three other Republican candidates including Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder, who President Donald Trump endorsed, and Brent Bien, who was backed by the Wyoming Republican Party. The fourth candidate, Curt Blake of Centennial, ran a more informal, “word-of-mouth” campaign.
Born in Gillette and raised on the family ranch southwest of town, Barlow served as a U.S. Marine and worked as a large-animal veterinarian and a rancher before getting elected to House District 3 in 2013. Voters elected him to Senate District 23 in 2022.
As a lawmaker, Barlow led the House as speaker in 2021 and 2022 and now chairs the Senate Labor, Health and Social Services Committee as well as the Mental Health and Vulnerable Adult Task Force.
“I am a leader who stands firmly on sound, conservative principles and who will fiercely defend your rights, including the Second Amendment and the sanctity of life,” Barlow said in his announcement. “I will protect your private property rights, safeguard our public lands, and keep Washington, D.C. out of Wyoming’s business.”
Barlow kicked off his gubernatorial bid more than a year ago, and focused his campaign on protecting public lands, funding education and solving Wyoming’s healthcare access and affordability issues.
Gordon did not run for re-election and was technically prevented from seeking a third term, though he could have challenged that, as the Wyoming Supreme Court has ruled that term limits on the other top elected positions in the state are unconstitutional.
The last two times the governor’s seat was open in Wyoming, the Republican nominee handily won the general election after succeeding in the primary election.
In late July, Barlow released internal polling that showed him with a comfortable lead. At that time, the polling indicated support for Barlow at 42%, followed by Degenfelder at 19%, Brent Bien at 14%, with 22% of respondents undecided.
A few weeks after Barlow released the poll, Trump hosted a telerally with Degenfelder. About 20,600 people joined the call, according to Degenfelder’s campaign, which is about twice as many as attended Trump’s 2022 in-person rally in Casper when he backed Hageman against Liz Cheney.
When it came to fundraising, Barlow also pulled ahead of his opponents, raising $1.67 million since he announced his bid in August 2025. That beat out Degenfelder, who announced in January of this year, by about $380,000. Barlow’s fundraising also eclipsed the previous statewide record for individual fundraising.
In November’s election, Barlow will face two opponents: Democrat Kenneth Casner of Casper and Constitution Party candidate Rebecca Bextel of Jackson.
Bextel, the Teton County conservative activist at the center of the Checkgate controversy that dominated the 2026 legislative session, announced in May that she would run for the state’s post as an “insurance policy against Eric Barlow.”
The most support a third party candidate for governor in Wyoming has received was in 1894, when Populist Party candidate, Lewis C. Tidwell, won 11.28% of the vote.
The general election is Nov. 3.
This is a breaking news story and may be updated.
Awesome!!!!