This year, Wyoming voters will elect candidates for the state's top five elected officials. Who are the people running to lead Wyoming? And what exactly do the governor, secretary of state, superintendent of public instruction, treasurer and auditor do?
Wyoming’s primary election is on Aug. 18.
Maggie Mullen: This is the Cheyenne Roundup: Decision 2026, a look at the candidates vying for Wyoming’s top elected positions, from Wyoming Public Radio and WyoFile.
Jordan Uplinger: I'm Jordan Uplinger with Wyoming Public Radio.
MM: And I'm Maggie Mullen with WyoFile.
JU: This week, we’re looking at the state’s top five elected officials.
MM: That’s right. Remember last week, we talked about how the Freedom Caucus is trying to hold on to its majority in the state House and gain votes in the Senate? They're making moves for those statewide offices, too.
JU: We'll get into those dynamics, but first let's go over the basics. Those include the governor, the secretary of state, the superintendent of public instruction, the state auditor and the state treasurer.
MM: Let’s start with the state treasurer, where the incumbent is fielding a challenge from a state representative who’s a member of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus.
JU: Yes, Curt Meier is seeking a third term. He served for 23 years in the Wyoming Senate before running for treasurer back in 2018. At a recent forum we co-hosted with the League of Women Voters, he talked with former chief justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court, Marilyn Kite, about what the treasurer’s office does.
Marilyn Kite: How would you describe the treasurer's office as being different from the auditor's office, just for all of us out in the real world [who] don't know the difference?
Curt Meier: OK, well, we'll make it simple. We make the money. The auditor writes the checks. So, that's pretty much the way it is.
MM: Meier also told Kite about steps he’s taken to modernize the office and how investments have become a top revenue source for the state. That boost in revenue happened on account of the Legislature and the treasurer’s office transitioning to a more aggressive investment approach.
Curt Meier: We've taken the volatility out of it with the diversification of our assets.
JU: Meier is facing a challenge from Lingle Rep. Scott Smith, a listed member on the Wyoming Freedom Caucus’ website. Originally from Indiana, he started his term in the Wyoming House in 2023 and served on the House Transportation committee and then Appropriations starting in 2025. On his legislative bio, he lists small business owner as his day job.
Scott Smith: I am a small business owner that does accounting for other small businesses, so accounts payable, accounts receivable and paying all of the wonderful sales taxes. And so numbers is my thing.
Editor’s Note: Smith’s quote is from a candidate forum hosted by Campbell County Republican Women.
JU: Smith also picked up the state Republican Party’s endorsement — a big deal because it’s the first year the party has done that.
MM: There are some legal questions around those endorsements. State law does not explicitly forbid the party from vetting and endorsing candidates ahead of the primary election, but spending money either directly or indirectly on those candidates is currently not allowed. So GOP leadership has said the party will not spend money on something like a voter guide or mailers to promote those endorsements. In June, the Wyoming GOP sued the state, challenging the constitutionality of the law that restricts party spending. That's something I'm keeping my eye on. Little digression there.
JU: No worries, Maggie. It's important context. Now back to the treasurer's race. Smith didn’t make it to the forum we hosted, but Oil City News reported Smith told a Natrona County audience he would diversify the state’s portfolio by investing heavily in gold and silver to hedge against inflation, and he pledged to hire a forensic auditor to track state funds.
MM: I’m glad Marilyn Kite asked how the treasurer’s office and auditor’s office are different because that trips me up. The auditor’s office is more accounting and payroll for state agencies and employees. The auditor keeps track of all of the state's income, spending, budgets and bad debts, culminating in an annual report on the state’s financial condition and well-being.
JU: Incumbent Republican Kristi Raccines faces no challengers from the two major parties. She’s running for a third term.
MM: Moving on to the superintendent of public instruction. The state's education chief oversees a lot of record-keeping. This includes enforcing provisions of the Wyoming Education Code, maintaining a list of accredited schools, inspecting schools, and gathering reports and statistics. Current Superintendent Megan Degenfelder is running for governor.
JU: And that’s left the race wide open. Three Republicans are running to replace her, including Chad Auer, Rep. Steve Harshman of Casper, and Rep. Tom Kelly of Sheridan. Two Democrats, Ana Cordova and Sergio Maldonado, are also seeking their party's nomination – they were unavailable to join the forum.
MM: At that forum, the three Republicans were mostly aligned. But subtle differences emerged in their philosophies, experience and plans for helming the department of education. Like about a law the Legislature passed this spring that establishes new guidelines for literacy instruction based on “the science of reading.”
JU: Steve Harshman voted in favor of that law.
Steve Harshman: I think the problem is the four, five, six grades, and we needed more time to implement it. I tried to amend it. As superintendent, I would do that with the rules. I wouldn't be in a rush, 'cause when you rush stuff, you gotta go back and do it a second time, and we wanna get it right the first time.
JU: Tom Kelly voted against it while saying he supports strong literacy instruction.
Tom Kelley: Back off from the top-down approach, to make the rules as effective and as flexible as possible so each district can do what they need to do, and then we can provide the support and the funds for dyslexia screeners and support for districts that need it, but not give them a new maze of regulations to have to traverse.
JU: Auer is in favor of adopting evidence-based literacy instruction, though he would be deliberate with implementation and professional development.
Chad Auer: I think that this shift, as the bill talks about, should be reinforced by professional development for all those teachers. We should also have, alongside of that, real-time data to help teachers track and parents track and quickly identify readers who need help. And then ultimately, we need to have early intervention.
MM: Kelly received the state GOP’s endorsement for this race. He’s not a member of the Freedom Caucus, but he often votes with the bloc.
JU: I took a peek at WyoFile’s election guide to see how the two Democrats running would manage public education.
Ana Cordova was born and raised in Cheyenne, left for college and got a master's in human genetics and law, then came back to Wyoming earlier this year. She wants to make local public schools the best option for a kid’s education — not just the only option.
Sergio Maldonado grew up in Riverton, spent some time in Arizona and now lives in Arapahoe. He’s an enrolled member of the Northern Arapaho tribe and has served as the tribe’s education director. He says his top priority is to assess state testing scores from 2020 to present and meet with all of the superintendents to hear their goals and concerns, and find consensus.
MM: An office that’s been under increasing scrutiny is the secretary of state. Two big mandates for this office: overseeing businesses and elections. Again, this seat is wide open because current secretary, Chuck Gray, is making a run for Congress.
JU: Four Republicans are running. That includes CJ Young, Qwenton Eagle Oviatt, Rep. Rachel Williams out of Cody and Robert Short will all be on the primary ballot. The winner will face Democrat Bryan McCarty in the November general election.
MM: Jordan asked the three Republicans who attended our forum — Young, Oviatt and Short — some rapid-fire questions about current hot-button election concerns.
Jordan Uplinger: Do you support secure ballot drop boxes?
Marilyn Kite: Mr. Young?
CJ Young: Yes, when they're done right.
Marilyn Kite: Mr. Oviatt?
Qwenton Eagle Oviatt: 100% yes, as do the county clerks.
Marilyn Kite: Mr. Short?
Robert Short: Absolutely.
Jordan Uplinger: Do you support mail-in ballots?
Marilyn Kite: Mr. Oviatt?
Qwenton Eagle Oviatt: Yes. When they're done correctly, they're just as secure as ballot drop boxes.
Marilyn Kite: Mr. Short?
Robert Short: Absolutely.
Marilyn Kite: Mr. Young?
CJ Young: Ys. Wyoming does elections well, so I do support them.
Jordan Uplinger: Do you support voters being able to change their political party at any time?
Marilyn Kite: Mr. Short?
Robert Short: Yes.
Marilyn Kite: Mr. Young?
CJ Young: No.
Marilyn Kite: Mr. Oviatt?
Qwenton Eagle Oviatt: Yes, 100%.
Jordan Uplinger: Do you support absentee voting for anyone who wants it?
Marilyn Kite: Mr. Oviatt?
Qwenton Eagle Oviatt: Provided they meet all the qualifications, I see no reason why I couldn't support it. Yes.
Marilyn Kite: Mr. Short?
Robert Short: We should make voting as easy as possible in Wyoming. Yes.
Marilyn Kite: Mr. Young?
CJ Young: Yes, I also support that. Easy to vote, hard to cheat is my motto.
Jordan Uplinger: Do you support the ability of someone dropping off other people's ballots, like from a retirement home?
Marilyn Kite: Mr. Young?
CJ Young: Yes, as long as we follow all the rules and statute.
Marilyn Kite: Mr. Oviatt?
Qwenton Eagle Oviatt: Yes, I agree. Some people, especially in retirement homes, they definitely need that.
Marilyn Kite: Mr. Short?
Robert Short: Ditto.
MM: Rachel Williams, who’s the current chair of the Freedom Caucus, nabbed the endorsement from the state Republican Party.
JU: Before we get to the governor’s race, I want to mention another job all of these offices do. They all sit on state boards that manage state lands, loans and investments.
MM: The state board of land commissioners is constitutionally obligated to manage state trust lands to generate revenue, but sometimes money-making development opportunities do not align with how locals want to use that land.
JU: Check out that election guide I mentioned from WyoFile. The questionnaire asks the statewide candidates how they'd coordinate with local governments when it comes to state-sanctioned uses of state trust lands.
MM: And now, the office we’ve all been waiting for: governor. The governor is largely seen as the leader and official representative of Wyoming. They’re supported by advisors to 40 specialized agencies. They’re the commander in chief of the Wyoming Army and Air National Guard. They oversee the Emergency Management Agency and — if that’s not enough — they make a first draft recommendation for the state budget to lawmakers. Current Gov. Mark Gordon is termed out.
JU: There are four Republicans vying to succeed him, including Brent Bien, Curt Blake, Eric Barlow and Megan Degenfelder.
MM: Whoever wins the Republican nomination will face Democratic candidate Kenneth Casner of Elk Mountain and Rebecca Bextel, the Constitution Party’s candidate, in November’s general election.
JU: Let's start with Barlow and Degenfelder, the two candidates who showed up for our gubernatorial forum in Casper.
MM: Born and raised here, Barlow and Degenfelder both touted their Wyoming roots and time in public office. Barlow, a rancher who currently represents Senate District 23, has served in the Wyoming Legislature since 2013, including a term as speaker of the House. Degenfelder, who has a background in oil and gas, has served one term as Wyoming superintendent of public instruction.
JU: Both candidates are concerned about Wyoming's young people — from the state's high suicide rate to the mass exodus of youth who leave for out-of-state opportunities.
MM: They both want to improve access to affordable healthcare and housing, and see growing the economy as a part of that equation.
JU: Barlow emphasized listening to people and Degenfelder emphasized having concrete plans.
MM: Energy policy was one place with a little daylight between Barlow and Degenfelder. Here’s Barlow.
Eric Barlow: Every electron matters. The source, we can have a discussion about the source, absolutely.
JU: He specifically mentioned nuclear and geothermal at the forum. He’s worried about the oscillating landscape of federal policy when it comes to wind and solar.
MM: Degenfelder says we need to stay all in on coal, oil and natural gas.
Megan Degenfelder: I'm not interested — interested in subsidizing industries that are competing with the very ones that keep our state running.
JU: Brent Bien, who wasn't at the forum, has a seven-point energy plan, where he’s also backing fossil fuels. His campaign website denies that carbon emissions from these energy sources are contributing to climate change. He says more CO2 is needed for plants and our food supply to flourish.
MM: Curt Blake told me he likes what Gov. Mark Gordon has done with the state’s energy industry. Side note: Blake has a unique campaign strategy. He's framing himself as the “outsider” candidate in this race — he’s relying on word of mouth instead of mailers and ads. He also takes a pretty Libertarian approach to a lot of these issues.
JU: Let’s end on some news you can use. Absentee ballots were sent out this week and early voting is underway. If you didn’t vote in 2024, you likely received a letter that you were purged from the voter registration rolls. You’ll need to re-register. Check with your county clerk if you’re not sure.
MM: Ballots can be mailed back or dropped off in person at your county clerk’s office. Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on [primary] election day — Aug. 18 — to be counted.
JU: If reading is how you retain info, check out WyoFile’s election guide. A lot of candidates responded to a survey that fleshes out who they are and how they want to do the job if elected.
MM: And Wyoming Public Media’s website has a handy breakdown of dates to remember and phone numbers for your county clerk.
MM: Thanks, as always, for listening to the Cheyenne Roundup: Decision 2026, a preview of Wyoming's primary election races, from Wyoming Public Radio and WyoFile.
JU: Make sure to like this episode and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
MM: Editing and producing by Nicky Ouellet and Tennessee Watson. Special thanks to Audio Library of the West.
JU: Keep following our politics and state government reporting at wyomingpublicmedia.org and wyofile.com. Thanks for listening.
