Wyoming Republicans have selected their nominee for the U.S. Senate race, opting for Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wy. This decision comes as Hageman steps into the spotlight to potentially succeed Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis, who has announced her retirement.
After serving a single term in the Senate following four terms in the House, Lummis declared she would not seek re-election, leaving a vacancy in one of the nation’s most strongly Republican territories. Her departure has set the stage for what promises to be a pivotal election.
Emerging victorious from a competitive five-candidate Republican primary, Hageman defeated former Kirby Mayor Sam Mead, Jill Edwards, John Holtz, and ex-environmental services business owner Jimmy Skovgard. Her win underscores her political presence and capability to rally Republican support in Wyoming.
As a candidate in a state recognized for its staunch Republican alignment, Hageman entered the race as both the most well-known and financially backed contender, setting her sights on advancing to the higher echelons of Congress.
Her campaign received a significant boost with the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, who had previously supported Hageman during her successful 2022 campaign to unseat former Rep. Liz Cheney in Wyoming’s Republican House primary. This backing could prove influential as she seeks a Senate seat.
Now serving her second term as Wyoming’s lone US House member, Hageman rose to national prominence with her victory over Cheney.
Cheney became Trump’s biggest target in 2022 after she served as one of the only two Republicans on the House Committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riots alongside fellow GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-IL, who did not seek reelection that year.
The ousted Wyoming congresswoman, daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney, become one of Trump’s most prominent Republican critics.
Hageman will now face the Democratic nominee in the Nov. 3 general election — though with Wyoming’s deep red roots, it’s highly unlikely the single US House seat will flip blue this year.
The at-large seat is ranked by the bipartisan Cook Political Report as solidly Republican with a R+23, the best odds of any Senate race this election cycle.
Republicans enter the general election with a substantial advantage in Wyoming. All of the state’s statewide elected offices are currently held by Republicans.
The Senate contest is part of an unusually large turnover in Wyoming’s political leadership.
For the first time in 32 years, the state has open races for governor, US Senate and US House in the same election cycle.