Rep. Harriet Hageman: Why I’m Running For The U.S. Senate

Rep. Harriet Hageman writes, "My mother is 102 years old — and God bless her she’s still going strong.  She has witnessed unrivaled changes in the last century in this great country, and her personal story reflects what her generation means to all of us."  

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Guest Column

February 07, 20266 min read

U.S. Rep. Hariett Hageman, R-Wyoming, at a political rally in Casper, Wyoming, on Sunday, July 7, 2024.
U.S. Rep. Hariett Hageman, R-Wyoming, at a political rally in Casper, Wyoming, on Sunday, July 7, 2024. (Leo Wolfson, Cowboy State Daily)

My mother is 102 years old — and God bless her she’s still going strong. 

She has witnessed unrivaled changes in the last century in this great country, and her personal story reflects what her generation means to all of us.   

Just think of the transformations that we have witnessed in my mother’s lifetime, from the cars we drive, to the clothes we wear, to the technology we use. 

Innovation and advancement have been the order of the day, especially in the last 75 years, and we now recognize that the possibilities for additional innovation are essentially endless.

Our standard of living and prosperity have indeed exploded over the past 100 years, and this level and nature of progress is unrivaled in human history. 

The changes we have experienced in the past century stem from one thing: the commercial production of affordable and reliable energy. 

That one metric – the critical availability of home-sourced energy -- has made it all possible.  And Wyoming has been at the forefront of the energy revolution, powering our economy and making our lives better.

That is why I have dedicated my efforts in Congress to securing our energy supply and focusing on our ability to not only maintain our way of life in Wyoming, but to power our country. 

As your lone member of the U.S. House of Representatives for the last three years I have focused on empowering Wyoming, defending our industries, fighting for our communities, and working to ensure that all of our industries, businesses, and communities thrive. 

And in light of that record, I am asking for the voters in the great State of Wyoming to consider me as I now apply for the job to be your U.S. Senator.

Our outstanding Sen. Cynthia Lummis recently announced that she is retiring from public life after more than four decades of service for Wyoming. 

To say that she has an unparalleled record of service in Wyoming is an understatement. 

She has forged a reputation as a solid, principled conservative who approaches problems with clear eyes and common sense, and I pledge to also bring honor to the office she held, should the people of Wyoming make that decision in November of this year. 

Before I entered Congress I spent almost 3 decades fighting to protect individual rights, property rights, and water rights. 

In my efforts challenging federal overreach, I dedicated my career to defending our state and federal Constitutions, and pushing back against the regulatory onslaught that has undermined our Republican form of government. 

In that work defending individuals against the relentless onslaught of unelected bureaucrats, I defeated an alphabet soup of federal agencies, including the USDA, EPA, and USFWS, to name a few.

In my three years in the House, I have fought against the excesses of federal overreach, including efforts to undermine the property rights of Wyoming residents.

I have championed numerous efforts to reduce and constrain needless federal actions and regulations. 

I have sought to protect our ability to safely and responsibly access and use our abundant natural resources.

And I have argued that our successes should be rewarded, which is why I also continue to fight to finally delist the long-recovered Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bear pursuant to the clear dictates of the Endangered Species Act.

In advancing Wyoming’s interests, I have worked closely with other western Congressional members to pursue policies that benefit us all. 

My efforts have included guiding the Western Caucus into firm stances on important issues such as defending private landowners, supporting responsible energy development on federal lands, and advocating for sensible regulations that protect our natural resources while making them available for use. 

I want to continue these efforts in the U.S. Senate, where our desire to advance these goals only intensifies, and where President Trump will need my support.

The President has endorsed me in this Senate campaign, just as he did in both of my campaigns for the House of Representatives. I have been a champion of his America First agenda from the beginning. 

I will continue to stand with the President on his successful efforts to restore order and control at the border and to identify, arrest, and deport criminal illegal aliens from our communities.

I will always support cutting federal taxes so that people can keep more of what they earn to benefit themselves and their families. And I will always vote to keep government out of the way of honest, hard-working entrepreneurs and producers. 

I will also stand strongly with President Trump as he pursues an energy policy that restores the foundation and backbone of this country — and Wyoming.  We will lead the world in energy production, and I will fight every step of the way to ensure that this is a reality.

My mother’s lifespan has covered advancements and changes that would not have been possible without our naturally abundant sources of energy, and it is dumbfounding that there are those who stand opposed to their use.

My mother can report first-hand what it is like to live when warm baths were a luxury for the few, electric refrigeration was largely unavailable, air conditioning was never even considered as a possibility, and when the only mode of travel during the brutal winters was by a horse-drawn sleigh. 

She can personally describe their daily lives, being focused almost exclusively on working the fields, chopping wood, tending the garden, canning the food, and surviving the harsh weather.   

We are in an ongoing war with environmental radicals on the left, and Wyoming will need a senator who is prepared for the fight ahead. I assure the voters that I am ready.

My father began his education in a one-room schoolhouse, and he went on to have a long and respected career in the Wyoming legislature and as a rancher.

My mother, meanwhile, continues to teach us things even after having reached triple digits in age, and I am better for it.

I know from my own family’s history that great success is possible by applying common sense, hard work and perseverance.

As a fourth-generation Wyomingite, raised on our family ranch near Fort Laramie, I know that few good things come without working to make it happen. 

I learned long ago that satisfaction and comfort come from a long day’s hard work. 

I pledge to my fellow citizens that I will continue to work just as tirelessly in the Senate as I have worked on behalf of Wyoming in the House of Representatives. 

I am Harriet Hageman, candidate for the U.S. Senate from Wyoming, and I’m asking for your vote in November 2026.

Rep. Harriet Hageman, a Republican, is the lone member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wyoming.

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