LANDER – Lloyd Larsen, the state lawmaker who has represented this town for nearly 14 years, won the Republican nomination again Tuesday, over challenger Jeff Martin.
Larsen more than doubled Martin at 66.76% to Martin's 33%, according to unofficial results as of publication.
The Fremont County Republican Party had endorsed Martin over Larsen.
Second Rodeo
This is at least the second time Larsen has defeated Martin, who challenged the incumbent in the 2024 general election, as an Independent. At that time, Martin criticized Larsen for voting against the 2022 Fairness in Women’s Sports Act to ban males from girls’ school sports.
Larsen had said at the time that he didn’t vote against the merits of the bill, but against resurrecting it because it crossed to the House after the Legislature’s crossover deadline in the rushed 2022 budget session.
This time Martin ran as a Republican, and again launched radio ads against Larsen.
And, This Time
In local newspaper The Ranger’s 2026 voter guide, Martin said he’d support eliminating residential property taxes.
Larsen opposed that goal, saying he also doesn’t support the 50% residential property tax cut slated to appear on the Nov. 3 ballot. He voiced concerns over schools and local governments having to make up the lost revenue over time, especially once their reserves are gone.
Larsen has developed keenness in certain areas of legislative work, including mental and physical health care laws and the state’s budget.
With the House under Wyoming Freedom Caucus control this term, Larsen was not selected to serve on the Appropriations Committee.
But he was an outspoken critic in January when the Joint Appropriations Committee majority proposed cutting $58 million in Medicaid funding for tribal health clinics.
Cutting the money could have slashed services, which in turn would send tribal members to off-reservation clinics where the state of Wyoming pays half, instead of none, of the Medicaid reimbursement, said Larsen.
After multiple rounds of public criticism from Larsen, the appropriators reversed course and restored the money to the budget.
No Democratic candidate has registered to run against Larsen in the Nov. 3 general election.
