GILLETTE — In one of the more closely watched state House races, Wyoming Freedom Caucus founder and incumbent state Rep. John Bear was upended by political newcomer Doug Moore in his reelection bid in Tuesday’s Campbell County Republican primary.
The final vote was 920-647 in Moore’s favor for the House District 31 seat, according to unofficial results.
Bear has been a leading figure in the Wyoming Freedom Caucus and held the seat for three terms prior to his defeat.
Bear didn’t return a request for comment.
Moore, who was enjoying his win with supporters at the Bell Knob Golf Course in Gillette, said he was excited by the win and wants to take a quick break before he gets to work.
"I want to enjoy this win first," he told Cowboy State Daily just before midnight. "It was a long, long, hot summer campaigning, so I want to take a breather."
Then, he said he plans to get some good people around him since it's his first run and "ask questions" and "try to get my expectations set straight."
Focus On Coal
As someone who has worked in the coal mines for more than 30 years, Moore said among his first priorities is addressing coal lease reform to get the Cowboy State poised to move forward with lease reform and bonding issues as they emerge through the federal government.
"There's a lot of things on the table that we can improve for coal mines and for Campbell County and Wyoming," he said.
Moore is a newcomer to Wyoming politics.
The 55-year-old owns a business and works as a transportation manager for two coal‐mining firms.
Initially, it appeared Bear would run unopposed until Moore threw his hat in the ring in late May.
The upset is part of a string of defeats for the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, a populist-leaning group of GOP state representatives that has backed property tax cuts, pro-life bills, and revisions to K-12 school funding, of which Bear has been a leading voice.
Moore does not affiliate himself with the caucus, telling Cowboy State Daily in an earlier interview that he considers himself very conservative but would not join the Freedom Caucus, believing its members take direction from a national network.
Both men live in Gillette, are married with grown children, and share strong support for the coal industry and conservative principles with limited government.
Bear On Appropriations
Bear, a former Freedom Caucus chair and one of its most powerful voices, co-chairs the Joint Appropriations Committee, which prepares the second draft of the state’s biennial budget.
Bear has said that inflation is straining district families and touts his work on property‐tax relief.
As Appropriations chair, Bear earned a reputation as a budget hawk and occasionally broke with fellow caucus members by opposing what he calls “corporate welfare” tax breaks, voting against the Energy Dominance Fund money for large‐scale energy projects.
Bear, 60, touts himself as a pro-life conservative who in favor of low taxes who is also pro-family and pro-Second Amendment.
The two men differ, however, on their stance on taxes and how best to support schools and local services.
Bear is in favor of cutting taxes and has touted legislation he helped pass in 2025 that provided a 25% property tax cut for all homeowners as well as a 50% tax cut for long-term homeowners.
Moore, on the other hand, has said that the state should take a more careful approach to cutting taxes that could prove detrimental for schools and other services.
He instead believes the state should build businesses and find ways to process minerals in state to create more local opportunities.
Jen Kocher can be reached at jen@cowboystatedaily.com.
