Eric Barlow, a state legislator of 14 years, is Wyoming’s next governor.
Also a rancher and veterinarian, the 60-year-old first clinched the GOP nomination in August by winning every county, then defeated general election challengers Rebecca Bextel (Constitution Party) and Ken Casner (Democratic) for the win Tuesday.
"We’re very honored w the trust the Wyoming voters have placed in us," Barlow told Cowboy State Daily on Tuesday evening. "We’ve traveled 448 days - we did the math - and meeting people and hearing what was on their minds; what they were interested in, concerned about, the opporutnitites for them and their families and their communities. I think folks responded to that."
He said he's "made the case all along" to show up. listen, learn, do the work, but also do it respectfully and effectively, and once governor, efficiently."
As a legislator Barlow emphasized health-care policy, and he made headlines in 2023 by creating a method for nonviolent felons to have their gun and other rights restored after their sentences are complete. He served as House speaker from 2021-22 then ascended to the state Senate in 2023, a seat he’ll hold until January.
Barlow launched his gubernatorial campaign in August 2025 and reported an extensive ground game, looping through all 23 counties more than 10 times.
His expense reports also show an advertising push from TV down to the small-town newspaper level.
Barlow Raised $2.05 Million
Barlow raised $2.05 million across the primary and general election cycles, with $1.55 million of that (75.4%) from individual sources. He spent $1.7 million.
Megan Degenfelder, who finished second in the primary, was the only 2026 candidate who came close to those figures, at $1.33 raised and $1.31 million spent in the primary.
Barlow’s two biggest foes in the primary were Degenfelder, who is finishing her term as state superintendent of public instruction, and retired Marine Corps Col. Brent Bien.
Bien was also a leader of the effort to put Proposition 1 – a proposed 50% property tax cut for qualifying home structures – on the ballot.
In the general election, Barlow faced a much more pointed adversary in Bextel.
She declared her run under the Constitution Party banner in mid-May as “an insurance policy against Eric Barlow.” That was three months after she also sparked the “CheckGate” controversy for handing out campaign donation checks on the state House of Representatives floor just after the first day of session.
In her state tour and media appearances, Bextel consistently criticized Barlow and other political figures, including Gov. Mark Gordon and state Sen. Ogden Driskill.
She accused Barlow repeatedly of being a “Democrat” and anti-fossil fuels, and cast herself as the true Republican, albeit under a different party’s banner.
Her claims unfolded amid some irony, as the minerals industry largely funded Barlow’s political action committee contributions, and Wyoming coal, oil and gas groups endorsed him.
Casner Spent $0
Casner was not as vocal throughout the campaign, nor as active. His campaign finance reports for both primary and general cycles say he raised zero dollars, and spent zero dollars.
Barlow also weathered criticism – and falsehoods – during the primary election. A Wyoming PAC that spent $1.4 million falsely accused him of pushing for higher fuel taxes, when in fact Barlow had fought to keep fuel taxes low.
The state senator responded with a humorous video in which he pulled campaign mailers out of a mailbox while wearing a vet sleeve – a protective barrier usually reserved for a the “rectal” method of pregnancy checking cows.
Barlow said throughout his campaign that he was “running for Wyoming, not running against anyone.”
He reiterated that Tuesday: "We stayed true to that."
"We stayed focused on having honest conversations with the people of Wyoming and they responded to that," he said. "And we’re honored by their support."
Policy-wise, Barlow has cast himself as pro-gun and pro-life. He voted in favor of every abortion ban Wyoming has passed since it regained primacy over the issue in 2022.
He’s called for a conditional stance rather than a moratorium on data centers, balancing private property rights against electricity, water, and other concerns.
He has pledged to work for Wyoming’s water rights as seven states, fraught with drought, eye the terms of the 1922 Colorado River Compact.
Barlow voted for Medicaid expansion as a legislator. During his gubernatorial run he’s said he no longer considers expansion the right option for Wyoming; and he’s pointed to the Trump-backed rural health transformation fund sending hundreds of millions of dollars into Wyoming on an annual approval basis.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
