U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman’s victory streak continued Tuesday when she defeated Democratic challenger James Byrd to win one of Wyoming’s two U.S. Senate seats.
"The people of Wyoming have hired me to do a new job. I am grateful, and I will not let you down," said Hageman in a statement Tuesday evening.
“Four years ago, you gave me the honor and responsibility that go with serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, and I have worked hard every day to defend your Constitutional rights and look out for your interests in every way possible," she said. "I will now move across the Capitol to the Senate, where I will again put my shoulder to the wheel and be the champion Wyoming wants in Washington, D.C."
She added, “Wyoming has a great deal at stake in the coming years as we know the forces of the left will stop at nothing to prevent us from safely accessing our own natural resources. Wyoming leads the nation in coal production, has the most uranium reserves, and is prominent in oil and natural gas as well.
"We must defend America’s energy independence and block all efforts to punish the lawful production of domestic energy. Not only does our economy depend on it, so does the very existence of the United States of America."
The 64-year-old U.S. representative gained national fame in 2022 when she ousted then-Rep. Liz Cheney after the latter investigated President Donald Trump.
Trump visited Wyoming that May to campaign for Hageman.
She thanked the president Tuesday for his continued support, as well as Sens. John Barrasso and Sen. Cynthia Lummis, "whose retirement was the only reason I decided to run for this seat. And, most of all, I thank the people of Wyoming."
Hageman demolished Cheney in the primary election, faced little resistance in the general, and held the seat for two terms.
In December, U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis announced she was not running for a second Senate term after spending most of her adult life in politics.
Hageman declared her run for the upper chamber of Congress. So did a few Republican challengers, who won collectively fewer votes than Hageman in the primary.
She advanced to the general against Byrd.
Imprint On House
While initially Hageman cut an identity as the anti-Liz Cheney, she’s left her own imprint on the House.
She’s introduced a series of pro-life bills, battled federal proxy censorship through social media outlets, and chaired the “Anti-Woke Caucus,” an entity geared toward exposing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
She chairs the House Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.
Hageman has advocated for keeping males out of women’s and girls sports, and for tougher restrictions on non-English-speaking commercial truck drivers.
She weathered criticism from public-lands advocates 2025 and 2026, which she’s countered by calling for stronger private property rights and casting some critiques as overblown.
Hageman broke the norm this year by endorsing and campaigning for gubernatorial candidate Megan Degenfelder.
Degenfelder finished second in the August primary to state Sen. Eric Barlow.
Weeks later, Hageman urged voters to vote Republican all the way down the ballot, which her campaign spokesman confirmed equates to an endorsement for Barlow.
James Byrd
Byrd, the son of the first African-American woman elected to the Wyoming Legislature and a former legislator himself, declared his run in February.
The Cheyenne native said he loves coal but wants to see the nation branch out into other types of energy.
He criticized Hageman’s handling of a contentious town hall, when she walked off the stage to boos and shouts after fiery exchanges over U.S. Border Patrol killings in Minneapolis.
Hecklers flocked to at least one Hageman town hall in 2025 and peppered the events in 2026.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
