State Senate Majority Floor Leader Tara Nethercott is running unopposed for Senate president, and House Reps. Lloyd Larsen and Art Washut are competing for House speaker, multiple sources have confirmed.
The two positions are chief in their respective chambers of the state Legislature. They decide lawmakers’ committee assignments, bill assignments to committees, and run the Legislature’s administrative panel the Management Council.
Most leadership hopefuls who spoke to Cowboy State Daily this week expressed a desire to restore decorum, efficiency and public trust in the institution after what they described as a rocky two years.
“I see this as akin, in some ways, to reconstruction after the Civil War,” said Washut in a Thursday phone interview. “We have to look back at why the House Republican Party fractured the way it did. Why did we splinter? And not repeat those scenarios and missteps that led to that fracturing.”
Larsen gave similar thoughts in a Tuesday phone interview.
“We’ve got to get some faith put back into the establishment, and how the Legislature runs,” said Larsen, “and (ensure) people won’t think we’re being about mischief all the time.”
In the general election, Republicans kept their supermajority in both chambers, with the full Legislature comprising about 90% GOP.
The party caucus’ picks for House speaker, speaker pro tem, Senate president and Senate vice president all will go before their chambers for bipartisan ratification.
Its selections of majority floor leader in both chambers, and majority whip in the House, will not.
Nethercott did not immediately return a Thursday voicemail request for comment.
Legislature Republicans are slated to nominate their chamber leaders and elect their legislative party leaders Nov. 14.
Case v. Cooper
On the Senate side, Republican Sens. Cale Case (Lander) and Ed Cooper (Ten Sleep) are running against each other for the second-ranking position of vice president.
“I’m a nerd about, and I see the legislative process as being absolutely beautiful, amazing,” said Case. “I really see the value in making sure our process is as good as it can be, and as fair as it can be.”
He said he’s ensured fairness while chairing committees, and “could bring that to bear on the whole Senate and, through that influence, the Legislature itself, in a time when we have lost some decorum – not so much the Senate, but the Legislature in general, has lost some stature.”
Cooper said, “We need some good calm experience in there.”
He said he’s had good relationships with other senators, and like so many leadership candidates, said he wants to bring “the integrity, decorum and tradition back to the entire Legislature.”
Wendy Schuler
Sen. Wendy Schuler, R-Evanston, is running unopposed for Senate majority floor leader, she, Case, and Larsen all confirmed.
She said she hopes to be a “unifier,” and called for transparency and honesty in governance.
The majority floor leaders of both chambers set the schedule for each day and decide the priority order for bill actions. They also propose adjournment, and can do so before all bills have seen action.
Andrew Byron
By all accounts so far, Rep. Andrew Byron, R-Jackson, is running unopposed for House speaker pro tem – the second in command.
“I think that position has been underutilized in my time in the body,” said Byron, adding that he means no insult to prior Speaker Pro Tem Clark Stith and the current one, Rep. Jeremy Haroldson, R-Wheatland.
Byron said he’d like to bolster the House’s communications to the public during session. He also said he wants to address potential organizational challenges from the huge class of newly elected legislators incoming.
But he’s optimistic about that, too.
“We have wonderful class coming in,” said Byron. “I’m super excited they’re willing to step up and serve.”
Haroldson v. Williams
Haroldson vies against Rep. JD Williams, R-Lusk, for the majority floor leader position.
Haroldson noted the 69th Legislature “will be a completely different view” from the 68th.
The Wyoming Freedom Caucus held control of the House in the past two sessions, but will not in January, after numerous members of the populist GOP faction lost primary challenges.
The Freedom Caucus-led House passed several bills, including property tax relief and tighter election laws, and a two-year budget.
However, it garnered controversy when the Legislature did not pass a supplemental budget in 2025, and when non-legislator Rebecca Bextel, who later became a gubernatorial candidate, handed out campaign donation checks on the House floor to caucus members earlier this year.
Haroldson oversaw the investigation into misconduct complaints stemming from that incident.
One of the few remaining Freedom Caucus members in the House, he said he’d prioritize communicating with new representatives, and would lean on his experience chairing multiple boards and in other leadership roles.
“Now it’s a situation where we are needing to connect with those new individuals, talk to them about where we stand, how we feel we can govern,” said Haroldson.
Williams told Cowboy State Daily, “people deserve their Legislature to be effective. And that depends a lot on the majority floor leader as he manages, or she manages, all the bills after they come back from committee.”
Haroldson is the only Freedom Caucus member who confirmed he’s running for legislative leadership.
Willaims said he’d prioritize bills that “keep Wyoming open for business,” promote Wyoming’s water interests and bolster energy infrastructure. He pointed to the significant emphasis on those themes as session draws closer.
He said he also hopes to address the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s reported $400 million budget shortfall, and other things the Legislature "can't ignore."
“Wyoming is giving us the opportunity and responsibility to get some work done,” said Williams. “Cut the drama.”
Cody Wylie v. Martha Lawley
Republican Reps. Cody Wylie (Rock Springs) and Martha Lawley (Worland) contend for majority whip.
As Bryon put it, the whip is a wrangler.
He or she manages parking positions, investigates which bills are so devoid of support that hearing them would be a waste of time, and organizes freshmen, especially as the freshmen test their chairmanship skills during the full chamber’s debate phase, called Committee of the Whole.
“I view one of the overall goals as, to help each individual legislator succeed at representing their constituents,” Lawley told Cowboy State Daily in a Thursday phone interview.
Answering questions, helping lawmakers connect with other mentors of their choice and mentoring the freshmen generally, are among her planned duties, said Lawley.
“But also, the function is letting leadership know where we are on certain things, because very important decisions are being made on which bills we can get to in that session, and which we can’t,” she said. “There’s always bills we don’t get to.”
Bills die for lack of hearing every session.
Lawley said she believes her skill in navigating the legislative process well help her encourage and help others.
In his interview, Wylie referenced Wyoming voters’ change of direction this year – a general rejection of the Freedom Caucus.
“(I’m running) to make sure that we understand that we got the message from Wyomingites, our constituents, that here’s a chance, and please give us a functional government,” said Wylie.
He added, “I want to bring the institution, the people’s House of Wyoming, back to where it needs to be, and the respect and the trust that we once had, that we might have diminished the last couple years."
Despite past attempts, the Senate does not have a majority whip position, Case noted. The Senate usually comprises more experienced legislators, and half as many as the House.
About The Candidates For President, Speaker
An attorney by trade and a Wyomingite of old Riverton stock, Nethercott now lives in Cheyenne. She’s held her Senate seat there since 2017, and served as majority floor leader for the past biennium.
This cycle she chaired a task force on health insurance affordability, as well as the Select Committee on Capital Financing and Investments.
Nethercott in 2023 held one of the Legislature’s most powerful positions: Senate Appropriations Committee chair. She also chaired Senate Judiciary Committee in her second term.
Larsen has held his House seat since 2013.
He chairs two task forces and has chaired multiple committees, plus served as House Appropriations Committee vice-chair.
Two of Larsen’s known strengths are in medical and health care laws, and the state’s budget.
Washut garnered positive remarks this session for chairing the investigative committee on Bextel’s CheckGate incident. The committee found no official misconduct by legislators, and concluded its work.
Washut, who was not implicated in CheckGate himself, oversaw hours of testimony and exhibits presentation.
He’s held his seat since 2019 and currently chairs the House Judiciary Committee and a task force regarding oversight of the state shooting complex.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
