Government & Politics

Harriet Hageman Wins GOP Nomination For Wyoming U.S. Senate Seat

U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman defeated four other Republican challengers for the Republican nomination to U.S. Senate in Tuesday's primary election.

Cowboy State Daily's Live Election Night Coverage Of The 2026 Wyoming Primary Election

White House: Text Blast Is False, Trump Did Not Endorse Reid Rasner

The White House says a last minute text blast claiming President Trump endorsed Reid Rasner for U.S. House is false. For anyone to suggest an endorsement in that race, "is just incorrect and false," said White House political director Matt Brasseaux.

Wyoming 2026 Primary Election: Here's What We're Seeing

It's primary election day in Wyoming which means a likely end to months of mudslinging and avalanches of semi-truthful fliers sent in the U.S. mail. Cowboy State Daily is doing limited exit polling on Tuesday before live coverage begins at 7:00 p.m.

Laramie County Community College Picks "Wyoming State College" As New Name

Laramie County Community College President Joe Schaffer on Monday announced plans to change the school's name to Wyoming State College and said the reason boils down to one word: Survival.

Wyoming Politics: What The New York Times Got Right, And Wrong

The New York Times featured the Wyoming Senate race between Chip Neiman and Ogden Driskill as an example of Wyoming's Republican Party divide. That's accurate, but no one in that race thinks Neiman represents the "far right."

Hageman: California 'Failed All Of Us' And Made Colorado River Water Crisis Worse

Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman says California should be accountable for the Colorado River crisis because instead of building water infrastructure it spent billions on "stupid things" like high-speed rail. In the meantime, Lake Powell has hit a record low.

Virginia PAC Backing Freedom Caucus Spends Nearly $550K In Wyoming Primary

The Virginia-based PAC Make Liberty Win, which favors the Freedom Caucus, spent nearly $550,000 on Wyoming's primary election and more than $60,000 attacking specific candidates. "The reason you go negative is because it works," said the group's director.

Work Starts On New $30 Million, 157-Foot Control Tower At Casper Airport

The 72-year-old, 50-foot control tower at the Casper/Natrona County International Airport is about to be replaced with a new $30 million, 157-foot tower. “It’s hard to beat an observer up there that can actually see things going on,” says a local pilot.

False, Exaggerated, And Cherry-Picked Attack Ads Fly In Wyoming       

Political groups spending millions of dollars on Wyoming's primary election are attacking U.S. House and gubernatorial candidates with fliers and commercials. Some of their claims are exaggerated; some are downright false.

Three GOP Gubernatorial Candidates Face Off In Final Debate Before Primary Election

Three Wyoming gubernatorial candidates for the Republican nomination took the debate stage Thursday, for the last time before the primary election. Eric Barlow focused on his experience, Megan Degenfelder on her vision and Brent Bien on righting the government's structure.

Libs Of TikTok Blasts Laramie School Counselor For Wishing Chip Neiman Was Aborted

The national social media influencer Libs of TikTok blasted a Laramie High School counselor on Thursday for saying he wishes Wyoming House Speaker Chip Neiman had been aborted. "Would you want this person in charge of your kids' mental health?" she wrote.

Wyoming PAC Spends More Than $1.4 Million Attacking Barlow, Top PAC Spender in State

The Wyoming's Turn PAC that has been attacking Sen. Eric Barlow in his run for governor is the state's biggest-spending PAC in the primary election, at $1.4 million. That’s nearly $1 million more than last cycle’s top spender.

Platte County Meeting Gets Contentious Over Proposed Data Center

Dozens of residents packed the meeting room and hallway at a meeting of the Platte County Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday night, their voices often rising as they shared their concerns about a massive data center project.

Supporters Say Cheyenne License Plate Readers Work; Opponents Say That’s The Problem

Supporters of license plate readers in Wyoming say they work, and opponents agree — saying that’s the problem. Getting dangerous people off the streets is the best outcome, but it shouldn’t be at the cost of everyone's personal rights, says one opponent.

Eric Barlow Earns Most In $3 Million Wyoming Governor's Race, Degenfelder Second

Campaign finance reports filed Tuesday show Eric Barlow out-earned Megan Degenfelder in the gubernatorial primary election with about $1.54 million, while Degenfelder posted nearly $1.3 million. The whole contest shows a roughly $3 million haul.

U.S. House Candidate Reid Rasner Calls For Defeat Of "Freedom Caucus Losers"

U.S. House candidate Reid Rasner on Tuesday called for the defeat of "Freedom Caucus losers." Rep. John Bear, a prominent member of the group, said Rasner is a "failed career candidate who has brought division, dysfunction and political games to our state."

Sweetwater Schools Parent Demands Board Chair Removal Over Free Speech Policy

At the school board meeting in Rock Springs on Monday night , a parent presented the Sweetwater County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees with a petition calling for Cole Wright's removal as board chair. The petition was signed by 105 people.

The Two Republicans Vying For Cheyenne's 'Purple' House Seat

Two Republicans, Dan McIntosh and Freedom Caucus-backed Paul Wing, face off next Tuesday for Cheyenne's House District 11. The winner will be one of a few Wyoming Republicans that could have a tough general election battle against a Democrat.

More Dark Money In Governor's Race, With New Attack Ad On Degenfelder

A new attack ad surfaced against gubernatorial candidate Megan Degenfelder this weekend, after independent groups attacked her opponent Eric Barlow for weeks. Rep. Harriet Hageman condemned the ad and said Barlow created it, which he denies.

Kozak Says Lawsuit Against Him Looks Like CheckGate Backlash

Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak says the lawsuit two Cheyenne politicos are waging against him is at least partly political in nature, and tied to his investigation of the 'CheckGate' controversy. Recent search warrants have "stirred the hornets' nest," he said.

Eric Barlow Jokes About Negative Mailers By Pulling ‘Yak Crap’ From Mailbox

Highly targeted gubernatorial candidate Eric Barlow joked Saturday about all the negative campaign ads by donning a vet glove and pulling yak dung from his own mailbox. “That’s not how we treat people in Wyoming,” he said in a social media video.

Steve Friess Passes Reid Rasner As Top Spender At $2.5M In Wyoming U.S. House Race

In Wyoming’s expensive race for U.S. House, Steve Friess has passed Reid Rasner as the biggest spender so far at nearly $2.5 million, while candidates have raised at least $8 million. Rasner has spent $2.26 million, and Chuck Gray $1.38 million.

Legislators Warned That States Must Talk Or Face Lawsuits Over Colorado River

The Wyoming state engineer told state legislators Thursday that if the seven Colorado River Basin states can’t come to terms over a dwindling water supply, lawsuits or federal intervention could result. "I don't think it's the best," he said.