The Wyoming primaries are set: 167 candidates in 72 contested races

Beginning Friday at 5 p.m., the official list of 2024 election candidates in Wyoming will be signed, sealed and delivered.

A total of 167 candidates have filed for state and federal offices in Wyoming. This does not apply to future write-in candidates or people who choose to run as an independent in the general election. There will be at least 74 contested state and federal primaries. This does not include county commission and other local races.

“We had a robust candidate filing period to start the 2024 election cycle in Wyoming, during which we saw a number of candidates filed with our office,” said Secretary of State Chuck Gray. “Now that the candidate filing period has closed, our office is focused on continuing to serve the people of Wyoming and working with the Wyoming County Clerks to oversee and deliver a great election here in Wyoming.”

Participation is slightly lower this year. In 2022, the election cycle saw 193 candidates and 82 contested races.

Both U.S. Senator John Barrasso and Assemblywoman Harriet Hageman will have challengers in the primary and general elections.

US Senate

In the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, Barrasso will face Casper resident Reid Rasner and Laramie resident John Holtz. Rasner is a relative newcomer to Wyoming politics but has campaigned aggressively in the state over the past year, but has also drawn some criticism.

Holtz was a longtime judge in Douglas who now runs a private law practice. Holtz ran in the 2020 U.S. Senate Republican primary against Senator Cynthia Lummis, finishing seventh. In the autumn of 2022, he also stood as a candidate for interim State Secretary.

The winner of the Republican primary will face Laramie Democrat Scott Morrow, who has no primary challenger, in the general election.

American house

Hageman will face Casper attorney Steve Helling in the Republican primary for the U.S. House of Representatives. Helling ran in the 2022 Democratic primary for the U.S. House of Representatives, finishing last among the three candidates. During that race, Helling said he supported former President Donald Trump and expressed virtually no views on the Democratic Party.

The winner of this race will face Cheyenne Democrat Kyle Cameron, who has no primary challenger, in the general election.

Key Legislative Races

There weren’t many surprising candidacy announcements in the final days of the filing period, but a few were eye-catching.

One of the biggest themes to watch will be that of former state lawmakers trying to regain their seats.

In House District 6, former lawmaker Aaron Clausen will face Freedom Caucus member Rep. Tomi Strock, R-Douglas, in a rematch of the 2022 election.

The state’s only contested Democratic race will involve former lawmaker and LGBTQ advocate Sara Burlingame, who will face Teresa Wolff in the primary in House District 11 in Cheyenne. This is the seat now occupied by Rep. Jared Olsen, R-Cheyenne, who announced this spring that he is running for Senate.

Also seeking to regain his seat is former lawmaker John Romero-Martinez, who will face off against his cousin Rep. Tamara Trujillo, R-Cheyenne, and Lee Filer in the House District 44 primary in Cheyenne. Filer is a former Democratic member of the Legislature. Trujillo defeated Romero-Martinez, then an incumbent, in the 2022 primary.

Former Libertarian Rep. Marshall Burt is now running as a Republican for House District 39 in Sweetwater County against Rep. Cody Wylie, R-Rock Springs, and Laura McKee. This is another rematch in which Wylie defeated Burt by a wide margin in the 2022 general election.

Former lawmaker Bob Wharff, who unsuccessfully ran for Senate in 2022, is running against Rep. Ryan Berger, R-Evanston, in the Republican primary in House District 49.

Who won’t come back?

There were also some unexpected departures from current lawmakers who did not want to run for re-election.

One of the most important is Rep. Don Burkhart, R-Rawlins, who has served in the Legislature since 2011 and chairs the House Minerals Committee.

Other departures not previously announced include Reps. Sandy Newsome, R-Cody, Forrest Chadwick, R-Evansville, and Kevin O’Hearn, R-Mills.

Sen. Charles Scott, R-Casper, first elected in 1978 and the longest-serving member of the Legislature, is running for re-election in the Republican primary against former Natrona County Commissioner Rob Hendry and Charles Schoenwolf.

Every member of the further right-wing Wyoming Freedom Caucus is running for re-election.

Almost guaranteed wins

There are also a number of uncontested races, which, unless modified by the entry of an independent candidate in the general election, mean that the sole candidate is virtually guaranteed an election victory.

Some of the most notable lawmakers who will not face a challenger in the primary or general election include Reps. John Bear, R-Gillette; Steve Harshman, R-Casper; Mike Yin, D-Jackson; Liz Storer, D-Jackson; Art Washut, R-Casper; Chris Knapp, R-Gillette; and Reuben Tarver, R-Gillette.

Democrats

There are 19 Democratic candidates in the current election cycle, with any currently serving Democrat up for re-election. There are no Democrats running in any part of Northern Wyoming.

In 2022, there were 33 Democratic candidates.

Leo Wolfson can be reached at [email protected].