Politics
GOP Underdog Pulls Off Major Upset In Red State Gubernatorial Primary
Eric Barlow brushed aside big-name endorsements, outside spending and a barrage of misleading attacks Tuesday to capture the Republican nomination for Wyoming governor.
Unofficial results showed the state senator winning 58,820 votes, well ahead of Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder with 38,739 and retired Marine Corps Col. Brent Bien with 30,843.
Barlow will take on Democratic nominee Kenneth Casner and Constitution Party nominee Rebecca Bextel in the Nov. 3 general election.
“Kelly and I are grateful, and it’s been a remarkable experience this last year,” said Barlow in a Tuesday phone interview. “We’re blessed and grateful, and there’s more work to do, of course.”
The victory came despite Barlow’s opponents securing powerful allies.
President Donald Trump endorsed Degenfelder in January, while the Wyoming Republican Party’s state central committee threw its support behind Bien in July.
Barlow also faced a costly late push from Wyoming’s Turn PAC and Women For Responsible Government PAC. Wyoming’s Turn PAC falsely claimed he sought fuel tax increases in 2013 and 2020. Legislative records instead show he worked to keep fuel taxes down in both years.
“There’s been a lot of out of state money and agendas and voices trying to tell us things that aren’t true,” he said. “And today Wyoming showed up, and showed us that Wyoming’s voice matters most.”
Barlow said he looks forward to working with Trump despite the president’s endorsement of Degenfelder. He also pointed to his efforts to advance the state Republican Party’s platform.
Barlow said his victory “comes down to the work. I’m appreciative of all the folks who knocked on doors and hosted coffees or took a chance by introducing us to family, friends, neighbors – whoever came along during the campaign.”
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“As I’ve said, we’re running for Wyoming, not against anybody.”
With the GOP contest behind him, Barlow expressed confidence that his campaign can prevail in November. He said he plans to continue holding “meaningful conversations across Wyoming, to understand how best to serve Wyoming. That’s what we believe in: serving our community and our state.”
Barlow entered the Wyoming Legislature in 2012 and became House speaker in 2021. After completing his term as speaker, he followed a long-standing, though not universal, Wyoming political tradition of pursuing higher office. Voters elected him to the state Senate in 2022.
Among his most prominent legislative accomplishments was a 2023 measure that created a path for nonviolent felons to regain their gun and civic rights.
Degenfelder conceded Tuesday, thanking both her supporters and those who backed her rivals.
“I am deeply grateful to the thousands of neighbors, friends, supporters, volunteers, and people who love Wyoming as much as I do who placed their trust in me throughout this campaign. Thank you for your support, for your vote, for the miles you drove and doors you knocked, and most of all, for your prayers,” said Degenfelder in a statement.
“I am also grateful to my opponents and their supporters,” she said. “We debated the issues that matter to the future of our state, and I believe that conversation made Wyoming stronger. I congratulate our Republican nominee, and I believe it is now our responsibility to come together, move forward, and continue fighting for the state we all love.”
Degenfelder called the campaign one of the greatest honors of her life. She also thanked Trump and U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman for standing behind her during the race.
