Barlow Wins Wyoming GOP Governor Primary, Defeating Trump-Backed Degenfelder

Eric Barlow, a Gillette rancher, state senator and former speaker of the Wyoming House, won the Republican gubernatorial primary held Aug. 18, 2026, defeating Trump-endorsed Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder and Marine Corps colonel Brent Bien. The race was one of several Wyoming statewide primaries decided that day, including nominees for secretary of state, superintendent of public instruction, state treasurer, and state auditor. The governorship was open because incumbent Republican Gov. Mark Gordon is term-limited after two terms. Barlow will face Democrat Kenneth Casner and Constitution Party candidate Rebecca Bextel in the Nov. 3 general election. Wyoming Republicans currently hold every statewide elected office and large legislative majorities, making Barlow the strong favorite in the general election. Ahead of the primary, the four GOP candidates had diverged on issues including healthcare, data centers, abortion, and library book bans; candidate Brent Bien had also spearheaded a separate ballot initiative to cut property taxes, which voters will decide in November after the Legislature created a 25% exemption on certain residential properties the prior year. Barlow's win marked a defeat for a Trump-endorsed candidate in a heavily Republican state, though reports did not specify vote totals or margins. Wyoming's other statewide primary outcomes—for secretary of state, superintendent of public instruction, treasurer, and auditor—were reported as decided the same day but were not detailed in available reporting. The Nov. 3 general election remains the confirmed next step, with Barlow, Casner, and Bextel set to compete for governor.