11:55 p.m.: We’re headed to bed soon. If you’re too tired to scroll, tune in to tomorrow’s newscast to catch a rundown of today’s elections.
10 p.m.: Shelter JH slate wins primary
With all votes counted in Teton County, all candidates backed by housing advocacy group Shelter JH will advance to the general election, where the Democrats are favored to win. That’s Aly Dunford with 1,186 votes, Luther Propst with 1,091 and Karyn Chin with 781. That means three-term commissioner Mark Newcomb, with 697 votes, and first-term commissioner Wes Gardner, with 665 are out of the running, as well as coroner Brent Blue, who garnered 196 votes.
Democrat Kat Clauson will face Republican Russ Nelson in the November race for coroner.
– Sophia Boyd-Fliegel, KHOL
9:45 p.m.: Sidewinders American Grill “abuzz” as local GOP soar through mostly uncontested primaries
Teton Republican Chair Kat Ruckert commends anyone who has the guts to put their name on a ballot, especially on a local level where her party’s candidates may feel the odds are stacked against them come November.
But she’s ready to get to work and back the local GOP. Ruckert believes the issues that resonate with voters transcends parties.
“Has your cost of living gone down? Is affordability better in Jackson? Are the potholes fixed? Probably not,” Ruckert said. “What do you think about the Flock cameras? Dems, Independents, and Republicans agree on a lot of things locally.”
Matt Hall was excited to see one name on his ballot with Jackson roots, though the race didn’t end in his favor. Sam Mead, who ran on a public lands platform, won’t be on his party’s ticket for the general election.
Matt Hall chows down at a watch party for the Teton County GOP. (Jenna McMurtry / KHOL)
“It’s sad, but Harriet Hageman is a stronghold,” Hall said. “She has a really big voice in Washington that is nowhere near proportional to the size of Wyoming.”
On a local level, only one race for the party was contested. The winner tonight was Russell Nelson, securing the primary win for his party’s nomination for county coroner.
“We need to be prepared for about anything,” said Nelson, who currently serves as chief deputy coroner. “And Teton County keeps dodging bullets.”
He said an Aug. 17 accident on Teton Pass following two other fatalities near the same spot is a stark reminder that Teton County may be ill-equipped to respond to a mass casualty.
Even though local GOP races were largely uncontested, the room was still “abuzz” according to Shannon Brennan, an energy and environmental consultant who will face Rep. Liz Storer, a Jackson Democrat, come November.
“There is so much good energy here with the GOP folks, and I think the whole community in general,” Brennan said. “Even though we have light numbers for the primary, the people who are coming out voting, talking in the streets and just generally being involved in things today.”
– Jenna McMurtry, KHOL
9:30 p.m.: Schechter, Spery ahead in town race
While all four candidates move through primary for Jackson Town Council, early results show sitting councilors Jonathan Schechter, with 1,192 votes and Alyson Spery, with 1,048, in a strong lead over former councilor Jessica Sell Chambers (449) and political newcomer Garbriel Koerber (382). Only two seats are open.
– Sophia Boyd-Fliegel, KHOL
9:07 p.m.: AP calls Hageman, Barlow win. Chin pulls into position. Dunford maintains strong lead
With the Associated Press reporting 12% of votes at 8:45 p.m., the Cowboy State Daily had published that Trump-backed U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman had won her primary race for U.S. Senate. The AP called the race minutes later and called that Sen. Eric Barlow would be the Republican’s nominee to be Wyoming’s next governor.
Local results won’t be certain so soon.
But with three polling stations left to go, Karyn Chin (656) has bumped Mark Newcomb (597) from his spot in the third spot for county commission.
Ali Dunford has hung onto her lead in the six-way race for county commission with 1,002 votes.
For coroner, Kat Clauson (834) leads David Hodges (514) in the Democratic side and Russ Nelson (1,425) leads Krista Nethercott (1,157) for the Republicans.
– Sophia Boyd-Fliegel, KHOL
8:15 p.m.: Early results put Dunford, Propst and Newcomb in the lead in county commission race
In the two contested county races – for county commissioner and coroner – frontrunners have emerged with votes reporting from one polling station, early and absentee votes. Newcomer Ali Dunford has the most votes so far at 514. She’s followed by incumbents Luther Propst at 498 and Mark Newcomb at 349.
They’ve pulled ahead of newcomer Karyn Chin (306), incumbent Wes Gardner (293), and coroner Dr. Brent Blue (101).
KHOL reporters are posted up at watch parties and the Teton County Commission chambers to watch results roll in. We can expect results from most local polling stations by 8:30 p.m. Alta results might take until 10 p.m. or later.
(Sophia Boyd-Fliegel / KHOL)
Of 14,012 registered voters, 2,627 voted early or absentee. About 5,800 have voted today.
– Sophia Boyd-Fliegel, KHOL
7:30 p.m.: Polls are closed. Here’s what happens next
Polls across the state are closed. Polling places will now start closing procedures and running ballots through machine tabulators.
Malcolm Ervin, Platte County’s clerk, said how long it may take to begin seeing the results will depend on the size of the county and the number of ballots that need to be counted. Ervin said he expects smaller counties, like Platte, will see results beginning around 8:30 p.m.
Hand count audits for ballots in selected races, the requirement of a law passed earlier this year, will continue over the next several days. These audits will compare results from the machine tabulators against the hand count.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to show that the equipment is doing what it’s supposed to do, which is counting votes accurately,” Ervin said.
Ervin said Wyoming clerks learned from Utah, which does a hand audit of one percent of ballots cast.
“Our colleagues in Utah have experienced this for years now, that the hand count generally is not spot on after the first attempt. Sometimes it is, but in their experience, every time they have not balanced, it’s been due to some sort of human error,” Ervin said.
Wyoming’s hand count audit will look at 5% of the votes cast in certain races.
– Wyoming Public Radio
5:15 p.m.: Brief power outage at Alta Library
The lights are back on and no problems have been reported after a brief power outage at the Teton County Library Alta branch polling station. Lower Valley Energy’s website had no details.
Voters stop by the Alta branch of the Teton County Library to cast ballots in the 2026 primary. (Evan Ballew / KHOL)
Poll workers brought out backup generators and flashlights to help voters during the 35-minute unexpected outage. Teton County Clerk Maureen “Mo” Murphy said she isn’t aware of any issues after contracted staff began emergency procedures.
– Evan Ballew and Sophia Boyd-Fliegel, KHOL
4:30 p.m.: Coroner’s race sees some action
The Old Wilson Schoolhouse was abuzz with talk of the next coroner as the sun broke through the clouds this afternoon.
Several Wilson voters either know the candidates personally or work with them through hospice or rescue crews.
Anthony Stevens is chief advisor of Teton County Search and Rescue.
“Hopefully there continues to be that empathy for folks that are deceased, especially whether they’re local people or visitors to our county and town,” he said.
Hadden Goodman does K9 search and rescue and says she has a standing agreement with candidate Kat Clauson if she wins.
“We get a lot of human remains sources to train on and the coroner is a big component of that. And so that’s one of the things, strangely, that I’m very interested in,” she said.
Signs decorate the lawn of a Wilson home. (Evan Robinson-Johnson / KHOL)
The four-person race will send one Democrat and one Republican to the general. Even those eager to weigh in on the race say it shouldn’t be an elected position.
Defense of public lands was another top issue animating Teton County voters in Wilson. Many are backing Sam Mead for U.S. Senate for that reason. Realtor Molly Murray also came with a list of candidates for U.S. House and governor.
“This is absolutely about getting the Freedom Caucus shut down,” the registered Republican said. “Their thoughts and views do not align with mine and what I feel is good for Wyoming.”
Not everyone received the ballot they wanted. 81-year-old Van Roijen hoped to weigh in on the Democratic race. He left frustrated by Wyoming’s new rule to prevent party-switching after candidates declare.
“It’s so annoying, it’s almost un-American,” he said.
– Evan Robinson-Johnson, KHOL
2:30 p.m.: Lunch break at the Library. It’s the place to be
At least it’s where Jackson-raised U.S. senate candidate Sam Mead is voting with his mom and Teton County School District Trustee, Kate Mead. The Republican software engineer is running on a public lands platform and voted for himself in the crowded senate primary.
It’s not the first time he filled in a bubble with his name, an experience he described to KHOL as “anti-climatic.” The first time was to become mayor of the small northern Wyoming town of Kirby.
He’s hoping today’s results reflect a desire for a more moderate Republican party.
“It’s becoming harder to justify the results of really fringe ends of the party on either side,” Mead said in an interview. “I think a move to the center and being able to work with people across the aisle, work with colleagues, is going to be what’s needed to create an effective government.”
He’s not the only one voting for a party shift today.
Retired ski magazine publisher and photographer, Bob Woodall, a self-dubbed “RINO [Republican In Name Only] for the day” is also voting for more moderate candidates. He believes the further right Freedom Caucus bloc has gone too far in the state legislature.
Retired ski magazine publisher and photographer, Bob Woodall, a self-dubbed “RINO for the day.” (Jenna McMurtry / KHOL)
“They’re an out-of-state group that is trying to usurp Wyoming and bring their outside influence into our state. In the state legislature, they’re changing all the rules,” he said.
Stephanie Sokol, executive director of animal welfare nonprofit PAWS, votes at the Teton County Library. (Jenna McMurtry / KHOL)
County resident of nearly three decades, Margaret Gordon, also wants to see politicians with less outside influence. But the accountant said one issue in particular galvanized her vote today.
“We have a lot of issues with health care, particularly maternal health care for expectant mothers,” Gordon said. “It’s kind of scary and I’m glad that I had my kids a long time ago instead of now.”
For the Republican voter, Trump’s endorsements served an opposite effect.
“Pretty much if they had an endorsement from our current president, then they did not get my vote,” Gordon said from outside the library foyer.
Registered Dems are the only ones to see a contested local race for county commissioner on their ballots.
Stephanie Sokol, executive director of animal welfare nonprofit PAWS, said after attending last week’s candidate forum, hosted by Rotary International, she’s voting for candidates that support affordable housing, women’s rights and public lands.
“While we have secure housing, I know many people that don’t and there aren’t solutions in place for that,” Sokol said.
Other top issues for the non-profit director include protections for wildlife, sustainability and tourism mitigation efforts.
Overall, voters express gratitude for a seamless voting experience at the library, as they did at Weed and Pest. Lines hit a peak around 1:30 p.m. as folks returned to work.
– Jenna McMurtry, KHOL
Noon: When to expect results
Many counties will likely have results by around 10 p.m.
Platte County Clerk Malcolm Ervin said that’s the secretary of state’s deadline to receive preliminary results
“It really depends on the size of your polling place, number of voters, how long that takes,” Ervin told WPR. “Some of your smaller counties, like Platte, will have results posted – my anticipation would be roughly at 8:30 – now that I say that, something will pop up.”
County clerks and voters are working under a handful of new voting rules, including a proof of 30-day Wyoming residency and proof of U.S. citizenship requirement to register and vote. Many Wyomingites are still catching up with a law enacted a few years ago that requires registered voters to declare party affiliation months before the primary.
“A lot of folks just ask about declaring a party and affiliating,” Ervin said about last-minute questions that his office fields. “The question I wish they would ask when they do that is: What races are on their ballot? What candidates? Because we have folks that will actually switch from a major party to an unaffiliated status, and if they don’t live in a municipality during the primary, there’s nothing to vote on.”
Another new thing specific to this year’s primary and general elections is a hand-count audit of 5% of votes cast. Counties must complete the audit, in addition to preexisting accuracy checks, within nine days of the election. The audit will be compared to the machine tabulators most counties use to tally results.
– Wyoming Public Radio
11:30 a.m.: Legislative balance of power
A big question in this primary is whether a hardline voting bloc in the state House will retain its current majority and grow its ranks in the Senate.
The Wyoming Freedom Caucus, which bills itself as the genuine conservative voice of the Republican Party, rose to power in the statehouse after forming in 2020. It has championed budget cuts as well as legislation to cut residential property taxes, repeal many gun-free zones, expand a school voucher program and require residents to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote.
But we saw some pushback to their goals earlier this year, when the Senate rejected steep budget cuts to the University of Wyoming and dismantling the state’s primary economic development agency that the Freedom Caucus had pushed for.
The Wyoming State Capitol Building in Cheyenne.
About a dozen members or voting allies of the Freedom Caucus in the House are running for the state Senate or higher office, leaving open a handful of races that will determine whether the Freedom Caucus gains or loses power. Another batch of contested primary races could also shake up the caucus’ strength.
But some races we already know the outcomes of.
That includes Rep. Jeremy Haroldson of Wheatland for House District 4, a founding member and the vice chairman of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus.
Rep. Clarence Styvar of Cheyenne, who often votes for the caucus’ priorities, is also running unopposed for HD 12. Rep. Pepper Ottman of Riverton, another founding member of the caucus, will have a fourth term in HD 34 after facing no challengers this year.
On the other hand, some seats held by moderate Republicans won’t see any changes. That includes HD 39, where Rep. Cody Wylie of Rock Springs will have a third term after running unopposed.
We’ll also be watching if current House representatives affiliated with the Freedom Caucus find success in their Senate bids. That includes current Speaker of the House Chip Neiman, who’s taking on incumbent Sen. Ogden Driskill for Senate District 1. Representatives Ken Pendergraft of Sheridan, Abby Angelos of Gillette and Bob Davis of Baggs are also seeking to grow the caucus’s numbers in the upper chamber.
– Wyoming Public Radio
9:30 a.m.: Voters trickle through short lines at Weed and Pest building:
A slow but steady trickle of voters pass through shorter lines at the Teton County Weed and Pest Building this morning as thunder and lightning storm further north above Jackson. Poll workers toss signs advertising Brent Bien’s run for governor in a bush after they popped up overnight too close to the entrance.
Retired wildlife biologist Bill Long is the first voter at the county’s southernmost polling station. The Republican thinks previous governors have done a good job maintaining “Wyoming values.”
“That’s why I voted for [Sen. Eric] Barlow. I think he’ll continue that same trend,” Long said.
On a local level, he wants to see candidates tackle property taxes so retired residents don’t get priced out of town. The three of six Democratic county commission candidates who advance today will face two Republicans and one independent in the general.
Bill Long votes at the Teton County Weed and Pest office. (Jenna McMurtry/ KHOL)
The Freedom Caucus’s control in Cheyenne is also at stake in today’s primary election. The further right voting bloc took control of the House in 2024 and is poised to expand its influence in the Senate.
Sam McGee, landscaping firm owner and Teton County local of nearly three decades, is out to vote for candidates he thinks will support public lands. For him, that doesn’t include Freedom Caucus candidates.
“I think they’re too narrowly focused on their own goals,” McGee said.
Despite division, he thinks Wyoming is still the place to be.
– Jenna McMurtry, KHOL
7:30 a.m.: KHOL and Wyoming Public Media are tracking the Aug. 18 primary election online and on the air.
Tune in to 89.1 for top-of-the-hour updates from the polls. Watch this page for updates throughout Tuesday. You can also find live results from the Associated Press linked below:
- Statewide Offices: Governor, Secretary of State, Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Treasurer, State Auditor
- Federal Offices: U.S.House of Representatives, U.S. Senate
- State House
- State Senate
On election day, five polling stations around the county are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m: the Teton County Library in Jackson and Alta, the Rec Center, Weed and Pest building and the Old Wilson Schoolhouse. Regardless of where you live in Teton County, eligible voters may visit any of the five sites.
Those who are still in line at 7 p.m. on Aug. 18 will still be able to vote. To vote in Wyoming you must be 18 or older, a U.S. Citizen, and have been a resident of Wyoming for at least 30 days before an election. You must bring a valid form of identification to vote.
