Editor’s note: This story was updated at 11:34 a.m. on Aug. 13 to include quotes from Barlow and additional context.
Sen. Eric Barlow (R-Gillette) announced in a press release on Aug. 12 that he’s running for governor in the 2026 general election to replace Gov. Mark Gordon.
A former speaker of the Wyoming House, Barlow is the first sitting state lawmaker to announce his intention to run. He changed his Facebook profile banner on Aug. 12 to read “BARLOW FOR GOVERNOR.” He also shared a video announcing his candidacy, in which he gave a short speech in front of a dump truck in Wright.
In a press release, Barlow said, “My approach has always been to listen, learn, and do the work. Wyoming deserves leaders who show up, who do the work, and who get results. That’s what I’ve done—and that’s exactly the kind of governor I will be.
“We’re starting early so we can raise the resources needed to run a successful campaign, working against outside forces who don’t understand who we are but want to decide for us.”
In a phone interview with Wyoming Public Radio shortly after his announcement, Barlow said he plans to leverage his connections as a lawmaker to win the race. He’s served as a state legislator since 2013.
“ We are building out an infrastructure throughout the state, every county, every community, community by community,” said Barlow. “[We’ll be] finding those folks who will be our eyes and ears and champions in those communities and coordinating with them, and then going to those communities as the schedule and the travel works out. So 99 municipalities, 23 counties. Every one of them matters, and we’re going to make every effort to connect with all of our communities in the state.”
Barlow joins Casper entrepreneur Reid Rasner and retired Marine Brent Bien of Cody in a bid for the highest executive office in the Equality State. In June, Rasner formed a candidate campaign committee for his run, while Bien announced his candidacy on his website.
Barlow said he’s planning to welcome all Wyomingites into his campaign, moderates and further-right Republicans alike.
“I’m not going to focus on the Freedom Caucus,” he said. “I’m going to focus on developing a relationship with the citizens of Wyoming.”
“I don’t know that I need to differentiate myself from the caucus,” he continued. “I think whoever the candidate is, people will be able to draw those contrasts.”
The last election cycle in Wyoming saw out-of-state political action committees funnel thousands of dollars to further-right candidates in the state.
For its part, the state Freedom Caucus’s PAC poured thousands into the consulting firm McShane, a company with ties to the Proud Boys that helped create election-season mailers for the caucus.
“There’s a lot of outside money, and my focus is on the grassroots,” Barlow said. “It’s on Wyoming people and having a conversation with them, gaining their trust and support, and continuing to do that day after day for the next year.”
Barlow has sponsored bills having to do with motor vehicle warranty repairs, property taxes and changing the duties of the state forester. He donated $5,000 to the Wyoming Caucus PAC in October 2023, a political action committee that was formed to raise money for moderate Republican candidates for state office. It was created after the further-right Wyoming Freedom Caucus started their own PAC.
Gordon, currently halfway through his second term in office, is term-limited from running for a third time in a 16-year window. He’d likely have to go to court to overturn the state’s term limits for the governorship. In the past, Gordon has declined to tell WPR whether or not he’d run again.
According to Barlow, at this stage in his campaign, Gordon isn’t helping consolidate the contingent of Wyomingites who twice voted him into office for Barlow. Gordon has also donated to the Wyoming Caucus PAC.
“I don’t know what Mark Gordon is doing in this election,” he said. “I can’t speak to it, because I have not been in a conversation with him about what he is doing in this particular election. I’m not aware of any active participation by the current governor.”
Another potential sitting elected who’s pondering a run for high-profile office is Secretary of State Chuck Gray, who posted on X, formerly Twitter, on July 30 that polling by Fabrizio, Lee & Associates showed “great numbers” for either a governor or U.S. House run.
“I’m exploring, and have been strongly encouraged to run,” Gray posted. “We are in a great position because of my track record of getting common sense, MAGA conservative priorities done for the people of Wyoming.”
The snippet Gray shared from the polling results showed respondents were asked to consider Gray, Barlow, Bien, Senate Majority Floor Leader Tara Nethercott (R-Cheyenne), State Treasurer Curt Meier, Speaker of the House Chip Neiman (R-Hulett), Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder, President of the Senate Bo Biteman (R-Ranchester), Sen. Cheri Steinmetz (R-Lingle) and “undecided.”
Gray is a founding member of the state Freedom Caucus.
This reporting was made possible by a grant from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting, supporting state government coverage in the state. Wyoming Public Media and Jackson Hole Community Radio are partnering to cover state issues both on air and online.
