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Gov. Mark Gordon announced his appointment of an interim attorney general on May 27 to replace outgoing AG Bridget Hill.
Ryan Schelhaas will take Hill’s position until he or another candidate can be confirmed by the state Senate in the 2026 legislative budget session.
The position of state attorney general opened up after Gordon nominated Hill to be the Wyoming Supreme Court’s newest justice last month. Hill will replace Chief Justice Kate Fox, who’s retiring this year.
Schelhaas served as deputy AG under Hill and worked as a civil litigator at Hirst Applegate, a law firm in Cheyenne.
He earned his undergraduate and law degrees at the University of Wyoming.
AGs in Wyoming don’t have set term limits, but a bill to establish some and make the position elected instead of appointed was introduced to the last general session. It didn’t pass.
Schelhaas will serve as the chief legal advisor for the state of Wyoming, including in civil suits aimed at overturning laws passed by the 68th Wyoming Legislature. That includes a suit against two new abortion restrictions, both of which were blocked from going into effect by a retired Laramie County district judge last month.
Schelhaas could also play a role in a federal lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District of Wyoming this month, seeking to block a new voter ID and state residency requirement. The Wyoming Freedom Caucus previously called on the AG’s office to “vigorously defend against election integrity lawfare.”
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.
