Wyoming

Republicans control the governor’s office and both chambers of the Legislature. Wyoming is the most Republican state legislature in the country. The Wyoming Freedom Caucus took control of the House after the last election cycle and is pushing deep budget cuts and socially conservative policy.

Governor Mark Gordon is term-limited and cannot run again. The 2026 open governor’s race, the U.S. Senate seat, and several statewide offices are all on the ballot. Every lever of state power is up for grabs.

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Rural Hospital Finances

Wyoming is one of ten states that has not expanded Medicaid. Approximately 9,000 residents are in the coverage gap. They earn too much for traditional Medicaid and too little for marketplace subsidies. They have essentially no path to health insurance.

$120 million lost annually by Wyoming hospitals treating uninsured patients who cannot pay

Six of the state’s 30 hospitals are in immediate jeopardy of closing. Three more are on the verge. In a state where the nearest hospital can be 100 miles away, closures are not budget line items. They are life-or-death distances.

The state tried a workaround. Federal administrators approved Wyoming’s $205 million Year 1 plan under the Rural Health Transformation Program. But two key proposals were dropped: a state-operated public insurance plan for healthcare emergencies and a perpetuity fund system. In May 2026, the feds denied Wyoming’s proposal for long-term rural health funding entirely, sending the state back to the drawing board.

The Freedom Caucus has blocked expansion repeatedly. In May 2026, federal administrators denied the state’s long-term rural health funding proposal.

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Wyoming’s Reliance on Fossil Fuel Revenue

The Legislature created a $105 million Energy Dominance Fund offering grants and loans to attract fossil fuel, nuclear, and rare earths projects. Lawmakers described the fund as necessary to “dominate” the energy market.

HB 128 creates a five-year window for a 2% state severance tax reduction to encourage investments in secondary oil and gas recovery. These are taxpayer subsidies to an industry that already dominates the state economy.

Wyoming is deeply conflicted on wind energy. Gordon has supported the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project as part of the state’s energy exports. But Secretary of State Chuck Gray and growing numbers of legislators oppose new wind development.

Gordon and Gray sparred publicly during a wind project hearing in January 2026. The Legislature declined to give local officials more say over wind and industrial uses on state lands.

Mineral royalties fund Wyoming schools, roads, and local governments. When production drops or tax rates are cut, those budgets shrink. The state has no income tax and no corporate tax to make up the difference.

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Voter Roll Removals Before the Primary

In May 2026, county clerks removed thousands of voters from the rolls ahead of the party affiliation deadline. The party affiliation cutoff was moved to May 13 for choosing which primary to vote in.

These changes are the most sweeping overhaul of Wyoming election rules in years. They were driven by anger over crossover voting in the 2022 primary, when Democrats registered as Republicans to vote for Liz Cheney. Cheney still lost to Harriet Hageman by 37 points.

The practical effect is a state where the only competitive elections happen inside the Republican primary, and the rules now make it harder for anyone outside the party to participate in those decisions.

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The Freedom Caucus in the Wyoming House

The dominant political fight in Wyoming is between Governor Gordon and the Freedom Caucus, a bloc of hard-line conservative House members who took control of the chamber after the last election cycle.

Gordon calls them “Club No.” In his February 9, 2026 State of the State address, he said, “Using ‘no’ as a club is not how America became great."

Gordon recommended across-the-board pay raises for state employees. The Freedom Caucus blocked it. Lawmakers agreed only to raise pay for specific positions like plow drivers and Highway Patrol officers. The caucus pushed cuts across multiple state agencies.

This matters because the Freedom Caucus controls what reaches the floor. Medicaid expansion, wind energy permits, state employee pay, education funding, and rural healthcare all run through their votes. A term-limited governor cannot force the issue.

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Every Statewide Office Is on the 2026 Ballot

Governor Gordon is term-limited. On November 3, the nominees for governor are Eric Barlow (R); Ken Casner (D).

The August 18 primaries chose the nominees. The general election is November 3.

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What You Can Do in Wyoming

1. Check your voter registration. County clerks removed thousands of voters from the rolls in May. Confirm your status before November 3.

2. Know your hospital. If you live in a rural area, find out whether your nearest hospital is one of the six at risk of closing. Ask your state legislator where they stand on Medicaid expansion.

3. Watch the governor’s race. The seat is open, and the nominees are Eric Barlow (R); Ken Casner (D). Their positions on Medicaid, fossil fuel subsidies, wind energy, and Freedom Caucus priorities will shape the next four years. Ask them directly at town halls and candidate forums.

4. Track mineral royalty decisions. Wyoming schools and local governments depend on mineral revenue. HB 128’s severance tax cut and HJ 2’s royalty shift will change those budgets. Ask your county commissioners how they plan to absorb the impact.

5. Call the governor’s office. 307-777-7434. Ask about Medicaid expansion, the Rural Health Transformation Fund denial, and what the state plans to do about the nine hospitals at risk of closing or on the verge.