Wyoming State Canvassing Board Certifies Midterm Results

The Wyoming State Canvassing Board unanimously certified the results of the recent general election. The board, which includes Secretary of State Chuck Gray, the governor, the state auditor, and the state treasurer, confirmed the final tallies following a review by the election division. Secretary Gray described the process as a success despite minor technical issues in two counties.

Officials in Park County experienced phone network interruptions during voting, while a high school polling site in Fremont County suffered a brief network outage before polls opened. Election staff in both counties resolved these issues shortly after discovery. All 23 counties are currently completing a mandatory 5% hand-count audit of ballots, a requirement established by the state legislature this year.

In Albany County, the audit involved twelve individuals split into three teams who reviewed more than 600 ballots. The auditors included volunteers, judges, and veterans from both political parties. Albany County Clerk Kayla White stated that while the process incurs additional costs for the county, it instills greater confidence in the electoral system. She characterized the practice as a positive development.

County clerks reported that their hand counts matched the machine tabulator numbers in every completed audit. The remaining counties scheduled to finish their audits by November 14, ensuring a complete statewide picture by next week. Unless lawmakers intervene, this was the final election cycle to require a mandatory 5% hand-count audit.

The federal implications of the national midterm results have shifted the roles of Wyoming’s congressional delegation. Senator John Barrasso, who was not up for reelection, transitioned from majority whip to minority whip following the Democratic takeover of the U.S. Senate. University of Wyoming political science professor Ryan Williamson noted that Barrasso’s role shifts from passing a Republican agenda to slowing down a Democratic one.

Incoming House Representative Chuck Gray and Senator Harriet Hageman will serve as minority freshmen. Williamson explained that Hageman will select committee seats late from a limited list, while Gray occupies a position with limited influence in the House minority. He predicted that Wyoming’s major issues will be addressed through executive action and the courts rather than Congress. Gray was recently elected to the House Republican Policy Committee by his freshman colleagues.

At the state level, the Democratic Party gained one seat in the state House. Britney Tennant defeated a Republican to win District 11, which covers downtown Cheyenne. This district had been held by a Republican for nine years but had been represented by a Democrat since at least the early 1990s. The Republican Party retained overwhelming majorities in both the state House and Senate, with many internal battles decided during the primary elections.

The Constitution Party gained major party status in Wyoming after candidate Rebecca Bextel received approximately 16% of the votes in the gubernatorial race. This threshold of 10% applies to the governor, U.S. House, and secretary of state races. The party must now field candidates in primary elections, starting with the 2028 U.S. House race against Chuck Gray. The party previously held major status in 2014 but lost it in 2016 when its candidate received less than 10% of the vote in a congressional race.

A state initiative to reduce primary residence property tax by 50% failed to pass. The Freedom Caucus, a group within the Republican Party, retained active lawmakers in the legislature, including Representative Bill Allemand. The caucus lost several leadership figures in the primaries, such as John Bear, Rachel Williams, and Chip Neiman, but continues to push policy priorities to Cheyenne.