CHEYENNE, Wyo., Aug. 19 (Cheyenne Times) — State Sen. Eric Barlow won the Republican nomination for governor in Wyoming’s Aug. 18 primary, according to an Associated Press race call and unofficial results cited in coverage of the election.
Barlow will face Democratic nominee Kenneth Casner in the Nov. 3 general election. Several reports also list Constitution Party nominee Rebecca Bextel as a candidate, so the final general-election field should be confirmed through state election records.
The race is for an open seat because Republican Gov. Mark Gordon is barred from seeking a third term by term limits. Wyoming’s governor is elected statewide, and every statewide elected office is currently held by a Republican, according to the Associated Press.
Who won the Republican primary?
Barlow, a state senator and former speaker of the Wyoming House, is a rancher and veterinarian from Gillette. He defeated three other Republicans: State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder, retired Marine Corps Col. Brent Bien and professional bull rider and rodeo producer Curt Blake.
The Associated Press called the primary for Barlow. Reports differed on when the call was made and how much of the vote had been counted at that point, but they consistently described Barlow as holding a clear lead over Degenfelder.
Unofficial figures cited in election coverage showed Barlow with 58,820 votes, followed by Degenfelder with 38,739 and Bien with 30,843. Those figures were reported as roughly 45%, 29.7% and 23.6%, respectively, with 99% of votes counted. The supplied results do not include a Wyoming election-authority canvass or certification, and the final total for Blake was not provided.
Why the primary mattered
Because Wyoming is heavily Republican, the GOP primary was expected to play a major role in determining who would occupy the governor’s mansion after Gordon leaves office. That political environment does not decide the November election, however. The general election will include at least the Democratic nominee, Casner, and may also include Bextel.
Degenfelder had President Donald Trump’s endorsement, according to reports about the primary. Bien was endorsed by the Wyoming Republican Party, the reports said. Barlow’s victory therefore gave him the Republican nomination despite the backing other candidates received from prominent Republican figures and groups.
The primary result is a snapshot of the Republican contest, not a prediction of the November outcome. The general election will involve a different field and a broader electorate than the Republican primary.
What happens next?
The next major scheduled event is the Nov. 3 general election. Before then, election officials must complete the formal process for canvassing and certifying the primary results, and the final general-election ballot must be established through official state records.
The supplied reporting does not include precinct-level results, official candidate filings or a certified state vote table. Those records will be needed to confirm the final primary totals and the complete November field.
