Federal race · November 3, 2026
U.S. Senate
One of Wyoming's two U.S. senators, who write and vote on federal laws, confirm presidential nominees and approve treaties.
6-year term. Open seat: no incumbent is running. Regular election for the Class 2 seat held by Republican Cynthia Lummis, who announced in December 2025 that she would not seek reelection. The Secretary of State's general election candidate roster (Sept. 9, 2026) lists two candidates for this office: Harriet Hageman (Republican) and James Byrd (Democratic). No Libertarian, Constitution Party or independent candidate is listed.
The candidates
Listed alphabetically by last name.
James Byrd
Former Wyoming state representative (2009–2019)James Byrd represented southwest Cheyenne in the Wyoming House from 2009 to 2019, serving as minority whip and minority caucus leader, and was the Democratic nominee for secretary of state in 2018. He worked in the energy industry and in information technology. His campaign focuses on energy costs, keeping public lands public and rural health care.
Harriet Hageman
U.S. Representative for Wyoming's at-large districtHarriet Hageman has represented Wyoming in the U.S. House since 2023 and previously worked for more than three decades as a natural resources and constitutional litigator. She is running for the open Senate seat on energy and natural resource development, border security and limiting federal regulation.
Compare on the issues
Summaries of each candidate's stated positions. See each profile for sources and details.
| Issue | James Byrd Democratic | Harriet Hageman Republican |
|---|---|---|
| Economy & Jobs | Opposes tax deals that favor data center developers and says data center projects should pay their share and not strain the power grid or water supplies. | Says the federal budget process is broken and that the problem is spending, not tax levels. |
| Energy & Environment | Says he supports coal and is not opposed to the fossil fuel industry, backs investment in new energy such as advanced nuclear and federal permitting reform, and says energy workers will need broader skills. | Supports coal, oil, gas and uranium production, backed the SPEED Act to change National Environmental Policy Act reviews, and supports expanded coal leasing in the Powder River Basin. |
| Health Care | Supports medical price transparency, caps on prescription drug prices, protecting rural hospitals' critical access status and making telehealth reimbursement permanent. | Points to $205 million for Wyoming from the federal Rural Health Transformation Program and says national health reforms should account for how rural care is delivered. |
| Immigration | Says Congress should pass comprehensive immigration legislation, update legal visa pathways for agriculture and hospitality, fund immigration courts and maintain border security. | Supports a closed border, legal immigration and continued federal funding for border security. |
| Public Lands | Opposes selling or privatizing federal lands and supports multiple-use management that protects grazing leases, with input from local stakeholders. | Supports multiple-use and sustained-yield management of federal lands, with local input on decisions. |
| Abortion | No public position found yet | Says she advocates for the sanctity of human life from conception and introduced a 2026 bill to revoke the tax-exempt status of organizations that perform or fund abortions. |
| Agriculture | Supports country-of-origin labeling, opposes regulations he says burden family ranches, and calls for addressing livestock biosecurity gaps and trade rules. | No public position found yet |
| Education | No public position found yet | Supports parental involvement and schools focused on reading, writing and arithmetic, and has called for abolishing the U.S. Department of Education. |
| Tribal Affairs | Supports tribal sovereignty, full funding for the Indian Health Service and a formal role for tribal leaders in federal land and resource decisions. | No public position found yet |