--- title: "Byrd vs. Hageman: 2026 Wyoming Senate race" url: "https://www.2026election.com/race/2026-senate-wy" updated: "2026-08-19" source: "Candidates' campaign sites and Ballotpedia, quoted verbatim" publisher: "Pluribus" --- # 2026 Wyoming Senate race: James Byrd (D) vs. Harriet Hageman (R) Rating: Safe R · Election: November 3, 2026 · Ballot checked: October 9, 2026 · Positions captured: August 19, 2026 The 2026 U.S. Senate election in Wyoming features Republican nominee Harriet Hageman, the current U.S. Representative for Wyoming's At-Large Congressional District, against Democratic nominee James Byrd, a geologist and former Wyoming State Representative. The seat is open following incumbent Republican Cynthia Lummis's decision not to seek re-election. The race hinges on traditional Wyoming priorities, including natural resource management, federal land policy, energy development, and inflation, alongside broader governance philosophies. ## Candidates - **James Byrd** (Democrat) · [Campaign site](https://byrdforsenate.com) · [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/James_Byrd) - **Harriet Hageman** (Republican) · [Campaign site](https://www.hagemanforwyoming.com/home) · [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Harriet_Hageman) ## Issues ### Energy and Public Lands Salience: high While Hageman focuses on deregulating federal lands and protecting traditional fossil fuels, Byrd emphasizes protecting public land access and expanding advanced nuclear energy and carbon storage. **James Byrd:** Supports public land access and energy innovation Byrd advocates for fiercely protecting public access to Wyoming's lands for hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation against federal overreach or corporate sell-off schemes. He supports traditional energy workers while promoting Wyoming as an energy laboratory through next-generation nuclear technology and carbon capture storage. - Protects public access to federal lands for recreation, hunting, and fishing against sell-off schemes - Supports traditional energy workers alongside modern energy development - Promotes next-generation nuclear technology such as the Kemmerer project and deep geologic carbon storage > “I will fiercely protect public access to our lands for hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation against any federal overreach or corporate sell-off schemes.” > — James Byrd, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/James_Byrd) > “Simultaneously, we must secure a future for our traditional energy workers while positioning Wyoming as the World’s Energy Lab.” > — James Byrd, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/James_Byrd) **Harriet Hageman:** Supports energy independence and land reform Hageman prioritizes U.S. energy independence by supporting Wyoming's oil, gas, and coal industries against restrictive federal regulations. She champions federal land management reform, advocating for local control, multiple-use requirements, and opposition to rules like the 2001 Roadless Rule. - Defends traditional coal, oil, and natural gas industries to achieve energy independence - Opposes federal regulatory overreach, including the 2001 Roadless Rule and agency micromanagement - Advocates for multiple-use land requirements and state-led management of federal acreage > “I will always support and fight for energy independence and to protect our oil, gas and coal industries and in Wyoming.” > — Harriet Hageman, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Harriet_Hageman) > “I believe the Roadless Rule is one of the most destructive regulations ever adopted in the history of the United States in terms of being able to protect our forests, our watersheds, and our surrounding lands.” > — Harriet Hageman, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Harriet_Hageman) ### Economy and Cost of Living Salience: high Hageman seeks to reduce inflation through federal spending and tax cuts, whereas Byrd targets the 'Daily Squeeze' through targeted support for working families and small-town economies. **James Byrd:** Tackles daily squeeze on working families Byrd focuses on the financial strain facing working families due to rising prices for groceries, gas, and housing across Wyoming. He advocates for economic policies that support small-town growth and prevent local families from being priced out. - Focuses on addressing the 'Daily Squeeze' caused by grocery, gas, and housing prices - Supports economic growth policies aimed at helping small towns and working families thrive > “Working families are getting hammered by the "Daily Squeeze."” > — James Byrd, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/James_Byrd) **Harriet Hageman:** Opposes federal spending and tax hikes Hageman argues that excessive federal spending drives an inflationary spiral that functions as a hidden tax on families. She signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge and opposes tax increases, maintaining that private industry rather than government drives economic prosperity. - Signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge and opposes any federal tax increases - Advocates cutting federal spending and shrinking the size of the federal government - Supports preserving provisions of the Trump Tax Cuts and Jobs Act > “In Congress, I will fight any effort to raise taxes and, instead, focus on ways to cut both federal spending and taxes.” > — Harriet Hageman, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Harriet_Hageman) > “High inflation is a hidden tax on Americans at the grocery store, at the gas pump, and in every aspect of our lives.” > — Harriet Hageman, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Harriet_Hageman) ### Healthcare Salience: medium Byrd advocates for federal assistance to preserve rural clinics and lower drug prices, while Hageman favors local-level healthcare solutions and federal waivers. **James Byrd:** Protects rural healthcare and community clinics Byrd emphasizes that protecting rural healthcare infrastructure is critical to the survival of small Wyoming towns. He advocates for protecting critical access hospitals, strengthening community clinics, and lowering prescription drug costs. - Prioritizes federal support for rural critical access hospitals and community health clinics - Advocates for lowering prescription drug costs for working families > “Protecting critical access hospitals and community clinics is a matter of survival for our rural towns.” > — James Byrd, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/James_Byrd) **Harriet Hageman:** Supports local healthcare solutions and waivers Hageman supports addressing healthcare at the local level rather than through federal government mandates. She advocates for federal waivers to allow state-level innovation, support for aging populations through home care, and expanded mental health facilities. - Favors local-level healthcare solutions over federal mandates and seeks federal waivers - Supports expanding geriatric care training and keeping seniors in home care - Advocates for increased local resources and beds for mental health treatment > “The solutions to the health-care situation in this Country are to be found at the local level, not with the federal government.” > — Harriet Hageman, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Harriet_Hageman) ### Government Oversight and Bureaucracy Salience: medium Both candidates oppose delegating power to unelected bureaucrats, with Hageman seeking structural reform of federal regulatory and intelligence agencies while Byrd focuses on restoring Congress's budgeting and legislative role. **James Byrd:** Demands restored congressional legislative authority Byrd advocates restoring Congress to its proper constitutional deliberative role to check executive overreach and pass real budgets. He opposes delegating legislative responsibilities to unelected agency bureaucrats. - Advocates for Congress to restore its proper legislative and budgeting duties - Opposes outsourcing constitutional authority to unelected federal agency bureaucrats > “We must restore both chambers of Congress to their proper legislative functions. That means stepping up, debating in good faith, passing real budgets, and checking executive overreach rather than outsourcing our constitutional duties to unelected agency bureaucrats.” > — James Byrd, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/James_Byrd) **Harriet Hageman:** Seeks to dismantle administrative overreach Hageman campaigns against regulatory agency overreach, seeking to curtail the power of unelected federal bureaucrats and reform FISA surveillance laws. She serves on the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. - Serves on the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government - Demands fundamental reform of the Administrative State and federal regulatory power - Advocates reforming FISA laws to prevent government surveillance and Fourth Amendment violations > “We need real and fundamental reform of the Administrative State.” > — Harriet Hageman, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Harriet_Hageman) ### Election Integrity and Voting Salience: medium Hageman advocates for strict voter identification and proof-of-citizenship requirements, whereas Byrd emphasizes upgrading voting machine infrastructure. **James Byrd:** Supports modernizing voting machine infrastructure Byrd has previously prioritized updating and modernizing state voting machines and electronic election management systems to ensure efficient administration. - Supported upgrading voting machines and the statewide voting infrastructure > “New voting machines and upgrade existing statewide system” > — James Byrd, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/James_Byrd) **Harriet Hageman:** Supports strict voter ID and security Hageman strongly supports strict election integrity measures, including mandatory voter identification and ending unsolicited mail-in ballot distributions. In the 119th Congress, she voted in favor of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. - Voted for the SAVE Act (H.R. 22) requiring documentary proof of citizenship for federal election registration - Supports mandatory photo identification requirements for voting - Opposes unsolicited mass mailing of absentee ballots > “There is also no good, commonsense argument against requiring people to show identification to vote.” > — Harriet Hageman, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Harriet_Hageman) ### Border Security and Immigration Salience: medium **James Byrd:** No documented position in our sources **Harriet Hageman:** Supports strict border enforcement measures Hageman views southern border security as an essential element of national sovereignty and public safety. She supports strict measures to prevent illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and human trafficking, and voted for the Laken Riley Act in Congress. - Voted for the Laken Riley Act in the 119th Congress - Advocates securing the southern border to prevent illegal immigration, human trafficking, and illicit drug flows > “Every day that we fail to stop drugs, human trafficking, and hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens flooding across our border, we are destroying our country’s sovereignty and squandering the future for our children and grandchildren.” > — Harriet Hageman, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Harriet_Hageman) ### Abortion Salience: medium **James Byrd:** No documented position in our sources **Harriet Hageman:** Opposes abortion and supports fetal rights Hageman maintains that human life begins at conception and strongly opposes abortion. She supports legislation protecting unborn children, citing scientific evidence regarding fetal heartbeats and pain perception. - Believes human life begins at the moment of conception - Supports federal and state legislation protecting unborn children > “The most basic fundamental right we all hold is the right to life.” > — Harriet Hageman, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Harriet_Hageman) > “Abortion will one day be remembered as a grave stain on American history.” > — Harriet Hageman, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Harriet_Hageman) ### Gun Rights Salience: medium **James Byrd:** No documented position in our sources **Harriet Hageman:** Opposes federal gun control legislation Hageman strongly defends the Second Amendment, opposing federal efforts to restrict firearms ownership or impose new gun regulations on law-abiding citizens. - Opposes federal gun control measures and defends individual constitutional carry rights > “I will always fight to protect our Second Amendment, and will never back down to the tyranny of this Administration or any others who are attempting to infringe upon our Constitutional rights.” > — Harriet Hageman, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Harriet_Hageman) ## Polls and markets _Updated Oct 31._ - [Polymarket](https://polymarket.com/event/wyoming-senate-election-winner) — Wyoming Senate Election Winner: Republicans 98.5%, Democrats 1.4% - [Kalshi](https://kalshi.com/events/SENATEWY-26) — Wyoming Senate winner?: Harriet Hageman 98.7%, James Byrd 1.5% - [Kalshi](https://kalshi.com/events/KXSENATEWYR-26) — Wyoming Republican Senate nominee?: Harriet Hageman 99.9%, Jimmy Skovgard 0.1%, Reid Rasner 0.1% - [Kalshi](https://kalshi.com/events/KXSENATEWYD-26) — Wyoming Democratic Senate nominee?: James Byrd 99.0%, Billy Benavidez 2.0% [View this race on 2026election.com](https://www.2026election.com/race/2026-senate-wy)