Wyoming
Chuck Gray Announces Wyoming GOP Delegates Vote Unanimously For Trump
It was about as unsurprising as most of the other events that played out at the Republican National Convention on Monday, but still noteworthy for Wyoming.
Former President Donald Trump, as expected, became the party’s official nominee at the convention, and did so with the help of 29 Wyoming Republican delegates.
Announcing the delegate’s unanimous support for Trump was Secretary of State Chuck Gray, wearing an oversized white “Wyoming Is Trump Country” cowboy hat.
“Wyoming, the Cowboy State, casts all of its 29 delegates for Donald J. Trump,” Gray yelled, met by an enthusiastic cheer from the Wyoming delegation and chants of “fight” afterwards.
Gray is the No. 2 state executive in Wyoming next to Gov. Mark Gordon, who was not a delegate.
The convention was being broadcast live on C-SPAN and various other networks.
A Few Seconds Of Fame
Standing near Gray in the video was state Sens. Bo Biteman, R-Ranchester, Bob Ide, R-Casper, John Kolb, R-Rock Springs, Wyoming GOP Chairman Frank Eathorne and Wyoming GOP National Committeewoman Nina Webber.
Also visible in the background was Gillette resident Patricia Junek, Jackson resident Katherine Rueckert, Cody resident Brent Bien, Thermopolis resident Cheryl Aguiar and Laramie resident Roxie Hensley among others.
Gray started his speech by promoting Wyoming’s various industries, calling the Cowboy State the “energy capitol of our country.”
“Coal, oil and gas, soda ash, ag products for the entire world,” he said. “And Wyoming, the Cowboy State is Trump country.”
He then went on to mention how Wyoming voted for Trump with a larger margin of victory than any other state in 2020 and 2016.
Scene In Milwaukee
Inside the convention hall in Milwaukee, Wisc., delegates flanked by “Make America Great Again” signs cheered wildly as state after state voted their support for Trump’s second term, according to the Associated Press.
Sheridan resident Jeff Wallack, an alternate delegate, said the mood was very positive with great enthusiasm for Trump’s vice president selection of Ohio Senator J.D. Vance earlier in the day.
Wyoming announced its delegates in between the Northern Mariana Islands and Maine.
Trump won enough delegates to officially be considered the party’s nominee on Monday afternoon, but he had already been the presumptive nominee for months.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
Wyoming
GOP Rep. Harriet Hageman launches Senate run in Wyoming
Rep. Harriet Hageman, a Republican, is running for Senate in Wyoming next year, seeking to replace retiring GOP Sen. Cynthia Lummis, who announced last week that she would not run for re-election.
Hageman, 63, was elected to be the state’s lone representative in Congress in 2022 after ousting then-Rep. Liz Cheney in a primary. Hageman had Donald Trump’s endorsement against Cheney, a vocal critic of the president, and the congresswoman name-checked the president in her three-minute launch video on Tuesday.
“I stood with President Trump to deliver the largest tax cut in American history, helping working families keep more of their own money,” Hageman said, later adding, “We worked together to secure the border and fund efforts to remove and deport those in the country illegally.”
“We must keep up this fight, and that’s why today I’m announcing my campaign for United States Senate,” Hageman said. “This fight is about making sure the next century sees the advancements of the last while protecting our culture and our way of life. We must dedicate ourselves to ensuring that the next 100 years is the next great American century.”
Hageman had been eyeing a run for governor, but ultimately decided to run for Senate, noting in an interview with Cowboy State Daily published Tuesday that “it’s important that we have someone who can hit the ground running the moment [Lummis] retires. That’s not the place for on-the-job training.”
Hageman added that Trump is “well aware” that she is running for Senate, and she would welcome his endorsement.
It’s not yet clear if Hageman will face a tough fight for the GOP nomination. There are multiple opportunities for other Wyoming Republicans to run statewide, given the open governor’s race and Hageman’s campaign opening up her at-large House seat.
The winner of the GOP primary would be in a strong position to win the Senate seat in the deep-red state. Trump won Wyoming by nearly 46 percentage points last year. Hageman won her second term in 2024 by 48 points.
Although Wyoming is a solidly Republican state, Hageman faced a rowdy crowd at a town hall earlier this year. She was met with boos as she commented on federal government cuts, the Department of Government Efficiency and the future of Social Security.
Hageman called the outbursts “over the top” and said, “It’s so bizarre to me how obsessed you are with federal government.” Her adviser dismissed the disruptions as “pre-planned” and “political theater.”
Wyoming
After Strong Demand, Wyoming Childcare Provider Grants to Reopen in 2026
A statewide grant program supporting childcare providers drew 90 applications in just two rounds of funding earlier this year. For the Wyoming Interagency Working Group on Childcare, which launched the initiative, the response affirmed that the program is addressing a significant community need. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter has more.
In 2025, the Wyoming Interagency Working Group on Childcare worked collaboratively to award $183,537 to 24 providers. In an effort to build on that success, the grant program will reopen January 2 with applications closing March 1, 2026. Administered by the Wyoming Community Foundation, grants of up to $20,000 per applicant will be awarded with a renewed focus on communities with the greatest childcare shortages.
Grant awards will be prioritized based on requests from high-needs communities as will be outlined in the application and on the Wyoming Community Foundation’s website, along with plans to increase the number of children and families being cared for and engagement or planned engagement with business support services through the Small Business Development Center. Funding for this round of grantmaking includes the Wyoming Maternal and Child Health Unit, Wyoming Department of Family Services, the Wyoming Community Foundation, and the Business Studio at LCCC. To apply for a grant or if you have questions about the application process, you can click here.
Wyoming
Teton Pass closed in both directions due to avalanche, possibly until Tuesday
WILSON, Wyo. — Another complicated day for Teton Pass commuters.
WY22 over Teton Pass is closed in both directions due to avalanche control as of 8 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 22, according to an alert issued by the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT). WYDOT’s estimated opening time for the road is between noon and 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 23.
WYDOT had closed the pass at 3 a.m. Monday for avalanche control. According to a post by the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center (BTAC), a “large explosive triggered avalanche” ended up covering both lanes of the Pass.
“Early this morning, WYDOT crews brought down a large, controlled avalanche at Glory Bowl during their mitigation mission,” the agency posted to Facebook Monday morning. “Due to the extent of the clean up, estimated opening time is between noon and 2 p.m. tomorrow.”

WYDOT confirmed to Buckrail that the dense, heavy slide is being addressed by a dozer on Monday morning, and that clearing the snow will take several hours. The agency expects to share an updated opening time estimate as the cleanup unfolds.
According to BTAC’s Monday forecast, high avalanche danger exists in the Tetons.
“Heavy snowfall and strong wind has created very dangerous avalanche conditions on wind loaded middle and upper elevation terrain,” its forecast states.
This is a developing story. Buckrail will provide information as details become available.
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