Wyoming

Republican Brent Bien First To Announce Campaign For Wyoming Governor In 2026

Published

1 year ago

November 17, 2024

Republican Brent Bien First To Announce Campaign For Wyoming Governor In 2026

BIG PINEY — The first candidate to throw his name in the ring for Wyoming governor in the 2026 election is Cody Republican Brent Bien.

Bien told Cowboy State Daily on Saturday at the Wyoming Republican Party Central Committee meeting in Big Piney that he’s running for governor in 2026. Bien believes he can bring strong leadership to Wyoming and represent the voice of the people.

“It’s like any corporation, any entity, the climate is all set by whoever’s leading,” he said. “It’s community climate and having a direction where Wyoming is going to be 10 years from now, where is it going to be five years from now, where’s it going to be next year?”

Bien ran for governor in 2022, finishing a distant second to Gov. Mark Gordon in the GOP primary out of four candidates.

Bien was a relative unknown in the Wyoming political scene headed into that election and was outraised by Gordon financially roughly five to one.

Since that time, Bien has gained much larger statewide recognition, staying actively involved in politics and spearheading a ballot initiative campaign over the past 18 months to cut property taxes by 50% in Wyoming, which is nearly guaranteed to go to voters in 2026.

The 2026 Field

Bien is officially announcing his campaign substantially earlier than any candidates did for the past two governor elections, but that could be because there have been at least a handful of Republican names already tossed around as potential hopefuls for Wyoming governor in 2026.

Gordon and Secretary of State Chuck Gray did not immediately respond to Cowboy State Daily’s request for comment.

State Treasurer Curt Meier said he doesn’t want to run for governor, but may be forced to if changes aren’t made to his office and the Secretary of State’s Office that he wants to see take place.

There have also been rumors that Gordon may consider a run for a third term, but the governor has been noncommittal about this and numerous sources have said he would have to take the matter to court to get it approved.

“Whoever’s going to run, let them jump in,” Bien said. “If he (Gordon) wants to challenge it, let him jump in and let the folks decide when the time comes.”

Bien said he’ll support any candidate in the race who he thinks will advance liberty, but said that’s a high bar to achieve.

“I’m very picky when it comes down to who I’m going to trust my liberty to, and right now I’m not seeing it,” Bien said.

Bien’s Platform

Bien is a hardline conservative who believes Wyoming is headed in a negative direction despite President-elect Donald Trump winning the election and the Wyoming Freedom Caucus taking over a majority in the House.

“On the right side of the equation of politics we have a tendency to sit back on our laurels after we have a good victory,” Bien said. “Now is the time to capitalize.”

Bien grew up in Laramie and served in the Marines for 28 years. He retired to Wyoming in 2019 after finishing his military career as officer-in-charge of the U.S. Marine Corps base on Guam.

Bien believes there has been a lack of principled, conservative leadership in Wyoming and wants the state to become more self-sufficient to create better individual liberties.

“That’s what makes America so great, it’s that self-governance,” Bien said.

Bien wants to make enshrining civil liberties and freedom the cornerstones of his campaign agenda to reduce federal government overreach in Wyoming.

He said he believes the federal government has allowed an anti-American, globalist, elitist agenda to pervade society and undermine constitutional rights, putting the government’s priorities over its people.

Bien asserts that the government should work for and gain the trust of its people, not the other way around.

“I really believe that the strength of every relationship, no matter what it is, revolves around trust,” Bien said. “If the folks trust you, there’s no telling what we can do with this state.”

He also believes Wyoming has become a corporatocracy, with its state lands being sold off to the highest bidder. The State Board of Land Commissioners recently approved a $100 million sale of the iconic Kelly Parcel to Grand Teton National Park after a call to put the land up for public auction was rejected last year.

Taking up the property tax initiative, he believes, was one step in his fight against this. If elected governor, Bien said he will continue to address this issue.

“This all comes down to our liberty because without our liberty we own nothing, we have nothing,” Bien said.

Earlier this year, Bien’s BCR Voter Initiatives started a new campaign to require all Wyoming election ballots be counted by hand, and Bien said he will make election integrity a major priority of his campaign.

He also wants all judges and the attorney general elected by a public vote in Wyoming. These positions are currently selected by the governor.

Bien said he has no concerns about fundraising this go-around and feels confident about his chances because of the network he’s built around the state.

“We do have a lot bigger groundswell right now, a lot bigger network,” he said.

Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.

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Wyoming

Wyoming Coaches Pick the Best of 1A & 2A Boys Basketball in 2026

Published

9 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Wyoming Coaches Pick the Best of 1A & 2A Boys Basketball in 2026

The top boys’ basketball players in Wyoming for Classes 1A and 2A were chosen for the 2026 high school season. The Wyoming Coaches Association has unveiled the all-state awards for this year, as voted on by the head coaches in the two classifications, respectively. The Wyoming Coaches Association only recognizes one team for all-state, and only these players receive an award certificate from the WCA. WyoPreps only lists all-state players as defined by the WCA.

WCA 1A-2A BOYS BASKETBALL ALL-STATE SELECTIONS IN 2026

Each class selected 14 players for all-state, reflecting a broad recognition of talent across Wyoming. Notably, congratulations go to Hulett’s Kyle Smith, Brady Cook from Lingle-Fort Laramie, and Carsten Freeburg from Pine Bluffs, who earned all-state honors for the third straight year. In addition, eight more players achieved all-state status for the second time in their prep careers.

Class 1A

Paul McNiven – Burlington

Bitner Philpott – Burlington

Ammon Hatch – Cokeville (All-State in 2025)

Hudson Himmerich – Cokeville

Kyle Smith – Hulett (All-State 2024 & 2025)

Anthony Arnusch – Lingle-Ft. Laramie

Brady Cook – Lingle-Ft. Laramie (All-State 2024 & 2025)

Tymber Cozzens – Little Snake River (All-State in 2025)

Corbin Matthews – Lusk

Max Potas – Meeteetse (All-State in 2024)

Jace Westring – Saratoga

Hazen Williams – Saratoga

TJ Moats – Southeast (All-State in 2024)

Nic Schiller – Upton

Read More Boys Basketball News from WyoPreps

WyoPreps 1A-2A State Basketball Scoreboard 2026

WyoPreps 3A-4A Regional Basketball Scoreboard 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Final Basketball Poll 2026

1A-2A Boys Basketball Regional Scoreboard 2026

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 11 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-25-26

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 10 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-18-26

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 9 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-11-26

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 8 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-4-26

Class 2A

Caleb Adsit – Big Horn

Chase Garber – Big Horn

Carsten Freeburg – Pine Bluffs (All-State 2024 & 2025)

Mason Moss – Rocky Mountain

Oakley Hicks – Shoshoni

Kade Mills – Sundance

Cody Bomengen – Thermopolis (All-State in 2025)

Zak Hastie – Thermopolis

Ellis Webber – Thermopolis (All-State in 2025)

Joseph Kimbrell – Wright

Mitchell Strohschein – Wright (All-State in 2025)

Adriano Brown – Wyoming Indian

Heeyei’Niitou Monroe-Black – Wyoming Indian (All-State in 2025)

Cordell Spoonhunter – Wyoming Indian

The 2026 state champions were the Saratoga Panthers in Class 1A. They beat Lingle-Fort Laramie, 50-45, in the championship game. The 2A winners were the Thermopolis Bobcats, who repeated as champions, after a 45-38 victory over Wyoming Indian in the title game.

Lusk versus Rock River high school basketball 2026

Game action between the Tigers and Longhorns

Gallery Credit: Courtesy: Lisa Shaw

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Wyoming

New laws establish a statewide literacy program

Published

21 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

New laws establish a statewide literacy program

A pair of bills signed into law last week aim to build out a more comprehensive system of literacy education across Wyoming’s public schools.

One mandates evidence-based practices and requires regular screenings for dyslexia, while the other enables the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) to hire a dedicated literacy professional to oversee statewide compliance.

Gov. Mark Gordon’s signing of both bills on Friday was the latest accomplishment of an ongoing push for improved literacy standards. That push has been spearheaded by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder.

“Wyoming is not going to let a single child fall through the cracks,” Degenfelder said during a public bill signing last week. “We are not going to fall behind when it comes to ensuring that our children can read at grade level.”

The primary bill, Senate File 59, establishes a statewide K-12 program for teaching students to read that is built on “evidence based language and literacy instruction, assessment, intervention and professional development that supports educators, engages families and promotes literacy proficiency for all Wyoming students.”

The bill defines evidence-based strategies as those that conform to the science of reading, a term that will be defined and updated by Degenfelder’s office. Nationwide, it generally means putting academic research into practice in classrooms. SF 59 specifically prohibits the exclusive use of “three-cueing” — a strategy once widely employed to teach reading but which education experts now say is outdated and less effective than other strategies.

It also requires annual dyslexia screeners for students below the third grade, and testing for reading difficulties for all students.

The screeners are used to identify the severity of reading difficulties in order to direct “tiered” support that offers the most intensive interventions to the students most in need, while still providing “evidence based” language instruction to all students.

Each school district must formulate an individualized reading plan “for each student identified as having reading difficulties or at risk for poor reading outcomes.”

Districts must now report to the state annually regarding their literacy-related work. Any district where 60% or more of the students are struggling will be required to implement “summer literacy camps or extended supports, including after school support and tutoring.”

The bill also requires literacy related professional development for teachers and specialists “appropriate to their role and level of responsibility” related to literacy education.

SF 59 was backed by dyslexia advocates and literacy specialists.

Senate File 14, the other literacy bill signed into law Friday, appropriates $120,000 annually for the next two years for a full-time position at WDE “to assist school districts in implementing a reading assessment and intervention program and language and literacy programs.”

Both bills go into effect July 1.

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Wyoming

Wyoming Announces 2026 Football Schedule – SweetwaterNOW

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Wyoming Announces 2026 Football Schedule

Samuel “Tote” Harris. Photo from gowyo.com

LARAMIE — The University of Wyoming and the Mountain West Conference announced the Cowboys’ 2026 football schedule Monday, a slate that opens with the Border War and concludes with back-to-back home games in Laramie.

Wyoming opens the season Sept. 5 on the road against Colorado State in the 118th edition of the Border War. The Cowboys then host Northern Colorado on Sept. 12 in the home opener before traveling to Central Michigan on Sept. 19.

The Cowboys begin Mountain West play Sept. 26 at home against Hawaii in a matchup for the Paniolo Trophy. Wyoming then faces back-to-back road games at North Dakota State on Oct. 3 and San Jose State on Oct. 10.

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Wyoming returns to War Memorial Stadium on Oct. 17 to host conference newcomer Northern Illinois before facing Air Force at home on Oct. 24. The Cowboys will have an open week on Oct. 31.

The Cowboys open November with road games at UNLV on Nov. 7 and at UTEP on Nov. 14, marking Wyoming’s first meeting with the Miners as members of the Mountain West. Wyoming closes conference play by hosting New Mexico on Nov. 21 and wraps up the regular season with a nonconference game against UConn on Nov. 28 in Laramie.

Each Mountain West team will play four home and four road conference games during the 13-week season, which will conclude with the Mountain West Football Championship Game featuring the two teams with the highest conference winning percentages. The championship game date will be announced later.

With the conference schedule set, Mountain West television partners CBS Sports, FOX Sports, and The CW will begin selecting broadcast games, which could include moving some contests to non-Saturday dates. Network assignments and kickoff times will be announced at a later date.

Season ticket renewals for the 2026 Wyoming football season are now available. Fans can renew their tickets online by visiting gowyo.com/tickets and logging into their account.

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