{"id":223,"date":"2026-08-21T13:32:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T13:32:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flashpointupdates.com\/?p=223"},"modified":"2026-08-21T13:32:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T13:32:23","slug":"rep-hageman-wins-wyoming-gop-primary-for-us-senate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flashpointupdates.com\/?p=223","title":{"rendered":"Rep. Hageman Wins Wyoming GOP Primary for US Senate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F08%2F19%2Fid6076928-09022025-DSC08732-Rep.-Harriet-Hageman.jpg&amp;w=1200&amp;q=75\" alt=\"Rep. Hageman Wins Wyoming GOP Primary for US Senate\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.5;width:600px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Republican Study Committee Article One Task Force Chair Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.), alongside other lawmakers, speaks about federalizing policing in cities, at the House Triangle on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 2, 2025. Madalina Kilroy\/The Epoch Times<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CHEYENNE, Wyo.\u2014U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman is saddling up to face Democratic state Rep. James Byrd in the general election after winning the Republican primary for Wyoming\u2019s U.S. Senate seat on Aug. 18.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The congresswoman, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, won the Republican nomination in a landslide <strong><\/strong>against National Guard veteran Jimmy Skovgard, rancher and whiskey maker Sam Mead, massage therapist Jill Edwards, and John Holtz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Associated Press called the Republican primary race at 10:52 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the Democratic ticket, Byrd beat salesman Billy Benavidez also in a landslide victory for his party\u2019s nomination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Associated Press called the Democratic primary race for the U.S. Senate seat at 10:53 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe are going to take on the cost of living [and] we\u2019re going to take on the affordability,\u201d Byrd said during his election night watch party in Cheyenne on Tuesday night. \u201cThe price of gas is at the top of my list. We should not have gas that is approaching $5 a gallon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Related Stories<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F08%2F19%2Fid6076792-IMG_9374-700x700.jpeg&amp;w=1200&amp;q=75\" alt=\"The Epoch Times\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.5;width:600px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/barlow-beats-trump-endorsed-degenfelder-to-secure-gop-nomination-in-wyoming-gubernatorial-primary-6075360?ea_src=author_manual&amp;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/barlow-beats-trump-endorsed-degenfelder-to-secure-gop-nomination-in-wyoming-gubernatorial-primary-6075360?ea_src=author_manual&amp;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barlow Beats Trump-Endorsed Degenfelder to Secure GOP Nomination in Wyoming Gubernatorial Primary<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F08%2F19%2Fid6076811-midterm-elections-AP26231042045926-700x700.jpg&amp;w=1200&amp;q=75\" alt=\"The Epoch Times\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.5;width:600px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/byron-donalds-to-face-former-republican-in-floridas-gubernatorial-election-6076249?ea_src=author_manual&amp;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/byron-donalds-to-face-former-republican-in-floridas-gubernatorial-election-6076249?ea_src=author_manual&amp;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Byron Donalds to Face David Jolly in Florida\u2019s Gubernatorial Election<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F08%2F19%2Fid6076841-IMG_9504.jpeg&amp;w=1200&amp;q=75\" alt=\"James Byrd gave an election night victory speech in Cheyenne, Wyo., on Aug. 18, 2026. (Jacki Thrapp\/The Epoch Times)\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.3333333333333333;width:640px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">James Byrd gave an election night victory speech in Cheyenne, Wyo., on Aug. 18, 2026. Jacki Thrapp\/The Epoch Times<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The winner of the general election this fall will succeed Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis, who announced in December 2025 that she was retiring after one term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019ve come to accept that I do not have six more years in me,\u201d Lummis stated at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Republican is strongly expected to take the seat, according to an analysis by the Cook Political Report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump, who won 72.3 percent of Wyoming\u2019s vote in the 2024 presidential election, endorsed Hageman in December 2025 and again on Aug. 4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI know Harriet well, and she is a TOTAL WINNER! Harriet has ALWAYS delivered for Wyoming, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate,\u201d Trump wrote in a Truth Social post earlier this month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hageman, a fourth-generation Wyomingite, is running on a campaign to cut government spending,&nbsp;promote free and fair elections, \u201crein in the surveillance state,\u201d protect the unborn, and stop the United States Forest Service from allegedly mismanaging forest lands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Byrd is a Wyoming-born businessman who seeks to advocate for the state\u2019s energy independence, rural education, and veteran support services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an exclusive interview after Byrd\u2019s win, the Democrat told The Epoch Times he is calling for a \u201cfull stop\u201d on data center development until the facilities can be managed correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Byrd admitted that it will be an uphill battle to win, but he thinks he\u2019ll be able to bring over moderate Republicans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019ve had enough of the crazies, \u201c Byrd said. \u201cBring some moderate people, and if we don\u2019t have moderate people, this is where I come in. I\u2019m the Democrat hoping to fill that void. You want to send a message to the Republican Party, vote in a Democrat, and tell them that you\u2019re the Republicans that voted them in, because for me to win this election, I need Republican votes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Epoch Times spoke to voters in Wyoming on Tuesday afternoon to learn what issues motivated them to go to the polls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Janet, a Hageman supporter, told The Epoch Times outside a polling site at Laramie County Community College that she liked how the congresswoman contributed to the Trump administration\u2019s policy of reinstating English language proficiency tests for truck drivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Janet and two other Republican voters said they appreciated how Hageman demanded accountability from Meta after its Cheyenne Data Center contaminated the city\u2019s water system with Cupriavidus gilardii.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The discovery sparked months of cleanup and made the city take its reuse water system offline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F08%2F18%2Fid6076765-IMG_9380.jpeg&amp;w=1200&amp;q=75\" alt=\"A sign displayed voter identification requirements for the primary election on Aug. 18 outside the Storey Gymnasium polling location in Cheyenne, Wyo. (Jacki Thrapp\/The Epoch Times)\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.3333333333333333;width:640px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A sign displayed voter identification requirements for the primary election on Aug. 18 outside the Storey Gymnasium polling location in Cheyenne, Wyo. Jacki Thrapp\/The Epoch Times<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe don\u2019t want our water supply tainted or our electricity bills to go up,\u201d Jacob Roth, a Republican voter, told The Epoch Times outside of the Storey Gymnasium polling location in Cheyenne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Roth added that he suspected the jobs associated with data center expansion would not be long-term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe don\u2019t just want to be a boom town,\u201d Roth said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An independent female voter, who did not want to be named, said: \u201cArtificial intelligence is one of the worst things to happen to the country and the people in it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The voter, who was unable to vote in the U.S. Senate primary because it was only for registered Republican and Democratic voters, said she might vote for Byrd this fall but has concerns about his age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Byrd is 72 years old, and Hageman is 63 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CHEYENNE, Wyo.\u2014U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman is saddling up to face Democratic state Rep. James Byrd in the general election after winning the Republican primary for Wyoming\u2019s U.S. Senate seat on Aug. 18. The congresswoman, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, won the Republican nomination in a landslide against National Guard veteran Jimmy Skovgard, rancher&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":224,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trending"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":1,"label":"Trending"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/flashpointupdates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lpppplppp-576x1024.jpg",576,1024,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"flashpoint","author_link":"https:\/\/flashpointupdates.com\/?author=1"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":1,"name":"Trending","slug":"trending","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":58,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":1,"category_count":58,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Trending","category_nicename":"trending","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flashpointupdates.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flashpointupdates.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flashpointupdates.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flashpointupdates.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flashpointupdates.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=223"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/flashpointupdates.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":225,"href":"https:\/\/flashpointupdates.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223\/revisions\/225"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flashpointupdates.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flashpointupdates.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flashpointupdates.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flashpointupdates.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}