Barlow, a rancher and former state House speaker, won the open Wyoming governor’s seat in a race the AP called as polls closed.
Eric Barlow, 60, is a Wyoming life in one career: a Marine Corps veteran, a veterinarian and a rancher from Gillette, in the state’s coal and ranch country. He was elected to the Wyoming House in 2012, rose to speaker of the House in 2021, and moved to the state Senate in 2023.
He won the race to succeed Gov. Mark Gordon, who was barred by term limits, defeating Democrat Kenneth Casner in a state that votes heavily Republican. He takes office on January 4, 2027.
Wyoming’s economy runs on energy and agriculture, and both face hard questions — coal’s decline, federal land rules and water. Watch how a governor who has worked cattle and written laws for the state’s smallest communities handles its biggest economic shift.
Fast facts
- Age: 60
- Party: Republican
- Office: Governor of Wyoming
- State: Wyoming
- Previous job: Wyoming state senator (since 2023); former speaker of the Wyoming House
- Called by AP: at the 9:00 p.m. ET poll close, Nov. 3
Part of the Zark News Election 2026 winners profile series. Winners are listed as called by the Associated Press.
