Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon has announced he won’t be running for another term in 2026.

While Gordon’s supporters–who propelled him to two terms in the governor’s office–may be disappointed, the Wyoming Freedom Caucus is celebrating.

”You Don’t Have To Be Governor To Make A Difference”

A news release from the governor’s office quoted Gordon as saying :

“You don’t have to be Governor to make a difference in Wyoming,” Governor Gordon said. “Participating in elections is something all of us can do to make a real difference, and these conversations are important to have to ensure everyone makes informed decisions about the future of Wyoming.” 

According to the release, the governor plans to “run through the tape strong” adding

The Governor looks forward to discussing the value of a continued focus on the essentials and the steps needed to benefit the Cowboy State. Those steps include protecting our resilient property tax base that funds local services like education, fire protection, police services and others, as well as honoring local control, investing in our future through smart saving and continued stewardship of our wildlife, land, and water.  

Gordon plans to visit communities across Wyoming during the remainder of his term, including tours of downtown storefronts and public forums. Gordon was first elected in 2018, successfully running for a second term in 2022.

Wyoming Freedom Caucus On Gordon Decision: “Good”

The Wyoming Freedom Caucus, a group of very conservative members of the Wyoming House, is not shedding any tears over Gordon’s decision not to run again.

In a post on their Facebook page, the caucus accused Gordon of  a long list of  infractions, ranging from presiding over a 60 percent increase in state spending to masking school children and shutting down small business during the COVID pandemic.

While the governor is currently term limited from running for another term under a state statute overwhelmingly approved by voters in 1992, the Wyoming Supreme Court in 2013 threw out that law in regard to the other four statewide offices on the grounds that term limits could only be imposed through a Constitutional Amendment.

That is because the qualifications for the offices are included in the Wyoming Constitution.. Therefor changing them would require changing the constitution.

But that court decision only applied to the four other statewide offices since the legal challenge prompting the decision did not mention the governor.

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Gallery Credit: Wyoming State Archives, Historic Photograph Collection; Kolby Fedore