CASPER, Wyo. –– Former Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow held a meet and greet to kick off her campaign for Wyoming’s lone U.S. House of Representatives seat Tuesday at the Wolcott Galleria in downtown Casper.
During the intimate and lowkey gathering, Balow talked individually to a group of supporters and community members, one of whom calmly asked pointed questions about some controversial positions of President Donald Trump after her short speech.
Balow is the third Republican to enter the race for the spot vacated by Rep. Harriet Hageman, who announced she’s running for the retiring Sen. Cynthia Lummis’s U.S. Senate seat. Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray and former U.S. Senate candidate Reid Rasner have also entered the Republican race.
Casper is the first in a series of upcoming stops as Balow ramps up her campaign, she said. “I’m super excited. This is the beginning,” she told Oil City News before her speech, “and then it’s on the campaign trail really nonstop until the primaries.”
Balow was appointed by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin for superintendent of public instruction there before resigning after 14 months. She said she had been contemplating a return to public service for some time after working in the private sector.
Former Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow talks with state Sen. Jim Anderson during her kickoff meet and greet for her U.S. House of Representatives campaign on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, at the Wolcott Galleria. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City News)
Balow started her public comments by talking about her roots as a fifth-generation Wyoming native who grew up in Gillette. “My grandfather’s photo hangs in the Worland hospital because he was the only doctor for years in Worland,” she said.
She recalled being elected as state superintendent during a difficult time for the department, and helped it to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. “My job was to rebuild relationships, to work with the legislature to move forward, to build trust in education and build trust in leadership,” she said. “We were the only state in the nation that did not shut our schools at the state level [during the pandemic].”
She repeatedly voiced her support for Wyoming’s energy sector, including gas, oil and nuclear, but did not directly mention renewables.
She said the state should decide on how to use federal funding in education and public lands.
“Federal dollars are our dollars too, and we should not have those marked for spending a certain way when they come to Wyoming,” she said.
“We care about conservation, we care about multiple use, and we need to have the voice to make those decisions,” she added.
While not mentioning her opponents by name, she painted herself as an underdog running a grassroots campaign by meeting as many people as possible in their communities.
“I am not self-funded,” she said. “Both of the other people who are in this race are self-funded, and they’re going to outspend me and go negative like there is no tomorrow. That is not me.”
Former Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow answers pointed questions from Casper native Bruce Lawson, second from left, during a campaign kickoff event for her U.S. House of Representatives campaign on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, at the Wolcott Galleria. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City News)
During the question-and-answer session, Casper resident Bruce Lawson brought up violence surrounding the Trump administration’s use of ICE deportation raids, particularly those that resulted in two deaths and high-profile arrests of American citizens in Minneapolis.
“We’ve seen violation of the First Amendment time and time again, and we’ve seen violations of the Second Amendment,” he said, referring to protester Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by ICE agents.
Balow voiced support for Trump’s immigration crackdown but acknowledged concerns on ICE’s tactics. “The issue you just described is so complicated and heart-wrenching for all of us,” she said. Speaking about reforms on ICE tactics, she said, “I’m not sure that it’s being done with the expediency that a lot of people would like, but there are actions that are being taken.”
Lawson then asked, “If you see a violation of the rule of law and the Constitution by Donald Trump, and you’re in Congress, will you speak up and speak out, or will you just be a silent majority like the rest of the Republicans in Congress?”
“I think this is a really complicated situation,” she said. “It depends on how you look at it. I’m not trying to dodge the question, but I would want to make sure that I’m in the conversation and that I’m representing the voice of Wyoming.”
In follow-up questions on public spaces, Balow said she doesn’t support the sale of public lands, but wants Wyoming to have more control over their use.
Balow will next head to Gillette as her campaign continues, and plans to visit Cheyenne and Wyoming lawmakers in the next couple of weeks for the 2026 budget session.
