Governor of Wyoming
Wyoming Governor | |
General information | |
Office Type: | Partisan |
Office website: | Official Link |
Compensation: | $105,000 |
2022-24 FY Budget: | $84,550,764 |
Term limits: | 8 years in a 16 year period |
Structure | |
Length of term: | 4 years |
Authority: | Wyoming Constitution, Article 4, Section 1 |
Selection Method: | Elected |
Current Officeholder | |
Governor of Wyoming
Mark Gordon | |
Elections | |
Next election: | November 3, 2026 |
Last election: | November 8, 2022 |
Other Wyoming Executive Offices | |
Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditors: Auditor • Director • Superintendent of Education • Director of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission |
The Governor of the State of Wyoming is an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch, and the highest state office in Wyoming. The Governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is term limited to two four-year terms in any 16 year span.[1]
Wyoming has a Republican trifecta. The Republican Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.
Wyoming has a Republican triplex. The Republican Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.
Current officer
The 33rd and current governor is Mark Gordon, a Republican elected in 2018.[2]
Authority
The state Constitution addresses the office of the governor in Article 4, the Executive Department.
Under Article 4, Section I:
The executive power shall be vested in a governor... |
Qualifications
State Executives |
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Current Governors |
Gubernatorial Elections |
2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 |
Current Lt. Governors |
Lt. Governor Elections |
2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 |
A candidate for governor must be:
- a citizen of the United States
- a resident of Wyoming for at least five years preceding the election
- a qualified elector of Wyoming on the day of the election
- at least 30 years old
Additionally, a sitting governor is ineligible for any other office.
Any governor who asks for, receives, or agrees to receive a bribe automatically forfeits his or her office and his or her right to hold any other office in Wyoming upon conviction.[3]
Vacancies
- See also: How gubernatorial vacancies are filled
Details of vacancy appointments are addressed under Article 4, Section 6.
Wyoming has no office of the lieutenant governor; the Secretary of State serves as an ex officio Lieutenant Governor.
If the sitting Governor dies, resigns, is removed or impeached, is absent, or is temporarily or permanently unable to discharge the office, the Secretary of State shall serve as the Acting Governor for the remainder of the term or until the disability or absence ends.
Duties
The Governor is the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces and upholds and executes all laws faithfully (§ 4).
The governor does not have the power to create a law but does have the power to veto or reject a proposed law, subject to a majority override of the legislature (§ 8). He has a similar veto over appropriations (§ 9).
The governor is responsible for presenting revenue and expenditure data along with a state budget recommendation to the Wyoming Legislature.
Other duties and privileges of the office include:
- Addressing the General Assembly at the commencement of each session concerning the state of the state and making recommendations for legislation (§ 4)
- Transacting all civil and military business of the state and expediting all measures the legislature has resolved upon (§ 4)
- Remitting fines and forfeitures, and granting reprieves, pardons, and commutations, excepting cases of treasons, where her power is limited to suspending the sentence pending the legislature's action (§ 5)
- Filling all vacancies not otherwise provided for (§ 7)[4]
Divisions
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for information that describes the divisions (if any exist) of a state executive office. That information for the Governor of Wyoming has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
Elections
Wyoming elects governors in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not presidential election years. For Wyoming, 2018, 2022, 2026, 2030 and 2034 are all gubernatorial election years. Legally, the gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the first Monday in the January following an election.
If two candidates are tied after the general election, the legislature shall jointly cast ballots to choose between the two top vote getters.
Term limits
- See also: States with gubernatorial term limits
Wyoming governors are restricted to 8 years in office during any 16 year period.
The person, by the end of the current term of office will have served, or but for resignation, would have served eight (8) or more years in any sixteen (16) year period in the office for which the candidate is seeking nomination or election, except, that any time served in that particular office prior to January 1, 1993, shall not be counted for purposes of this term limit. This provision shall apply to the offices of governor... |
- Note on Wyoming: Wyoming has no constitutional term limits. The statute was adapted in a 1992 ballot measure. Part of that measure relating to legislative term limits was declared unconstitutional by the state supreme court, in the case of Cathcart v. Meyer. It is unclear whether entire of the provision is legal.[5]
Partisan composition
The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Wyoming from 1992 to 2013.
2022
- See also: Wyoming gubernatorial election, 2022
General election
General election for Governor of Wyoming
Incumbent Mark Gordon defeated Theresa Livingston and Jared Baldes in the general election for Governor of Wyoming on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Mark Gordon (R) | 74.1 | 143,696 | |
Theresa Livingston (D) | 15.8 | 30,686 | ||
Jared Baldes (L) | 4.2 | 8,157 | ||
Other/Write-in votes | 5.9 | 11,461 |
Total votes: 194,000 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Wyoming
Theresa Livingston defeated Rex Wilde in the Democratic primary for Governor of Wyoming on August 16, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Theresa Livingston | 69.1 | 4,993 | |
Rex Wilde | 27.9 | 2,016 | ||
Other/Write-in votes | 3.0 | 214 |
Total votes: 7,223 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Wyoming
Incumbent Mark Gordon defeated Brent Bien, Rex Rammell, and James Quick in the Republican primary for Governor of Wyoming on August 16, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Mark Gordon | 61.5 | 101,140 | |
Brent Bien | 29.6 | 48,572 | ||
Rex Rammell | 5.7 | 9,378 | ||
James Quick | 2.9 | 4,728 | ||
Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 533 |
Total votes: 164,351 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Aaron Nab (R)
2018
- See also: Wyoming gubernatorial election, 2018
General election
General election for Governor of Wyoming
Mark Gordon defeated Mary Throne, Rex Rammell, and Lawrence Gerard Struempf in the general election for Governor of Wyoming on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Mark Gordon (R) | 67.1 | 136,412 | |
Mary Throne (D) | 27.5 | 55,965 | ||
Rex Rammell (Constitution Party) | 3.3 | 6,751 | ||
Lawrence Gerard Struempf (L) | 1.5 | 3,010 | ||
Other/Write-in votes | 0.5 | 1,100 |
Total votes: 203,238 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Wyoming
Mary Throne defeated Michael Allen Green, Ken Casner, and Rex Wilde in the Democratic primary for Governor of Wyoming on August 21, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Mary Throne | 72.9 | 12,948 | |
Michael Allen Green | 13.5 | 2,391 | ||
Ken Casner | 6.8 | 1,213 | ||
Rex Wilde | 6.8 | 1,201 |
Total votes: 17,753 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Wyoming
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Wyoming on August 21, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Mark Gordon | 33.4 | 38,951 | |
Foster Friess | 25.6 | 29,842 | ||
Harriet Hageman | 21.5 | 25,052 | ||
Sam Galeotos | 12.5 | 14,554 | ||
Taylor Haynes | 5.6 | 6,511 | ||
Bill Dahlin | 1.5 | 1,763 |
Total votes: 116,673 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Full history
2014
- See also: Wyoming gubernatorial election, 2014
Republican incumbent Matt Mead won re-election on November 4, 2014.
Governor of Wyoming, 2014 | ||||
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Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
Republican | Matt Mead Incumbent | 59.4% | 99,700 | |
Democratic | Pete Gosar | 27.3% | 45,752 | |
Independent | Don Wills | 5.9% | 9,895 | |
Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 5.1% | 8,490 | |
Libertarian | Dee Cozzens | 2.4% | 4,040 | |
Total Votes | 167,877 | |||
Election results via Wyoming Secretary of State |
To view the electoral history dating back to 2002 for the office of Governor of Wyoming, click [show] to expand the section. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2010 On November 2, 2010, Matt Mead won election to the office of Governor of Wyoming. He defeated Leslie Petersen (D) and Mike Wheeler (L) in the general election.
2006 On November 7, 2006, Dave Freudenthal won re-election to the office of Governor of Wyoming. He defeated Ray Hunkins (R) in the general election.
2002 On November 5, 2002, Dave Freudenthal won election to the office of Governor of Wyoming. He defeated Eli Bebout (R) and Dave Dawson (L) in the general election.
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State budget
Role in state budget
- See also: Wyoming state budget and finances
The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[6]
- Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in June.
- State agencies submit their budget requests in August.
- Agency hearings are held September through November.
- The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the Wyoming State Legislature by the third Monday in November.
- The Wyoming State Legislature adopts a budget in March. A simple majority is required to pass a budget.
- The biennial budget cycle begins July 1.
Wyoming is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[6][7]
In Wyoming, the governor is constitutionally required to submit a balanced budget. In addition, the legislature is constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget.[6]
Governor's office budget
The budget for the Governor's Office for the 2022-2024 fiscal biennium was $84,550,764.[8]
Compensation
See statutes: Title 9, Chapter 3 of the Wyoming Statutes
Title 9, Chapter 3, Article 1 (§9‑3-101) of the Wyoming Statutes sets the governor's annual salary at $105,000.[9] The amount of compensation the governor receives is fixed by law, pursuant to Article 4, Section 13 of the Wyoming Constitution. Under this article, the salaries of the governor and other constitutionally specified executives "shall not be increased or diminished during the period for which they were elected, and all fees and profits arising from any of the said offices shall be covered into the state treasury."
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $105,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2021
In 2021, the governor received a salary of $105,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2020
In 2020, the governor received a salary of $105,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2019
In 2019, the governor received a salary of $105,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2018
In 2018, the governor received a salary of $105,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2017
In 2017, the governor received a salary of $105,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2016
In 2016, the governor received a salary of $105,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2015
In 2015, the governor received a salary of $105,000, according to the Council of State Governments. [17]
2014
In 2014, the governor received a salary of $105,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[18]
2013
In 2013, the governor's salary remained at $105,000.[19]
2010
In 2010, the Governor of Wyoming was paid $105,000 a year, the 40th highest gubernatorial salary in America.
Historical officeholders
There have been 33 governors of Wyoming since 1890. Of the 33 officeholders, 22 were Republican, 10 were Democrats, and 1 was Democratic (Fusion).[20]
List of Former Officeholders from 1890-Present | |||||
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# | Name | Tenure | Party | ||
1 | Francis E. Warren | 1890 - 1890 | Republican | ||
2 | Amos Walker Barber | 1890 - 1893 | Republican | ||
3 | John Eugene Osborne | 1893 - 1895 | Democratic | ||
4 | William Alford Richards | 1895 - 1899 | Republican | ||
5 | De Forest Richards | 1899 - 1903 | Republican | ||
6 | Fenimore Chatterton | 1903 - 1905 | Republican | ||
7 | Bryant B. Brooks | 1905 - 1911 | Republican | ||
8 | Joseph Maull Carey | 1911 - 1915 | Democratic | ||
9 | John Benjamin Kendrick | 1915 - 1917 | Democratic | ||
10 | Frank L. Houx | 1917 - 1919 | Republican | ||
11 | Robert Davis Carey | 1919 - 1923 | Democratic | ||
12 | William Bradford Ross | 1923 - 1924 | Republican | ||
13 | Franklin Earl Lucas | 1924 - 1925 | Republican | ||
14 | Nellie Tayloe Ross | 1925 - 1927 | Democratic | ||
15 | Frank Collins Emerson | 1927 - 1931 | Democratic | ||
16 | Alonzo M. Clark | 1931 - 1933 | Republican | ||
17 | Leslie A. Miller | 1933 - 1939 | Republican | ||
18 | Nels H. Smith | 1939 - 1943 | Republican | ||
19 | Lester Calloway Hunt | 1943 - 1949 | Republican | ||
20 | Arthur Griswold Crane | 1949 - 1951 | Republican | ||
21 | Frank A. Barrett | 1951 - 1953 | Republican | ||
22 | Clifford Joy Rogers | 1953 - 1955 | Democratic (Fusionist) | ||
23 | Milward L. Simpson | 1955 - 1959 | Republican | ||
24 | John Joseph Hickey | 1959 - 1961 | Republican | ||
25 | Jack Robert Gage | 1961 - 1963 | Republican | ||
26 | Clifford P. Hansen | 1963 - 1967 | Republican | ||
27 | Stanley K. Hathaway | 1967 - 1975 | Democratic | ||
28 | Edward Herschler | 1975 - 1987 | Democratic | ||
29 | Michael J. Sullivan | 1987 - 1995 | Democratic | ||
30 | Jim Geringer | 1995 - 2003 | Republican | ||
31 | Dave Freudenthal | 2003 - 2011 | Democratic | ||
32 | Matt Mead | 2011 - 2019 | Republican | ||
33 | Mark Gordon | 2019 - present | Republican |
History
Partisan balance 1992-2013
From 1992-2013, in Wyoming there were Democratic governors in office for 11 years while there were Republican governors in office for 11 years, including the last three. Wyoming was under Republican trifectas for the last three years of the study period.
Across the country, there were 493 years of Democratic governors (44.82%) and 586 years of Republican governors (53.27%) from 1992 to 2013.
Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.
The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Wyoming, the Wyoming State Senate and the Wyoming House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.
SQLI and partisanship
The chart below depicts the partisanship of the Wyoming state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. Though Wyoming had a number of Republican trifectas during the course of the study, both its highest and lowest rankings occurred during divided governments. In 2007 it finished 24th, and in 2010 it finished 4th, marking a large shift in a short amount of time.
State profile
Demographic data for Wyoming | ||
---|---|---|
Wyoming | U.S. | |
Total population: | 586,555 | 316,515,021 |
Land area (sq mi): | 97,093 | 3,531,905 |
Race and ethnicity** | ||
White: | 91% | 73.6% |
Black/African American: | 1.1% | 12.6% |
Asian: | 0.9% | 5.1% |
Native American: | 2.2% | 0.8% |
Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
Two or more: | 2.7% | 3% |
Hispanic/Latino: | 9.6% | 17.1% |
Education | ||
High school graduation rate: | 92.3% | 86.7% |
College graduation rate: | 25.7% | 29.8% |
Income | ||
Median household income: | $58,840 | $53,889 |
Persons below poverty level: | 12.7% | 11.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Wyoming. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. |
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Wyoming
Wyoming voted Republican in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.
More Wyoming coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Wyoming
- United States congressional delegations from Wyoming
- Public policy in Wyoming
- Endorsers in Wyoming
- Wyoming fact checks
- More...
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term Wyoming + Governor
Contact information
State Capitol
200 West 24th Street
Cheyenne, WY 82002-0010
Phone:307.777.7434
Fax:307.632.3909
See also
Wyoming | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Justia, "Wyoming Constitution," accessed January 14, 2021
- ↑ Governor of Wyoming, "Meet Mark," accessed January 14, 2021
- ↑ Justia, "Wyoming Constitution," accessed January 14, 2021
- ↑ Justia, "Wyoming Constitution," accessed January 14, 2021
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Will Wyoming's Governor Buck Term Limits?" February 16, 2009
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024
- ↑ Wyoming State Legislature, "Enrolled Act No. 12, Senate," accessed October 20, 2022
- ↑ Wyoming Legislative Service Office, "Wyoming Statutes: Title 9 - Administration of Government: Chapter 3 - Compensatin and Benefits: Article 1 - Salaries and Expenses," accessed January 14, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 28, 2022
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed January 14, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 14, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 14, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 14, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed December 8, 2014
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries," June 25, 2013
- ↑ National Governors Association, " Former governors of Wyoming," accessed January 14, 2021
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