Governor of Wyoming

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Wyoming Governor

Seal of Wyoming.png

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
Republican Party
Assumed office: January 7, 2019

Elections
Next election:  November 3, 2026
Last election:  November 8, 2022
Other Wyoming Executive Offices
GovernorLieutenant GovernorSecretary of StateAttorney GeneralTreasurer • Auditors: AuditorDirectorSuperintendent of EducationDirector of EducationAgriculture CommissionerInsurance CommissionerLabor CommissionerPublic 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.

See also: Wyoming State Legislature, Wyoming House of Representatives, Wyoming State Senate

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
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Current Lt. Governors
Lt. Governor Elections
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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

This is a picture of a boot that lists all the governors of Wyoming. It sits outside the Cheyenne train depot.
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 state government organizational chart

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.

Wyoming Statutes § 22-5-103

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.

Governor of Wyoming Partisanship.PNG

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
Image of Mark Gordon
Mark Gordon (R)
 
74.1
 
143,696
Image of Theresa Livingston
Theresa Livingston (D) Candidate Connection
 
15.8
 
30,686
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Jared Baldes (L)
 
4.2
 
8,157
 Other/Write-in votes
 
5.9
 
11,461

Total votes: 194,000
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
Image of Theresa Livingston
Theresa Livingston Candidate Connection
 
69.1
 
4,993
Image of Rex Wilde
Rex Wilde
 
27.9
 
2,016
 Other/Write-in votes
 
3.0
 
214

Total votes: 7,223
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete 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
Image of Mark Gordon
Mark Gordon
 
61.5
 
101,140
Image of Brent Bien
Brent Bien
 
29.6
 
48,572
Image of Rex Rammell
Rex Rammell
 
5.7
 
9,378
Image of James Quick
James Quick
 
2.9
 
4,728
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.3
 
533

Total votes: 164,351
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

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
Image of Mark Gordon
Mark Gordon (R)
 
67.1
 
136,412
Image of Mary Throne
Mary Throne (D) Candidate Connection
 
27.5
 
55,965
Image of Rex Rammell
Rex Rammell (Constitution Party)
 
3.3
 
6,751
Image of Lawrence Gerard Struempf
Lawrence Gerard Struempf (L)
 
1.5
 
3,010
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.5
 
1,100

Total votes: 203,238
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete 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
Image of Mary Throne
Mary Throne Candidate Connection
 
72.9
 
12,948
Image of Michael Allen Green
Michael Allen Green
 
13.5
 
2,391
Image of Ken Casner
Ken Casner
 
6.8
 
1,213
Image of Rex Wilde
Rex Wilde
 
6.8
 
1,201

Total votes: 17,753
Candidate Connection = 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
Image of Mark Gordon
Mark Gordon
 
33.4
 
38,951
Image of Foster Friess
Foster Friess
 
25.6
 
29,842
Image of Harriet Hageman
Harriet Hageman
 
21.5
 
25,052
Image of Sam Galeotos
Sam Galeotos
 
12.5
 
14,554
Image of Taylor Haynes
Taylor Haynes
 
5.6
 
6,511
Image of Bill Dahlin
Bill Dahlin
 
1.5
 
1,763

Total votes: 116,673
Candidate Connection = 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
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngMatt 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


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]

  1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in June.
  2. State agencies submit their budget requests in August.
  3. Agency hearings are held September through November.
  4. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the Wyoming State Legislature by the third Monday in November.
  5. The Wyoming State Legislature adopts a budget in March. A simple majority is required to pass a budget.
  6. 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 also: Comparison of gubernatorial salaries and Compensation of state executive officers

DocumentIcon.jpg 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]

History

Partisan balance 1992-2013

Who Runs the States Project
See also: Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States and Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States, Wyoming
Partisan breakdown of the Wyoming governorship from 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.

Partisan composition of Wyoming state government(1992-2013).PNG

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.

Chart displaying the partisanship of the Wyoming government from 1992-2013 and the State Quality of Life Index (SQLI).

State profile

Demographic data for Wyoming
 WyomingU.S.
Total population:586,555316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):97,0933,531,905
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

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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Wyoming State Executive Offices
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Party control of state government
State government trifectas
State of the state addresses
Partisan composition of governors

External links

Footnotes

  1. Justia, "Wyoming Constitution," accessed January 14, 2021
  2. Governor of Wyoming, "Meet Mark," accessed January 14, 2021
  3. Justia, "Wyoming Constitution," accessed January 14, 2021
  4. Justia, "Wyoming Constitution," accessed January 14, 2021
  5. The Washington Post, "Will Wyoming's Governor Buck Term Limits?" February 16, 2009
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
  7. National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024
  8. Wyoming State Legislature, "Enrolled Act No. 12, Senate," accessed October 20, 2022
  9. 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
  10. Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
  11. Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 28, 2022
  12. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed January 14, 2021
  13. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 14, 2021
  14. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 14, 2021
  15. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 14, 2021
  16. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
  17. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
  18. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed December 8, 2014
  19. Council of State Governments, "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries," June 25, 2013
  20. National Governors Association, " Former governors of Wyoming," accessed January 14, 2021