United States Senate election in Wyoming, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Wyoming

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Barrasso (R)	67.0	136,210
		Gary Trauner (D)	30.1	61,227
		Joe Porambo (L)	2.8	5,658
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	325

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 203,420
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Elections in Wyoming, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 22
• Early voting: Sept. 27 - Nov. 5
• Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6

• Online registration: No
• Same-day registration: Yes
• Voter ID: No
• Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

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On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Governor • Secretary of State • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Local judges • School boards • Democratic primaries • Republican primaries

2020 → ← 2014
U.S. Senate, Wyoming
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: June 1, 2018
Primary: August 21, 2018 General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent: John Barrasso (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Wyoming
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican Inside Elections: Solid Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
See also
U.S. Senate, Wyoming U.S. Senate • At-large Wyoming elections, 2018 U.S. Congress elections, 2018 U.S. Senate elections, 2018 U.S. House elections, 2018 Arizona U.S. Senate raceCalifornia U.S. Senate raceConnecticut U.S. Senate raceDelaware U.S. Senate raceFlorida U.S. Senate raceHawaii U.S. Senate raceIndiana U.S. Senate raceMaine U.S. Senate raceMaryland U.S. Senate raceMassachusetts U.S. Senate raceMichigan U.S. Senate raceMinnesota U.S. Senate raceMinnesota U.S. Senate race (special)Mississippi U.S. Senate raceMississippi U.S. Senate race (special)Missouri U.S. Senate raceMontana U.S. Senate raceNebraska U.S. Senate raceNevada U.S. Senate raceNew Jersey U.S. Senate raceNew Mexico U.S. Senate raceNew York U.S. Senate raceNorth Dakota U.S. Senate raceOhio U.S. Senate racePennsylvania U.S. Senate raceRhode Island U.S. Senate raceTennessee U.S. Senate raceTexas U.S. Senate raceUtah U.S. Senate raceVermont U.S. Senate raceVirginia U.S. Senate raceWashington U.S. Senate raceWest Virginia U.S. Senate raceWisconsin U.S. Senate raceWyoming U.S. Senate raceSubmit

Voters in Wyoming elected one member to the U.S. Senate in the election on November 6, 2018.

The election filled the Class 1 Senate seat held by John Barrasso (R). He was first elected in 2006.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Wyoming

Incumbent John Barrasso defeated Gary Trauner and Joe Porambo in the general election for U.S. Senate Wyoming on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Barrasso (R)	67.0	136,210
		Gary Trauner (D)	30.1	61,227
		Joe Porambo (L)	2.8	5,658
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	325

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 203,420
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Wyoming

Gary Trauner advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Wyoming on August 21, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Gary Trauner	100.0	17,562

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 17,562
= 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 U.S. Senate Wyoming

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Wyoming on August 21, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Barrasso	65.0	74,292
		David Dodson	28.6	32,647
		John Holtz	2.6	2,981
		Charlie Hardy	1.9	2,184
		Roque De La Fuente	1.1	1,280
	Submit photo	Anthony Van Risseghem	0.7	844

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 114,228
= 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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Key votes

Key votes cast by Barrasso

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) cast the following key votes—votes that help citizens understand where their legislators stand on major policy issues—during the 115th Congress, which convened on January 3, 2017, and adjourned on January 3, 2019.

Click show to see key votes for Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) →

Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018 For detailed information about each vote, click here. Votes on domestic policy (click to expand) Voted Nay on: First Step Act of 2018 (S 756)  Motion Agreed to (87-12) on December 18, 2018 Proposed making changes to the criminal justice system. Voted Nay on: Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (HR 2)  Conference Report Agreed to (87-13) on December 11, 2018 Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance through fiscal year 2023. Voted Yea on: "Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States" (PN2259)  Nomination Confirmed (50-48) on October 6, 2018 Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Voted Yea on: "Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States" (PN2259)  Cloture Motion Agreed to (51-49) on October 5, 2018 Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2)  Bill Passed (86-11, 3/5 majority required) on June 28, 2018 Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance. Voted Nay on: Immigration reform proposal from Sen. Chuck Grassley and the Trump administration (S Amdt 1959 to HR 2579)  Cloture Motion Rejected (39-60, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed providing a path to citizenship for 1.8 million individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children, $25 billion for border security, limits on chain migration or family-based migration, and eliminating the visa lottery system. Voted Nay on: Immigration reform proposal from the Common Sense Coalition (S Amdt 1958 to HR 2579)  Cloture Motion Rejected (54-45, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed providing a path to citizenship for individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children, $25 billion for border security, and limitations on chain or family-based immigration. Voted Yea on: Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act amendment (S Amdt 1948 to S Amdt 1959)  Cloture Motion Rejected (54-45, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed withholding funding from sanctuary jurisdictions for not cooperating with federal immigration officials. Voted Nay on: Coons-McCain immigration plan (S Amdt 1955 to S Amdt 1958)  Cloture Motion Rejected (52-47, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed providing a path to citizenship for individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children and conducting a study to determine what border security measures were needed. It also proposed requiring the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to secure the U.S.-Mexico border by 2021. Voted Yea on: Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (S 2311)  Cloture on the Motion to Proceed Rejected (51-46, 3/5 majority required) on January 29, 2018 Proposed amending the federal criminal code to make it a crime for any person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus was 20 weeks or more. The bill proposed providing exceptions for an abortion: (1) that was necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest. Voted Yea on: An amendment to repeal the requirements for individuals to enroll in health insurance and for employers to offer it—"Skinny bill" (S Amdt 667 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628 the American Health Care Act of 2017)  Amendment Rejected (49-51) on July 28, 2017 The amendment proposed repealing the requirements for individuals to enroll in health insurance and for employers to offer it. Voted Yea on: An amendment to repeal the ACA, including Paul amendment (No. 271) (S Amdt 271 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628)  Amendment Rejected (45-55) on July 26, 2017 An amendment to repeal the ACA, including Paul amendment (No. 271) Voted Yea on: Motion to advance the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, including Cruz and Portman amendments (S Amdt 270 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628)  Motion Rejected (43-57, 3/5 majority required) on July 25, 2017 A procedural vote to advance the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 (BCRA), including the Cruz and Portman amendments. Voted Yea on: Motion to begin debate on the American Health Care Act of 2017 (HR 1628)  Motion to Proceed Agreed to (50-50, Vice President voted Yea) on July 25, 2017 Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to title II of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2017. Voted Yea on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(4)—confirmation vote)  Nomination Confirmed (54-45) on April 7, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—confirmation vote. Voted Yea on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(3))  Cloture Motion Agreed to (55-45) on April 6, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—second vote to end debate and move to a vote on Gorsuch's nomination under the new precedent requiring only a simple majority to pass. Voted Nay on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(2))  Decision of Chair Not Sustained (48-52) on April 6, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—a vote to keep the Senate precedent of requiring 60 votes to close debate on Supreme Court nominations. Voted Yea on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55)  Cloture Motion Rejected (55-45, 3/5 majority required) on April 6, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—initial vote to end debate and move to a vote on Gorsuch's nomination. Votes on economic affairs and regulations (click to expand) Voted Yea on: "Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 6157)  Conference Report Agreed to (93-7) on September 18, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education. Voted Yea on: "Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 5895)  Conference Report Agreed to (92-5) on September 12, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs. Voted Yea on: "Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 6157)  Bill Passed (85-7) on August 23, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education. Voted Yea on: "Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 5895)  Bill Passed (86-5) on June 25, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs. Voted Nay on: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1625)  Motion Agreed to (65-32) on March 23, 2018 Proposed providing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes. Voted Yea on: The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (HR 1892)  Motion Agreed to (71-28) on February 9, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through March 23, 2018 Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 695)  Cloture Motion Rejected (55-44, 3/5 majority required) on February 8, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through March 23, 2018. Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)  Motion Agreed to (81-18) on January 22, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018. Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)  Cloture Motion Agreed to (81-18, 3/5 majority required) on January 22, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018. Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)  Cloture Motion Rejected (50-49, 3/5 majority required) on January 19, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018. Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1370)  Motion Agreed to (66-32, 3/5 majority required) on December 21, 2017 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018. Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)  Motion Agreed to (51-48) on December 20, 2017 Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018 and proposed changes to the tax code. Voted Yea on: "A joint resolution making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes." (HJ Res 123)  Joint Resolution Passed (81-14) on December 7, 2017 Proposed funding the government until December 22, 2017. Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)  Bill Passed (51-49) on December 2, 2017 Proposed amending the Internal Revenue Code to reduce tax rates and modify policies, credits, and deductions for individuals and businesses. Voted Yea on: A concurrent resolution establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)  Concurrent Resolution Agreed to (51-49) on October 19, 2017 Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. Voted Yea on: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (Included amendments to suspend the debt ceiling and fund the government) (HR 601)  Motion Agreed to (80-17) on September 7, 2017 Proposed suspending the debt ceiling and funding the government until December 8, 2017, and providing funding for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma relief efforts. Voted Yea on: Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 (HR 244)  Motion Agreed to (79-18) on May 4, 2017 The $1.2 trillion budget bill proposed funding the government through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2017. Votes on foreign policy and national security issues (click to expand) Voted Nay on: "A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress." (SJ Res 54)  Joint Resolution Passed (56-41) on December 13, 2018 Proposed removing United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that were not authorized by Congress. Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 2810)  Bill Passed (89-8) on September 18, 2017 Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, and to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes. On November 15, 2017, the Senate passed the defense policy bill by voice vote. This bill was the result of compromises made in the conference report. For more information on the compromise bill, click here. Voted Yea on: Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (HR 3364)  Bill Passed (98-2) on July 27, 2017 Proposed providing congressional review and proposed countering aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes. Voted Yea on: Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act of 2017 (S 722)  Bill Passed (98-2) on June 15, 2017 Proposed providing congressional review and proposed countering aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes.

Campaign finance

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
John Barrasso	Republican Party	$7,396,569	$6,048,766	$3,957,773	As of December 31, 2018
Gary Trauner	Democratic Party	$910,723	$910,723	$0	As of December 7, 2018
Joe Porambo	Libertarian Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2018. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election. *** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

Campaign themes

John Barrasso

Note: Ballotpedia did not find campaign themes information on John Barrasso's campaign website on October 18, 2018.

Gary Trauner

Trauner's campaign website stated the following:

“	Labor, Working People and Right-to-Work I have spent most of my professional career in business, primarily in management creating, growing and running companies. I understand the strengths – and weaknesses – of our economic system. But let me tell you a story. In the late 2000s (2008/2009) a bunch of farmers/ranchers in eastern Wyoming were being inundated by corporate wind energy companies to lease their land at rates favorable to the companies. These ranchers, knowing they did not have the leverage, knowledge and strength as individual landowners to effectively deal with the wind companies, decided to form “Associations” so they could, in their own words, “collectively bargain” to put themselves on a more equal footing with companies that had more money and power than they did. Without realizing it, and probably without acknowledging it, these hard-working, fiercely independent Wyomingites had basically formed unions. Energy & Our Future I believe the search for sustainable energy independence is the issue of our time. It affects our national security, jobs, our economy and our environment, and it must be a cornerstone of our government’s policy. Wyoming is a leading source of energy for America. I will protect and strengthen Wyoming’s position as a leader in responsible, conventional energy development while working to ensure Wyoming’s role as a future leader in our nation’s inevitable and necessary transition towards a safe and sustainable energy future. Healthcare Every American should have access to basic, quality health care, not just those who are wealthy or who receive health care coverage through their employer. Every American should have the type of excellent health care insurance options available today to Members of Congress. In addition, our employers should not be making business decisions based on the spiraling cost of providing health care to employees. Even with the advances made through the Affordable Care Act, the current state of health care policy in America is immoral, unacceptable and unsustainable. It must change. Internet & “Net Neutrality” The ideal of an Internet that is “neutral” – that allows anyone, rich or poor, large company, small business or private individual, to present their products, services, views and interests on an equal footing - must be preserved. Social Security & Safety-Net Programs Social Security, Medicare and other Safety Net programs such as Medicaid & CHIP are more critical than ever as wages stagnate, more workers become part of the “Gig Economy” without the benefits given to regular employees, and employers continue to cut-off their funding for traditional source of pensions, retirement programs and benefits for most working Americans. Taxes and Living Within our Means My dad taught me a simple lesson: “Live within your means.” No one should ever have to pay a penny more in taxes than necessary to responsibly fund our government. However, pitching in and paying one’s fair share is an American value and paying a fair share of taxes to support our country is our Patriotic Duty. Because nothing is more immoral than passing the burden of our lifestyle today on to our children, and their children’s children, for them to take care of tomorrow. Contract with Veterans As a United States Senator from the great state of Wyoming, sworn to uphold the Constitution and committed to do what’s right for Wyoming: Guns And Public Safety Wyoming has the highest rate of gun ownership in the country, and my family and I are part of that group of Wyomingites. In 2008, the Supreme Court ruled explicitly for the first time that Americans had the individual right to bear arms. In that decision, Justice Scalia wrote that there are limitations on the 2ndAmendment (just like any of the other Amendments in the Bill of Rights)and that, among other things, the government can ban “dangerous and unusual weapons”. Furthermore, the Constitution says the government must “insure Domestic Tranquility” and “providing for the general Welfare”, while the Declaration of Independence states that“…Governments are instituted among Men…to effect their Safety and Happiness.”	”
—Gary Trauner’s campaign website (2018)

Joe Porambo

Note: Ballotpedia did not find campaign themes information or a campaign website for Joe Porambo on October 18, 2018.

Noteworthy events

Brett Kavanaugh confirmation vote

See also: Supreme Court vacancy, 2018: An overview

On October 6, 2018, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. Fifty senators voted to confirm Kavanaugh's nomination, 48 voted against, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) voted present. A simple majority was required to confirm Kavanaugh.

Barrasso voted to confirm Kavanaugh. He said in a statement, "Despite attempts to smear his good name, Judge Kavanaugh has proven himself to be a mainstream, independent judge. He understands that it is the judge’s job to apply the law, not legislate from the bench. Decisions the Supreme Court makes will impact our freedoms, our land, and the rights of every person in Wyoming. I’m confident Justice Kavanaugh will serve all of us with fairness and respect for the Constitution."

Trauner said he had reservations with Kavanaugh's nomination. "The two things I had major concerns with [about Kavanaugh] were his views on executive power—incredibly expansive views, which seem to lead to the point where it’s hard to hold the executive branch accountable for their actions; that’s not our democracy—and the second aspect was corporations versus regular people," Trauner said.

Other 2018 statewide elections

See also: States with both gubernatorial and U.S. Senate elections in 2018

This race took place in one of twenty-two states that held elections for both governor and U.S. Senate in 2018.

A table of where these elections occurred, the names of incumbents prior to the 2018 elections, and links to our coverage of these races can be viewed by clicking "[show]" on the banner below:

States holding both Gubernatorial and Senate elections in 2018
State	Incumbent Governor	Open Seat?	Incumbent Senator	Open Seat?
Arizona	Doug Ducey	No	Jeff Flake	Yes
California	Jerry Brown	Yes	Dianne Feinstein	No
Connecticut	Dan Malloy	Yes	Chris Murphy	No
Florida	Rick Scott	Yes	Bill Nelson	No
Hawaii	David Ige	No	Mazie Hirono	No
Maine	Paul LePage	Yes	Angus King	No
Maryland	Larry Hogan	No	Ben Cardin	No
Massachusetts	Charlie Baker	No	Elizabeth Warren	No
Michigan	Rick Snyder	Yes	Debbie Stabenow	No
Minnesota	Mark Dayton	Yes	Amy Klobuchar	No
Nebraska	Pete Ricketts	No	Deb Fischer	No
Nevada	Brian Sandoval	Yes	Dean Heller	No
New Mexico	Susana Martinez	Yes	Martin Heinrich	No
New York	Andrew Cuomo	No	Kirsten Gillibrand	No
Ohio	John Kasich	Yes	Sherrod Brown	No
Pennsylvania	Tom Wolf	No	Bob Casey, Jr.	No
Rhode Island	Gina Raimondo	No	Sheldon Whitehouse	No
Tennessee	Bill Haslam	Yes	Bob Corker	Yes
Texas	Greg Abbott	No	Ted Cruz	No
Vermont	Phil Scott	No	Bernie Sanders	No
Wisconsin	Scott Walker	No	Tammy Baldwin	No
Wyoming	Matt Mead	Yes	John Barrasso	No

Wave election analysis

See also: Wave elections (1918-2016)

The term wave election is frequently used to describe an election cycle in which one party makes significant electoral gains. How many seats would Republicans have had to lose for the 2018 midterm election to be considered a wave election?

Ballotpedia examined the results of the 50 election cycles that occurred between 1918 and 2016—spanning from President Woodrow Wilson's (D) second midterm in 1918 to Donald Trump's (R) first presidential election in 2016. We define wave elections as the 20 percent of elections in that period resulting in the greatest seat swings against the president's party.

Applying this definition to U.S. Senate elections, we found that Republicans needed to lose seven seats for 2018 to qualify as a wave election.

The chart below shows the number of seats the president's party lost in the 10 U.S. Senate waves from 1918 to 2016. Click here to read the full report.

U.S. Senate wave elections
Year	President	Party	Election type	Senate seats change	Senate majority
1932	Hoover	R	Presidential	-13	D (flipped)
1958	Eisenhower	R	Second midterm	-12	D
1946	Truman	D	First midterm	-10	R (flipped)
1980	Carter	D	Presidential	-9	R (flipped)
2014	Obama	D	Second midterm	-9	R (flipped)
1942	Roosevelt	D	Third midterm	-8	D
2008	George W. Bush	D	Presidential	-8	D
1926	Coolidge	R	First midterm	-7	R
1930	Hoover	R	First midterm	-7	R
1986	Reagan	R	Second midterm	-7	D (flipped)

Election history

2014

U.S. Senate, Wyoming General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Mike Enzi Incumbent	72.2%	121,554
	Democratic	Charlie Hardy	17.4%	29,377
	Independent	Curt Gottshall	7.9%	13,311
	Libertarian	Joe Porambo	2.2%	3,677
	N/A	Write-in	0.3%	471
Total Votes				168,390
Source: Wyoming Secretary of State

2012

U.S. Senate, Wyoming General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Tim Chesnut	21.7%	53,019
	Republican	John Barrasso Incumbent	75.8%	185,250
	Country	Joel Otto	2.5%	6,176
Total Votes				244,445
Source: Wyoming Secretary of State, "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Wyoming heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

• Following the 2014 elections, Republicans held both U.S. Senate seats in Wyoming.
• Republicans held the state's at-large U.S. House seat.

State executives

• As of September 2018, Republicans held six of seven state executive positions, with the remaining position held by a nonpartisan official.
• The governor of Wyoming was Republican Matt Mead. The state held an election for governor on November 6, 2018.

State legislature

• Republicans controlled both chambers of the Wyoming State Legislature. They had a 51-9 majority in the state House and a 27-3 majority in the state Senate.

Trifecta status

• Wyoming was under Republican trifecta control. Matt Mead (R) served as governor, while Republicans controlled the state legislature.

2018 elections

See also: Wyoming elections, 2018

Wyoming held elections for the following positions in 2018:

• One seat in the U.S. Senate
• One seat in the U.S. House
• Governor
• Four other state executive offices
• Fifteen out of 30 state Senate seats
• All 60 state House seats

Demographics

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.

As of July 2017, Wyoming's three largest cities were Cheyenne (pop. est. 64,000), Casper (pop. est. 58,000), and Laramie (pop. est. 32,000).

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Wyoming from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Wyoming Secretary of State.

Historical elections

Presidential elections, 2000-2016

Election results (President of the United States), Wyoming 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Donald Trump	68.2%	Hillary Clinton	21.9%	46.3%
2012	Mitt Romney	68.6%	Barack Obama	27.8%	40.8%
2008	John McCain	64.8%	Barack Obama	32.5%	32.3%
2004	George W. Bush	68.9%	John Kerry	29.1%	39.8%
2000	George W. Bush	67.8%	Al Gore	27.7%	40.1%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Wyoming from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Wyoming 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2014	Mike Enzi	72.2%	Charlie Hardy	17.5%	54.7%
2012	John Barasso	75.9%	Tim Chesnut	21.6%	54.3%
2008	Mike Enzi	75.6%	Chris Rothfuss	24.3%	51.3%
2008 (special election)	John Barasso	73.4%	Nick Carter	26.5%	46.9%
2006	Craig Thomas	70.0%	Dale Groutage	29.9%	40.1%
2002	Mike Enzi	73.0%	Joyce Corcoran	27.0%	46.0%
2000	Craig Thomas	73.8%	Mel Logan	22.0%	51.8%

Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Wyoming.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Wyoming 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2014	Matt Mead	58.3%	Pete Gosar	26.7%	31.6%
2010	Matt Mead	65.7%	Leslie Petersen	22.9%	42.8%
2006	Dave Freudenthal	70.0%	Ray Hunkins	30.0%	40.0%
2002	Dave Freudenthal	47.9%	Eli Bebout	47.9%	2.1%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Wyoming in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, Wyoming 2000-2016
Year	Republicans	Republicans (%)	Democrats	Democrats (%)	Balance of power
2016	1	100%	0	0.0%	R+1
2014	1	100%	0	0.0%	R+1
2012	1	100%	0	0.0%	R+1
2010	1	100%	0	0.0%	R+1
2008	1	100%	0	0.0%	R+1
2006	1	100%	0	0.0%	R+1
2004	1	100%	0	0.0%	R+1
2002	1	100%	0	0.0%	R+1
2000	1	100%	0	0.0%	R+1

Trifectas, 1992-2017

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

Wyoming Party Control: 1992-2024
No Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty-two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
Governor	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
Senate	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

See also

• United States House of Representatives election in Wyoming, 2018
• United States Senate elections, 2018
• John Barrasso
• United States Senate election in Wyoming (August 21, 2018 Democratic primary)
• United States Senate election in Wyoming (August 21, 2018 Republican primary)

Footnotes

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Wyoming's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

John Barrasso (R)

Cynthia Lummis (R)

Representatives

Harriet Hageman (R)

Republican Party (3)