Wyoming

State Highlights

On Tuesday night, Wyoming voters pushed the already conservative state even further to the right.

The governor-elect, Matt Mead, a Republican who served as a United States attorney during the administration of President George W. Bush, has promised to add Wyoming to the list of states suing the federal government over the constitutionality of the new health care law. He is firmly opposed to same-sex marriage and approves of abortion only under limited circumstances.

Unlike most other states, Wyoming is anticipating increased revenue, and one of Mr. Mead’s first tasks will be to determine how to spend it. He has said he favors investing in infrastructure projects, but he will face some pressure to set aside reserves.

While Democrats have occupied the governor’s office for many of the last 35 years, they were in disarray during the midterm campaign. The departing governor, Dave Freudenthal, waited until March to announce that he would not challenge the state’s term limits law — and then declined to endorse Leslie Petersen, the chairwoman of the state Democratic Party who hurriedly stepped up to run.

Mr. Mead is a member of the political aristocracy in Wyoming. His maternal grandfather, Cliff Hansen, served as governor and senator, and his mother made an unsuccessful run for governor.

Representative Cynthia M. Lummis, a Republican and Wyoming’s only House member, easily overcame her Democratic challenger, who lacked the money to buy any television advertising. On Tuesday night, Ms. Lummis promised her supporters that she would work to shrink the federal government, debt and deficit and would “focus on jobs and the economy, which is what we should have been doing all along.”

STEPHANIE STROM