The news was not all bad for Republicans during Tuesday’s midterm elections. Republican Rep. Harriet Hageman will move from the House to the Senate after decisively winning Wyoming’s open Senate race Tuesday. The Associated Press called the race for Hageman, who defeated Democratic former state Rep. James Byrd and preserved the seat for Republicans.
With nearly 97% reporting Wednesday morning, Hageman held approximately 65% of the vote compared with Byrd’s roughly 35%. The victory sends one of President Donald Trump’s most prominent congressional allies to the Senate during the final two years of his administration.
Hageman will succeed Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis, who announced in December 2025 that she would retire rather than seek another term. Lummis’ retirement created one of 11 open Senate contests nationally during the 2026 election cycle. Hageman entered the Senate contest after serving two terms as Wyoming’s sole member of the U.S. House.
She first gained national prominence in 2022 when she challenged Republican Rep. Liz Cheney in Wyoming’s GOP congressional primary. Trump strongly supported Hageman after Cheney became one of his most prominent Republican critics following the 2020 presidential election and January 6 Capitol riot.
Hageman overwhelmingly defeated Cheney in the Republican primary before easily winning Wyoming’s at-large House seat that November. She won reelection in 2024 and subsequently emerged as a reliable Trump ally on Capitol Hill. Trump again backed Hageman during her 2026 Senate campaign, and she thanked him following her victory Tuesday.
“The people of Wyoming have hired me to do a new job,” Hageman said in her victory statement. Hageman said she would continue defending Wyoming’s interests after moving across Capitol Hill from the House to the Senate. Energy policy featured prominently in Hageman’s campaign and victory message because Wyoming remains a major producer of coal, natural gas and oil.
She pledged to defend domestic energy development and oppose federal policies she believes would restrict Wyoming’s ability to develop its natural resources. Hageman also campaigned on lower taxes, property rights, immigration enforcement and opposition to expanding the federal government’s regulatory reach.
