New Wyoming Senate Candidate Is Former Gov’ Nephew

There are now four candidates for Wyoming's open Senate seat, after Cynthia Lummis announced that she is retiring.

Harriet Hageman (R)
Samuel Mead (R)
Jimmy Skovgard (R)
James Byrd (D)

Samuel Mead is the latest to step into the race. If his name sounds familiar, it is because he is the nephew of former Wyoming Governor Matt Mead.

Samuel Mead, 36, a tech worker who was formerly head distiller for the family business, Wyoming Whiskey.

“I want to show my kids that if you see something wrong with the world, you should fix it,” he told Wyoming radio station KHOL in the first interview of his campaign.

Mead will run as a Republican, though he is not as far right-leaning as Hageman. He stands out for disagreeing with President Trump on issues like public lands and foreign wars.

Hageman, the assumed frontrunner in this race, has supported Trump's war on Iran and his stance on public lands.

As of the writing of this article, Mead has not yet published a website or social media pages. But they are sure to come soon.

Other candidates running for this Senate seat are listed below.

James Byrd (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Wyoming. He declared candidacy for the Democratic primary scheduled on August 18, 2026. Byrd (Democratic Party) was a member of the Wyoming House of Representatives, representing District 44. He assumed office in 2009. He left office on January 7, 2019. Byrd served as Minority Whip from 2013 to 2015. He was elected to serve as Minority Caucus Leader in 2015.

Jimmy Skovgard (Republican Party) is running for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Wyoming. He declared candidacy for the Republican primary scheduled on August 18, 2026. Skovgard completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025.

Harriet Hageman (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Wyoming's At-Large Congressional District. She assumed office on January 3, 2023. Her current term ends on January 3, 2027. Hageman is running for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Wyoming. She declared candidacy for the Republican primary scheduled on August 18, 2026. Hageman also ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Wyoming's At-Large Congressional District. She will not appear on the ballot for the Republican primary on August 18, 2026.