By Noah Zahn
Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Via- Wyoming News Exchange

CHEYENNE — U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis announced Friday that she will not seek reelection in 2026 after one term as senator, serving since 2021.

Lummis, a staunch conservative and Wyoming’s first female U.S. senator, made the announcement in a news release and on social media.

“Deciding not to run for re-election does represent a change of heart for me, but in the difficult, exhausting session weeks this fall, I’ve come to accept that I do not have six more years in me. I am a devout legislator, but I feel like a sprinter in a marathon. The energy required doesn’t match up,” she wrote.

 

Political career

Before serving in the U.S. Senate, Lummis, 71, represented Wyoming as the state’s sole member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2009 to 2017.

“What a blessing to serve with Senators John Barrasso and Mike Enzi when I was in the U.S. House, and with John and Rep. Harriet Hageman while I’ve been in the Senate. We all put Wyoming first, which has cemented our cohesive working relationship,” she said.

Lummis first began her political career at age 24 in 1979 at the state level when she was elected to the Wyoming House of Representatives, representing Laramie County.

She served until 1993, with a stint away from office between 1983 and 1985.

Just as she made the switch from representative to senator on the federal level in 2021, she had done so previously in 1993 when she was elected to the Wyoming Senate, where she served until becoming state treasurer in 1997, a position she held for 12 years.

“It’s an incredible honor to represent Wyoming in the U.S. Senate, and throughout my time here, Wyoming has been my one-and-only priority,” Lummis wrote.

 

Work in Washington, D.C. 

In recent years as a politician, Lummis was dubbed the “Crypto Queen” by various media outlets for her embrace of cryptocurrency policy and her ownership of Bitcoin. In 2021, it was reported that Lummis purchased between $50,001 and $100,000 worth of Bitcoin.

According to an article from CNBC, she made her first Bitcoin purchase in 2013 for $330 per token. One Bitcoin was worth $88,166 on Friday.

“Senator Lummis earned national recognition for her pioneering work in cryptocurrency policy, pressing for innovation while demanding transparency and accountability,” Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., wrote in a news release following Lummis’ announcement. “Her forward-looking approach reflects her belief that financial and technological progress can coexist and allow for individual freedom and fiscal safety.”

Lummis has also been a controversial national public figure, making headlines across the country in 2021 for being one of only seven U.S. senators, all Republican, to vote to overturn the results of the 2020 Pennsylvania general election, while 92 voted against it.

Earlier this year, it was reported that in 2023 the FBI sought and obtained phone data about eight Republican senators, including Lummis, for phone usage between Jan. 4, 2021, and Jan. 7, 2021, potentially in relation to her vote to overturn the election following the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riots.

The report from the FBI does not indicate why the phone records of any lawmakers were of interest.

 

Wyoming roots

Despite her pursuit of modern technological innovations and involvement in the Washington, D.C. political sphere, current lawmakers reflected on Lummis’ roots as a rancher and grandmother from Wyoming.

“She remained an advocate for farmers, energy producers, and landowners,” Hageman said. “She defended the rights of ranchers, miners, and small business owners who built Wyoming over the centuries and kept the state’s economy strong. And she brought Western common sense to the debates that too often get lost in the noise of Washington.”

Before entering politics, Lummis came from a family well known in Cheyenne for owning the Arp and Hammond Hardware Company as well as several large ranches southeast of town.

In 1968, when Wyoming approved a community college to be built near Cheyenne but had no means to do so, Doran Lummis, Cynthia’s father and a county commissioner at the time, donated 150 acres of his family ranch to Laramie County for the college.  

In the 2010s, the Lummis family also donated about 2,300 acres of its 15,000-acre cattle ranch development to support housing development adjacent to Laramie County Community College on the south side of College Drive.

 

Public response

Her U.S. Senate counterpart, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., called Lummis a “straight shooter and a trailblazer,” in a news release.

“Cynthia Lummis is a perfect senator for Wyoming. From Miss Frontier Days to the Wyoming Legislature to the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate — Cynthia has never stopped fighting for the people of Wyoming,” he wrote.

Gov. Mark Gordon also acknowledged her Western roots, saying in a news release that she embodies “all that defines Wyoming and the West.

“Hard work, perseverance, loyalty, and a strong sense of duty. From her early years in the Wyoming Legislature, to the hallowed halls of Congress, Cynthia has worked to make Wyoming a better place for everyone,” Gordon wrote. “I thank her for all that she has done and wish her the best in all of her future plans. Whatever they may be, I know she will remain forever Wyoming.”

Following the announcement, the Wyoming Chamber of Commerce released a statement thanking Lummis for her pro-business advocacy.

“A consistent partner to the business community, Senator Lummis worked closely with employers, industry leaders, and organizations across the state to ensure Wyoming’s job creators had a strong voice in Washington, D.C.,” it said. “Her leadership on issues impacting Wyoming’s economy helped advance conversations critical to the state’s long-term prosperity.” 

Wyoming State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder congratulated Lummis on her upcoming retirement from the U.S. Senate.

“Throughout her career, she has championed Wyoming’s interests with tenacity and principle. But more than her record, Senator Lummis has been a trailblazer, a lifelong mentor to many, and a dear friend to our beloved state. Thank you, Senator!” she wrote.

 

2026 election

Lummis’ term will expire in January 2027, and she will not seek reelection despite a March endorsement from President Donald Trump for a second term.

“I am honored to have earned the support of President Trump and to have the opportunity to work side by side with him to fight for the people of Wyoming. I look forward to continuing this partnership and throwing all my energy into bringing important legislation to his desk in 2026 and into retaining commonsense Republican control of the U.S. Senate,” she wrote at the time.

At the time of publication, there have been no announcements of potential candidates to pursue her soon-to-be vacant seat, but her announcement blows the race open amid uncertainty regarding Hageman’s potential for another two-year term in Congress or bid for Wyoming governor and rumors of Secretary of State Chuck Gray’s potential bid to run for whichever seat Hageman doesn’t pursue.

“As a public official holding state legislative, statewide, and federal office, Senator Lummis has done tremendous work for the Cowboy State,” Gray wrote in a statement. “I’ve really enjoyed working with her on numerous issues, including protecting Wyoming industries. Thank you, Senator Lummis.”

Other potential gubernatorial candidates include Sen. Bo Biteman, R-Ranchester, and Rep. Chip Neiman, R-Hulett. Brent Bien, Joseph Kibler and Sen. Eric Barlow, R-Gillette, all Republicans, have already announced a bid for governor in the 2026 race.

“While her retirement marks the closing of an important chapter, Senator Lummis still has meaningful work ahead in the coming year. I look forward to continuing to work with her on issues critical to Wyoming’s future, including strengthening our skilled workforce — an issue we discussed together in Washington this week,” Barlow wrote in a statement. “Thank you, Senator Lummis, for your service, your leadership, and your continued dedication to Wyoming.”

Laramie County Democratic Party Chairman Ted Hanlon told the WTE on Friday he is unsure at the moment how the state Democratic Party will handle the upcoming Senate race. But he said he hopes the party will identify a strong candidate to put forward and wished Lummis the best in her retirement from the Senate.

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