Who is Ken Casner and what is Casner running on in the 2026 Wyoming Governor race?

Ken Casner is the Democratic candidate for Wyoming governor. Cheyenne-born Vietnam veteran with 25 years in the Wyoming Army National Guard; has run a café in Elk Mountain since 1998; previous candidate for governor and Senate. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

The race

• The seat: Open seat (Mark Gordon (R) term-limited / not running for a third term).
• Rating: Solid R (Cook, Sabato, Inside Elections).

Why Casner’s race looks the way it does

• Wyoming is the most Republican state, which makes the GOP nominee the overwhelming favorite.
• Barlow won a three-way primary decisively (58,820 votes vs 38,739 for Trump-backed Degenfelder) and set a state fundraising record of $1.67M.
• Casner is a grassroots, largely self-run campaign that rejects traditional fundraising.

What Casner is running on

• Healthcare. His top priority is universal healthcare for Wyoming.
• Government. Proposes an ‘open-door office’ where residents can report problems and get documented responses.
• Energy. Says politicians focus on oil and gas investors instead of people.
• Campaign finance. Rejects traditional campaign funding.

In Casner’s own words

“The people are the party. We the people have forgotten who we are.”

The other candidates

• Eric Barlow (R)

Every race

See every Senate and governor race on the ballot, with each candidate’s chance of winning: the 2026 midterms at a glance.