A Trump-endorsed candidate suffered a rare defeat in Wyoming on Tuesday night when Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder lost to state Senator Eric Barlow in the Republican gubernatorial primary.

After 14 years in the legislature, Barlow defeated Degenfelder and retired Marine Corps Colonel Brent Bien. Barlow won with 58,820 votes to Degenfelder’s 38,739 and Bien’s 30,843.

Barlow will face Democratic nominee Kenneth Casner and Constitution Party nominee Rebecca Bextel in the general election. Degenfelder received President Donald Trump’s endorsement in January, while Bien garnered support from Wyoming’s Republican Party state central committee in July.

During the campaign, Barlow weathered high-dollar attacks from at least two groups: Wyoming’s Turn PAC and Women For Responsible Government PAC. The former falsely claimed Barlow pushed for fuel tax hikes in 2013 and 2020, despite legislative records showing he fought to keep taxes low both years.

“There’s been a lot of out-of-state money and agendas trying to tell us things that aren’t true,” he said. “And today Wyoming showed up, and showed us that Wyoming’s voice matters most.”

Barlow emphasized his focus on local engagement: “We’re running for Wyoming, not against anybody.” His victory suggested Wyoming’s heavily Republican electorate preferred a lower-key leader similar to incumbent Governor Mark Gordon—rather than a bomb-throwing conservative or culture warrior. Gordon, a mainstream Republican leaving office after two terms, had been the state’s governor for most of the past decade.

Barlow’s win also underscored the limits of Trump’s influence in Wyoming’s rural landscape, where voters often decide preferences through personal interactions at barbecues, county fairs, and rodeos rather than national political strategies.

Degenfelder, who positioned herself as a defender against “radicals’ agenda” and advocated for bans on transgender athletes in girls’ sports, lost the race despite Trump’s support. Barlow, a fourth-generation Wyoming rancher with military service, highlighted his commitment to public lands—a shared priority for conservative hunters and liberal environmentalists across the American West—and vowed to shift Wyoming’s increasingly bitter politics toward unity.

Barlow was first elected to the Wyoming Legislature in 2012 and became House Speaker in 2021 before moving to the state Senate. The Republican Governors Association stated: “As a marine, veterinarian, and rancher, Barlow knows how to lead and will champion limited government, personal responsibility, and Wyoming values!”