Secretary of State of Wyoming · November 3, 2026
Who should I vote for in the Wyoming secretary of state race?
Robert Short has the strongest record in the Wyoming secretary of state race. Robert Short scores 58 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Tamara Trujillo at 53, as of October 6, 2026. Robert Short's highest marks are relevant experience and communication. Tamara Trujillo's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Bryan McCarty (6 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic
Bryan McCarty
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 6 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 56
- Performance
- NR
Republican
Strongest record
Robert Short
58 / 100
Public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 65
- Performance
- NR
Constitution
Tamara Trujillo
53 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 63
- Performance
- 25
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Bryan McCarty
- On the record2026
Says he is running so statewide offices are not uncontested; platform centers on public lands, ballot access and transparent elections.
Source: Oil City News, Aug. 18, 2026
- On the record2026-09
Told Wyoming Public Radio he would not continue sharing voter data with the federal government; accepted the October PBS debate.
Robert Short
- On the record2026
Ran on the slogan 'Make the Secretary of State's Office Boring Again' and said the office should enforce law, not make it.
Sources: Cowboy State Daily, Aug. 19, 2026, Cowboy State Daily, March 4, 2026
- On the record2026
Largely self-funded his campaign: $260,600 of $429,521 raised through Aug. 17, 2026 came from him, per state filings summarized by WyoFile.
Source: WyoFile Election Guide 2026, Robert Short (state filings)
- On the record2026-09
Told Wyoming Public Radio he would not continue sharing Wyoming voter data with the federal government; accepted the October PBS debate.
Sources: Wyoming Public Radio, Oct. 2, 2026, Cowboy State Daily, Sept. 11, 2026
- Credit2014 to 2026
Elected to the Converse County Commission in 2014 and re-elected twice; serves as vice president of the Wyoming County Commissioners Association.
Sources: Oil City News, Aug. 18, 2026, Cowboy State Daily, March 4, 2026
Tamara Trujillo
- On the record2026
Left the Republican Party and became the Constitution Party's nominee; told Wyoming Public Radio she was undecided on continuing to share voter data with the federal government.
Sources: Oil City News, Aug. 18, 2026, Wyoming Public Radio, Oct. 2, 2026
- On the record2023 to 2024
As a House member she backed bills to repeal child vaccination requirements, require drug tests for unemployment benefits, ban sanctuary cities and bar foreign land ownership.
- On the record2023 to 2024
The Center for Effective Lawmaking rated her Below expectations for her one House term; none of her bills became law.
Source: Center for Effective Lawmaking, State Legislative Effectiveness Scores data file
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Bryan McCarty. Campaign reports are on file with the Wyoming Campaign Finance System, showing $1,104 raised through Aug. 17, 2026. No finding found.
Source: WyoFile Election Guide 2026, Bryan McCarty (state filings)
Robert Short. Campaign reports are on file with the Wyoming Campaign Finance System, showing $429,521 raised through Aug. 17, 2026, mostly his own money. No state ethics or campaign finance finding found.
Source: WyoFile Election Guide 2026, Robert Short (state filings)
Tamara Trujillo. No public record found.
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Bryan McCarty. No public record found.
Robert Short. No public record found.
Tamara Trujillo. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Bryan McCarty. Accepted the Oct. 14, 2026 Wyoming PBS secretary of state debate with all balloted candidates and gave a Wyoming Public Radio interview.
Sources: Cowboy State Daily, Sept. 11, 2026, Wyoming Public Radio, Oct. 2, 2026
Robert Short. Accepted the Oct. 14, 2026 Wyoming PBS secretary of state debate with all balloted candidates and gave a Wyoming Public Radio interview.
Sources: Cowboy State Daily, Sept. 11, 2026, Wyoming Public Radio, Oct. 2, 2026
Tamara Trujillo. Accepted the Oct. 14, 2026 Wyoming PBS secretary of state debate with all balloted candidates and gave a Wyoming Public Radio interview.
Sources: Cowboy State Daily, Sept. 11, 2026, Wyoming Public Radio, Oct. 2, 2026
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Bryan McCarty. No public record found.
Robert Short. Converse County commissioner since his 2014 election, now in a third term, and a former election judge, with no formal conduct finding found.
Source: Oil City News, Aug. 18, 2026
Tamara Trujillo. Served one term in the Wyoming House (District 44, 2023 to 2024) on the Labor, Health and Social Services Committee, with no formal conduct finding found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Bryan McCarty. No public record found.
Robert Short. Sworn county commissioner since 2015 with no official finding of misuse of office and no action to reject certified results found.
Sources: Converse County, County Commissioners, Cowboy State Daily, March 4, 2026
Tamara Trujillo. Sworn state representative for one term with no official finding of misuse of office found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Bryan McCarty. Private sector career, mostly in the railroad industry, including work for General Electric; has not held public office.
Sources: Wyoming Public Radio, Oct. 2, 2026, WyoFile Election Guide 2026, Bryan McCarty
Robert Short. Three terms as a Converse County commissioner, vice president of the Wyoming County Commissioners Association and a former election judge; owns businesses in energy, agriculture, retail and tourism.
Source: Oil City News, Aug. 18, 2026
Tamara Trujillo. One term in the Wyoming House; earlier 17 years in refinery accounting and procurement and work in the state Child Support Division.
Sources: Wyoming Public Radio, Oct. 2, 2026, WyoFile Election Guide 2026, Tamara Trujillo
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Bryan McCarty. Published positions in general terms, including using the office's land board seat to keep public lands public and vetting business registrations.
Robert Short. Published positions in general terms: enforce existing law rather than seek changes, add safeguards against fraudulent business filings and support county clerks.
Sources: Cowboy State Daily, March 4, 2026, Oil City News, Aug. 18, 2026
Tamara Trujillo. Published positions in general terms, including ending ballot drop boxes and standardizing county election equipment.
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Bryan McCarty. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey and the WyoFile questionnaire, gave a Wyoming Public Radio interview and accepted the PBS debate.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Bryan McCarty, WyoFile Election Guide 2026, Bryan McCarty
Robert Short. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey and the WyoFile questionnaire, gave a Wyoming Public Radio interview and accepted the PBS debate.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Robert Short, WyoFile Election Guide 2026, Robert Short
Tamara Trujillo. Two channels documented: the WyoFile questionnaire and a Wyoming Public Radio interview. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: WyoFile Election Guide 2026, Tamara Trujillo, Ballotpedia, Tamara Trujillo
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Bryan McCarty. Has lived in Worland for six years and in Wyoming for seven; born in Mansfield, Ohio.
Robert Short. Glenrock High School graduate who has lived near Douglas for nearly 20 years and has served Converse County since 2015. In-state share of contributions not available; most money is his own.
Sources: Oil City News, Aug. 18, 2026, WyoFile Election Guide 2026, Robert Short
Tamara Trujillo. Raised in Cheyenne from age 2 and lives in the house she grew up in.
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Bryan McCarty. No public record found.
Robert Short. Business owner who says his companies grew to more than 120 employees by 2020; campaign reports are on file with the state with no finding.
Sources: WyoFile Election Guide 2026, Robert Short, Oil City News, Aug. 18, 2026
Tamara Trujillo. No public record found.
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Bryan McCarty. No public record found.
Robert Short. No public record found.
Tamara Trujillo. State Legislative Effectiveness Score Below expectations for her one term (2023 to 2024); none of her bills became law.
Source: Center for Effective Lawmaking, State Legislative Effectiveness Scores data file
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Bryan McCarty. No public record found.
Robert Short. No public record found.
Tamara Trujillo. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Bryan McCarty. No public record found.
Robert Short. No public record found.
Tamara Trujillo. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Bryan McCarty. No public record found.
Robert Short. No public record found.
Tamara Trujillo. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Bryan McCarty. No public record found.
Robert Short. No public record found.
Tamara Trujillo. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in the Wyoming secretary of state race?
Robert Short has the strongest record in the Wyoming secretary of state race. Robert Short scores 58 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Tamara Trujillo at 53, as of October 6, 2026. Robert Short's highest marks are relevant experience and communication. Tamara Trujillo's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Bryan McCarty (6 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in the Wyoming secretary of state race in 2026?
Bryan McCarty (Democratic), Robert Short (Republican), Tamara Trujillo (Constitution). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Bryan McCarty a good candidate for Secretary of State?
Bryan McCarty has public evidence on 6 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Robert Short a good candidate for Secretary of State?
Robert Short scores 58 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 65 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Tamara Trujillo a good candidate for Secretary of State?
Tamara Trujillo scores 53 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 63 of 100, performance 25 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Wyoming race scored, and the Wyoming 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.