U.S. Senate, Wyoming · November 3, 2026

Who should I vote for in the Wyoming U.S. Senate race?

James Byrd has the strongest record in the Wyoming U.S. Senate race. James Byrd scores 70 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Harriet Hageman at 63, as of October 6, 2026. James Byrd's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Harriet Hageman's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.

Democratic

Strongest record

James Byrd

70 / 100

Public evidence on 11 of 15 criteria

Character
56
Qualifications
80
Performance
75

Campaign siteFEC filings

Republican

Harriet Hageman

63 / 100

Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria

Character
45
Qualifications
80
Performance
63

Campaign siteOfficial officeFEC filings

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.

James Byrd

Harriet Hageman

Who they are

Character

Integrity

Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.

2 / 4

James Byrd. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 29, 2026. No FEC administrative fine and no official ethics finding found.

Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00938738

2 / 4

Harriet Hageman. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through July 29, 2026 with no administrative fine found, and her House annual financial disclosures are on file with the Clerk. PolitiFact rated one statement False (2025); E15 needs three.

Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00788943, House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076067 (annual report for 2025), PolitiFact, March 20, 2025

Courage

Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.

NR

James Byrd. No public record found.

2 / 4

Harriet Hageman. In May 2023 opposed and voted against the debt ceiling agreement negotiated by Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Sources: Cowboy State Daily, May 30, 2023, Casper Star-Tribune, 2023

Accountability

Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.

3 / 4

James Byrd. Was the only Senate candidate to confirm for the 2026 Wyoming PBS general election debate, and held a public town hall in Casper on Sept. 29, 2026.

Sources: Wyoming Tribune Eagle via Yahoo News, Sept. 18, 2026, Oil City News, Sept. 30, 2026

1 / 4

Harriet Hageman. Did not respond to Wyoming PBS's invitation to the 2026 general election Senate debate, which was canceled; her campaign said she would talk directly to voters at county town halls instead. She took part in the Aug. 13 primary debate.

Sources: Wyoming Tribune Eagle via Yahoo News, Sept. 18, 2026, Cowboy State Daily, Sept. 11, 2026

Temperament and judgment

Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.

2 / 4

James Byrd. Served ten years in the Wyoming House, including as minority whip and minority caucus leader, with no formal censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.

Source: Wyoming Public Radio, Feb. 18, 2026

2 / 4

Harriet Hageman. U.S. representative since 2023 and a trial attorney for three decades, with no formal censure, reprimand or conduct finding found. The Wyoming State Bar declined in 2022 to open an investigation of a grievance against her.

Sources: GovTrack, Harriet Hageman, WyoFile, 2022

Fidelity to the oath

Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.

2 / 4

James Byrd. Sworn member of the Wyoming House from 2009 to 2019 with no official finding of misuse of office and no action to reject certified results found.

Source: Ballotpedia, James Byrd

2 / 4

Harriet Hageman. Sworn U.S. representative since Jan. 3, 2023; she was not in Congress for the January 2021 electoral count. No official finding of misuse of office found. In 2022, as a candidate, she called the 2020 election rigged; statements are not scored.

Sources: GovTrack, Harriet Hageman, Cowboy State Daily, Aug. 4, 2022

What they bring

Qualifications

Relevant experience

Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.

4 / 4

James Byrd. Five terms in the Wyoming House (District 44, 2009 to 2019), including leadership posts; earlier an exploration geophysicist and later an IT project manager and consultant.

Sources: Wyoming Public Radio, Feb. 18, 2026, WyoFile Election Guide 2026, James Byrd

4 / 4

Harriet Hageman. U.S. representative for Wyoming since 2023, in her second term; earlier a natural resources and constitutional trial attorney for more than 30 years and a law clerk to a federal appeals judge.

Sources: GovTrack, Harriet Hageman, Ballotpedia, Harriet Hageman

Command of the job

Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.

3 / 4

James Byrd. Held elected House leadership posts (minority whip, minority caucus leader). Publishes positions with some specifics, such as permanent telehealth reimbursement and federal permitting reform, in the WyoFile questionnaire.

Sources: Ballotpedia, James Byrd, WyoFile Election Guide 2026, James Byrd

4 / 4

Harriet Hageman. Chaired the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs in 2023 to 2024 and chairs its water and wildlife subcommittee in 2025 to 2026; answered WyoFile's questionnaire with specific measures, including 99-year tribal land leases.

Sources: Ballotpedia, Harriet Hageman, committee assignments, WyoFile Election Guide 2026, Harriet Hageman

Communication

Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.

3 / 4

James Byrd. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey and the WyoFile questionnaire, gave a Wyoming Public Radio interview and holds public town halls.

Sources: Ballotpedia, James Byrd, WyoFile Election Guide 2026, James Byrd, Wyoming Public Radio, Oct. 2, 2026

3 / 4

Harriet Hageman. Three channels documented: the WyoFile questionnaire, a Wyoming Public Radio interview and open town halls. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Sources: WyoFile Election Guide 2026, Harriet Hageman, Wyoming Public Radio, Oct. 2, 2026, Wyoming Public Radio, March 21, 2025, Ballotpedia, Harriet Hageman

Roots in the constituency

Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.

4 / 4

James Byrd. Cheyenne resident for most of his 72 years, from a family in Wyoming since before statehood. About 96 percent of itemized contributions by state through July 29, 2026 came from Wyoming (FEC by-state totals).

Sources: WyoFile Election Guide 2026, James Byrd, Wyoming Public Radio, Oct. 2, 2026, FEC candidate page

3 / 4

Harriet Hageman. Born in Douglas and raised near Fort Laramie; has lived in Cheyenne since 1997. About 21 percent of itemized contributions by state through July 29, 2026 came from Wyoming (FEC by-state totals).

Sources: WyoFile Election Guide 2026, Harriet Hageman, FEC candidate page

Management

Can build and run an organization.

2 / 4

James Byrd. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC with no administrative fine and no debts reported; the committee had $356 cash on hand at July 29, 2026.

Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00938738

2 / 4

Harriet Hageman. Runs a House office with district offices in Cheyenne and Casper. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC with no administrative fine and no debts reported.

Sources: Hageman House office locations, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00788943

What they deliver

Performance

Results

Turns ideas into outcomes.

3 / 4

James Byrd. State Legislative Effectiveness Score Above expectations in 2011 to 2012 and 2017 to 2018 and Meets in his other three terms; seven bills he sponsored became law, all as a minority-party member.

Source: Center for Effective Lawmaking, State Legislative Effectiveness Scores data file

3 / 4

Harriet Hageman. Center for Effective Lawmaking rates her Meets expectations for the 118th Congress (41 bills sponsored, 3 passed the House, none became law). She sponsored H.J.Res. 130, signed into law in December 2025.

Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking, House data file (93rd to 118th Congress), Wyoming Public Radio, Dec. 16, 2025

Showing up

Does the basic work of the job.

NR

James Byrd. No public record found.

3 / 4

Harriet Hageman. Missed 26 of 1,917 roll call votes, 1.4 percent, from January 2023 to September 2026 (GovTrack).

Source: GovTrack, Harriet Hageman

Constituent service

Solves problems for the people they represent.

NR

James Byrd. No public record found.

3 / 4

Harriet Hageman. Has two district offices and holds open town halls across the state; she said in March 2025 she had held 75 in three years, at least three in each of the 23 counties.

Sources: Hageman House office locations, Cowboy State Daily, March 25, 2025, WyoFile, March 20, 2025

Coalition building

Wins support beyond their own faction.

3 / 4

James Byrd. Seven bills he sponsored became law between 2009 and 2018 while Democrats were a small minority of the Wyoming House, per Center for Effective Lawmaking data.

Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking, State Legislative Effectiveness Scores data file, Cowboy State Daily, Feb. 18, 2026

1 / 4

Harriet Hageman. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.98338 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 328 of 436, in the bottom quarter.

Source: Lugar Center Bipartisan Index, House 2023

Stewardship of public money

Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.

NR

James Byrd. No public record found.

NR

Harriet Hageman. 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 U.S. Senate race?

James Byrd has the strongest record in the Wyoming U.S. Senate race. James Byrd scores 70 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Harriet Hageman at 63, as of October 6, 2026. James Byrd's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Harriet Hageman's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.

Who is running in the Wyoming U.S. Senate race in 2026?

James Byrd (Democratic), Harriet Hageman (Republican). The general election is November 3, 2026.

Is James Byrd a good candidate for U.S. Senate?

James Byrd scores 70 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 11 of 15 criteria: character 56 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 75 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.

Is Harriet Hageman a good candidate for U.S. Senate?

Harriet Hageman scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 45 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 63 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, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the Wyoming 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.