Gov. Gordon wins GOP primary, NYT says

Aug. 17—CHEYENNE — Gov. Mark Gordon has defeated his two Republican opponents in the primary election for another term, in a projected landslide Tuesday night, as reported by the New York Times.

He was among the candidates in five key Republican primary state races, including the secretary of state, state treasurer and state superintendent of public instruction. These races were highly contested, and no official results were reported by the Wyoming Secretary of State's Office before 9:30 p.m.

Gordon was ahead with an estimated 63% of the vote in the gubernatorial campaign, among GOP members, the Times reported. Rival Brent Bien had an estimated 28%.

Gordon will likely face Theresa Livingston in the general election, and she was reported by media outlets as the winner of the Democratic primary, defeating Rex Wilde. Livingston was estimated by the Times to be ahead, garnering some 72% of votes from Democrats, while Wilde reportedly had 28%.

The incumbent Gov. Gordon said he will fight for a second term heading into the general election, and that he and his wife, Jennie Gordon, take nothing for granted.

"We're very encouraged by what we're seeing, and it feels good," said Gordon from his election party in Buffalo. "I really want to thank all the supporters for doing such an incredible job."

He faced Rex Rammell and Bien in the Republican primary, both of whom accused Gordon of not standing by the Republican Party's platform strictly enough.

Bien told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, before polls closed at 7 p.m. local time, it was an incredible experience to campaign throughout the state. He said he was privileged to meet so many Wyoming residents. He said because Wyoming is geographically so vast, and the incumbent by virtue of being in office has an advantage, it's hard to overcome.

"It's a challenge, but it's very rewarding at the same time," he said.

Bien also faced backlash from Rammell in the weeks before election night, and accused him of running in the race illegally because he hadn't lived in the state long enough. Bien retired from active duty in the Marine Corps in 2019, and said he kept his residency throughout the entire time he served.

The Committee to Elect Rex Rammell Governor of Wyoming stated that outgoing Secretary of State Ed Buchanan did not say Bien was eligible to run for governor when Rammell's camp made the complaint.

Rammell told the WTE Tuesday afternoon that he felt he ran a good campaign, but Buchanan should have never allowed Bien to run for governor. He said if Bien was not on the ballot, the votes would not have been split between the two of them.

"Mark Gordon was probably the weakest incumbent," Rammell said. "And I really feel like I could beat him if Bien wasn't in the race."

Jasmine Hall is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's state government reporter. She can be reached by email at jhall@wyomingnews.com or by phone at 307-633-3167. Follow her on Twitter @jasminerhphotos and on Instagram @jhrose25.