Grassroots Wyoming Conservatives Coalescing Around New Governor Candidate To Defeat Left-Leaning GOP Nominee

A third-party gubernatorial candidate and grassroots conservatives are attempting to prevent Republican Wyoming gubernatorial nominee Eric Barlow from taking power in November.

Rebecca Bextel, who is running as The Constitutional Party’s candidate, told the Daily Caller News Foundation that she is running a “one-year campaign in 60 days” to defeat Barlow, whom she claimed is a left-leaning candidate running as a Republican. The Constitutional Party and a grassroots civic organization focused on vetting political candidates were working to defeat Barlow —who was backed by liberal donors who worked to defeat the state’s Freedom Caucus candidates in August primaries.

“I’m going to every corner of Wyoming, I’m gonna visit every single town,” Bextel told the DCNF. “I’m going to just hit, I’m going to go for it … I have full intentions of winning this race. People are overwhelmingly disgusted with the Republican and Democrat parties. What the Constitution Party does is just holds the Republican Party accountable.”

“There is zero chance a Democrat can get elected in Wyoming for statewide offices unless he’s within the Republican field. That’s exactly what’s going on,” Bextel continued. “The majority of [Barlow’s] fundraising and money comes from the liberal left.”

Bextel told the DCNF she is running as a conservative and “Wyoming First” candidate.

Lynn Everts, who runs Wyoming Stockman for Liberty, told the DCNF that his organization will travel across Wyoming to raise funds and increase voter turnout to defeat Barlow. He stated that very few Republicans in the state go to the ballot box, though they will be needed to defeat Barlow.

“We’re going to do everything we can financially do … We’re gonna go door to door,” Everts said. “We’re gonna do radio. We’re gonna go on Facebook. We’ll probably do some mailers. We’re gonna try to go to some church organizations, maybe get in, go to some of these church groups and look people in the eye and explain to them exactly what’s happening, because that’s the problem. 85% of of the people in Wyoming are real Republicans. It’s just, a huge portion of them don’t vote.”

Wyoming Stockman for Liberty is a grassroots civic organization that focuses on vetting political candidates and hosting local candidate debates.

Bextel claimed she “eclipsed” former Republican gubernatorial candidate Brent Bien’s fundraising while actively campaigning for only a week. Bien and Schools Chief Megan Degenfelder lost to Barlow in the Aug. 18 primary, with Barlow securing 45% of the vote.

President Donald Trump endorsed Degenfelder, who received 29.7% of the vote.

“People understand how desperate it is,” Bextel said. “So yes, I need all the help I can get, but I am fully expecting to win this race. And look, this should bring hope to everybody in Wyoming. If the establishment Republicans and establishment Democrats want the same thing, it takes the rest of us to fight for the American people.”

Bextel is running to protect “God-given rights,” including the right to bear arms, life and parental rights, according to her campaign website. She promised to defend energy workers across the state, particularly in the coal, oil and natural gas industries.

The third party candidate has lived in Wyoming for over 20 years and operated a small business with her husband, according to her campaign website. She served as a Republican precinct committeewoman, state committeewoman and alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention in 2020 and 2024.

Bextel supports tax reform to protect property owners and “hold government accountable for how taxpayer dollars are spent” according to her website. She would withdraw Wyoming from the federal refugee resettlement program and end policies allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses.

The Constitution Party of Wyoming’s platform includes acknowledging the “blessings of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as Creator, Preserver and Ruler of the Universe, and Benefactor of the United States of America, and the state of Wyoming,” according to its website. It supports limiting the government’s powers to protecting God-given rights, cutting spending, guaranteeing the right to bear arms, opposing all state surveillance and opposing abortion and euthanasia.

Barlow reportedly voted with a majority of Democrats 90% of the time and was the sixth most liberal Republican in the House, a report by Evidence Based Wyoming showed. Evidence Based Wyoming’s Doug Gerard wrote in a report that Barlow was affiliated with the anti-coal, anti-oil and anti-gas Powder River Basin Resource Council.

Barlow voted to raise taxes on the oil and gas industry, sponsored an amendment in 2014 to accept Obamacare funding in Wyoming and voted to change the definition of marriage, according to Gerard’s report.

Left-leaning Republican donors, corporate interests and pro-business groups coordinated an effort to Trojan horse non-conservative candidates under the guise to help Barlow and others beat their more conservative candidates. Thirteen members of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus lost their seats in the state Legislature after these interest groups spent money to support their opponents.

The Wyoming Donor Alliance, a non-partisan organization, outlined a plan to oust Freedom Caucus and Trump-endorsed candidates to replace them with less conservative Republicans, according to documentation obtained by the DCNF. The organization planned to raise $839,500 to recruit candidates, target specific voters and endorse or oppose candidates, according to documentation obtained by the DCNF.

Democratic Wyoming state Rep. Liz Storer, the president and CEO of the George B. Storer Foundation, made personal donations totaling $5,500 to several candidates, including Republican Wyoming state Rep. Doug Moore, who defeated Freedom Caucus member John Bear, according to WyoFile.

Barlow’s campaign did not respond to the DCNF’s request for comment. His campaign criticized Bextel’s bid in May, casting doubt she could win the race, according to Wyoming News.

“Mrs. Bextel lost the race for state GOP chair, gave a check to one of my opponents in this race, and is now running against of us for Governor? That’s her right, and she can make her case to the voters,” the campaign said. “I’m going to keep doing what I’ve always done: traveling the state, listening to the Wyoming people, and earning the nomination from Republican voters.”

Seventy-five percent of voters in Wyoming are registered Republicans, while 12.3% are registered Democrats, according to the Independent Voter Project. The primary election drew a 55% voter turnout, which was lower than the turnout for Republican Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman’s challenge to Cheney in 2022, according to WyoFile.