Rasner announces bid for seat in U.S. House

CHEYENNE — Casper-based businessman Reid Rasner has officially announced his candidacy for Wyoming’s sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the second entrant into the race following Secretary of State Chuck Gray’s announcement at the end of 2025.

Rasner, a conservative Republican who previously unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Sen. John Barrasso in 2024 in the Senate primaries, is entering the race with a personal commitment of $1 million to his campaign to spread his self-described “America First” platform to voters across the state.

According to a news release, Rasner is a fourth-generation Wyomingite who hopes to dismantle the status quo in Washington, D.C. He stated he hopes to work alongside President Donald Trump to “codify every piece of his agenda into law.”

“I am a proud and unapologetic America First conservative who will work with President Trump to deport criminal illegals, get fentanyl out of our communities, stop Democrat extremists and protect what makes Wyoming great,” Rasner wrote.

According to his website, Rasner’s policy goals focus heavily on economic independence, border security and traditional conservative values.

A central pillar of Rasner’s platform is domestic energy dominance. He advocates for Wyoming’s fossil fuel energy industry, specifically supporting Trump’s “Drill, Baby, Drill” policies for oil and gas, revitalizing the coal industry and investing in uranium mining in Wyoming. 

Rasner’s entry into the 2026 race comes at a time of significant transition for Wyoming’s federal delegation. The landscape shifted in December when U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., announced that she would not seek a second six-year term. 

This prompted current U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., to announce her intent to launch a bid for the Senate, a move that quickly garnered an endorsement from Trump.

The vacancy in the House has already attracted other high-profile contenders. 

Secretary of State Gray announced his bid for the seat on December 29, running as a “MAGA conservative.”