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The2002 Wyoming gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2002. IncumbentRepublicanGovernorJim Geringer was term-limited and unable to seek a third term in office, thereby creating an open seat. FormerU.S. AttorneyDave Freudenthal and formerWyoming House SpeakerEli Bebout both emerged from competitiveDemocratic andRepublican primaries, respectively, and faced off against each other in the general election. Despite Wyoming's strong inclination to elect Republicans, a contentious race ensued, with Freudenthal ultimately defeating Bebout by fewer than 4,000 votes. As of 2025, this is the last gubernatorial election in Wyoming to be decided by less than 20 percentage points.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dave Freudenthal | 19,732 | 53.62 | |
| Democratic | Paul Hickey | 13,793 | 37.48 | |
| Democratic | Toby Simpson | 1,918 | 5.21 | |
| Democratic | Ken Casner | 1,356 | 3.68 | |
| Total votes | 36,799 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Eli Bebout | 44,417 | 48.98 | |
| Republican | Ray Hunkins | 25,363 | 27.97 | |
| Republican | Bill Sniffin | 13,633 | 15.03 | |
| Republican | Stephen Watt | 5,724 | 6.31 | |
| Republican | John H. Self | 1,548 | 1.71 | |
| Total votes | 90,685 | 100.00 | ||
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[2] | Tossup | October 31, 2002 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[3] | Lean R | November 4, 2002 |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dave Freudenthal | 92,662 | 49.96% | +9.51% | |
| Republican | Eli Bebout | 88,873 | 47.92% | −7.68% | |
| Libertarian | Dave Dawson | 3,924 | 2.12% | −1.83% | |
| Majority | 3,789 | 2.04% | −13.10% | ||
| Turnout | 185,459 | ||||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | Swing | ||||
Official campaign websites (archived)
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