Wyoming's western half consists mostly of the ranges and rangelands of theRocky Mountains; its eastern half consists of high-elevationprairie, and is referred to as theHigh Plains. Wyoming's climate issemi-arid in some parts andcontinental in others, making it drier and windier overall than other states, with greater temperature extremes. Thefederal government owns just under half of Wyoming's land, generally protecting it for public use. The state ranks sixth in the amount of land—and fifth in the proportion of its land—that is owned by the federal government.[12] Its federal lands include two national parks (Grand Teton andYellowstone), two national recreation areas, two national monuments, and several national forests, as well as historic sites, fish hatcheries, and wildlife refuges.
Indigenous peoples inhabited the region for thousands of years. Historic and currently federally recognized tribes include theArapaho,Crow,Lakota, andShoshone. Part of the land that became Wyoming came under American sovereignty via theLouisiana Purchase, part via theOregon Treaty, and, lastly, via theMexican Cession. With the opening of theOregon Trail, theMormon Trail, and theCalifornia Trail, vast numbers of pioneers traveled through parts of the state that had once been traversed mainly by fur trappers, and this spurred the establishment of forts, such asFort Laramie, that today serve as population centers.[13] TheTranscontinental Railroad supplanted the wagon trails in 1867 with a route through southern Wyoming,[14] bringing new settlers and the establishment of founding towns, including the state capital of Cheyenne.[15] On March 27, 1890, Wyoming became the union's 44th state.[1]
TheRepublican presidential nominee has carried the state in every election since1968.[16] Wyoming was the first state to allow women theright to vote (afterNew Jersey, which had allowed it until 1807), and the right to assume elected office, as well as the first state to elect a female governor. In honor of this part of its history, its official nickname is "The Equality State" and its official state motto is "Equal Rights".[1]
Farming and ranching, and the attendantrange wars, feature prominently in the state's history. Wyoming's economy is largely based on tourism and the extraction of minerals such ascoal,natural gas,oil, andtrona. Its agricultural commodities include barley, hay, livestock,sugar beets, wheat, and wool. Wyoming does not require the beneficial owners ofLLCs to be disclosed in the filing, which creates an opportunity for atax haven. Wyoming levies no individual or corporateincome tax and no tax on retirement income.
The firstFort Laramie as it looked before 1840 (painting from memory by Alfred Jacob Miller)
SeveralNative American groups originally inhabited the region today known as Wyoming. TheCrow,Arapaho,Lakota, andShoshone were but a few of the original inhabitants European explorers encountered when they first visited the region. What is now southwestern Wyoming was claimed by theSpanish Empire, which extended through the Southwest and Mexico. With Mexican independence in 1821, it was considered part ofAlta California. U.S. expansion brought settlers who fought for control. Mexico ceded these territories after its defeat in 1848 in theMexican–American War.
From the late 18th century,French-Canadian trappers from Québec and Montréal regularly entered the area for trade with the tribes. French toponyms such as Téton andLa Ramie are marks of that history.[19]
TheOregon Trail later followed that route as emigrants moved to the west coast. In 1850, mountain manJim Bridger first documented what is now known asBridger Pass.[21] Bridger also explored Yellowstone, and filed reports on the region that, like Colter's, were largely regarded at the time astall tales. TheUnion Pacific Railroad constructed track through Bridger Pass in 1868.[21] It was used as the route for construction ofInterstate 80 through the mountains 90 years later.[22]
After the Union Pacific Railroad reachedCheyenne in 1867, population growth was stimulated. The federal government established theWyoming Territory on July 25, 1868.[23] Lacking significant deposits of gold and silver, unlike mineral-richColorado, Wyoming did not have such a population boom. ButSouth Pass City had a short-lived boom after the Carissa Mine began producing gold in 1867.[24] Copper was mined in some areas between theSierra Madre Mountains and the Snowy Range nearGrand Encampment.[25]
Once government-sponsored expeditions to the Yellowstone country began, Colter's and Bridger's descriptions of the region's landscape were confirmed. In 1872,Yellowstone National Park was created as the world's first, to protect this area. Nearly all of the park lies within the northwestern corner of Wyoming.
On July 10, 1940, the U.S. Post Office issued a postage stamp commemorating the 50th anniversary of Wyoming statehood. The engraving depicts the Wyoming state seal, which features a central figure of a woman in front of a banner reading 'equal rights'
On December 10, 1869, territorial GovernorJohn Allen Campbell extended the right to vote to women, making Wyoming the first territory to do so, and upon statehood became the first state to grantwomen's suffrage.[26] Women first served on juries in Wyoming (Laramie in 1870). Wyoming was also a pioneer in welcoming women into electoral politics.[27] It had the first female court bailiff (Mary Atkinson, Laramie, in 1870), and the first femalejustice of the peace in the country (Esther Hobart Morris, South Pass City, in 1870). In 1924, Wyoming was the first state to elect a female governor,Nellie Tayloe Ross, who took office in January 1925.[28] Due to its civil-rights history, one of Wyoming's state nicknames is "The Equality State", and the official state motto is "Equal Rights".[1]
Wyoming's constitution also included a pioneering article onwater rights.[29] Bills for Wyoming Territory's admission to the union were introduced in both theU.S. Senate andU.S. House of Representatives in December 1889. On March 27, 1890, the House passed the bill and PresidentBenjamin Harrison signed Wyoming's statehood bill; Wyoming became the 44th state in the union.[1]
Wyoming was the location of theJohnson County War of 1892, which erupted between competing groups of cattle ranchers. The passage of theHomestead Act led to an influx of small ranchers. Arange war broke out when either or both of the groups chose violent conflict over commercial competition in the use of the public land.
Wyoming's climate is generallysemi-arid andcontinental (Köppen climate classificationBSk) and is drier and windier in comparison to most of the United States with greater temperature extremes.[30][31] Much of this is due to the topography of the state. Summers in Wyoming are warm with July high temperatures averaging between 80 and 90 °F (27 and 32 °C) in most of the state. With increasing elevation, however, this average drops rapidly with locations above 9,000 feet (2,700 m) averaging around 70 °F (21 °C). Summer nights throughout the state are characterized by a rapid cooldown with even the hottest locations averaging in the 50–60 °F (10–16 °C) range at night. In most of the state, most of the precipitation tends to fall in the late spring and early summer. Winters are cold but are variable with periods of sometimes extreme cold interspersed between generally mild periods, withChinook winds providing unusually warm temperatures in some locations.
Wyoming is a dry state with much of the land receiving less than 10 inches (250 mm) of rainfall per year. Precipitation depends on elevation with lower areas in theBig Horn Basin averaging 5–8 inches (130–200 mm), making the area nearly a truedesert. The lower areas in the North and on the eastern plains typically average around 10–12 inches (250–300 mm), making the climate theresemi-arid. Some mountain areas do receive a good amount of precipitation, 20 inches (510 mm) or more, much of it as snow, sometimes 200 inches (510 cm) or more annually. The state's highest recorded temperature is 114 °F (46 °C) atBasin on July 12, 1900, and the lowest recorded temperature is −66 °F (−54 °C) atRiverside on February 9, 1933.
The number ofthunderstorm days varies across the state with the southeastern plains of the state having the most days of thunderstorm activity. Thunderstorm activity in the state is highest during the late spring and early summer. The southeastern corner of the state is the most vulnerable part of the state totornado activity. Moving away from that point and westwards, the incidence of tornadoes drops dramatically with the west part of the state showing little vulnerability. Tornadoes, where they occur, tend to be small and brief, unlike some of those that occur farther east.
Casper climate: Average maximum and minimum temperatures, and average rainfall.
As specified in the designating legislation for theTerritory of Wyoming, Wyoming's borders are lines oflatitude41°N and45°N, andlongitude 104°3'W and 111°3'W (27 and 34 west of theWashington Meridian)—ageodesic quadrangle.[34] Wyoming is one of only three states (the others beingColorado andUtah) to have borders defined byonly "straight" lines. Due to surveying inaccuracies during the 19th century, Wyoming's legal border deviates from the truelatitude andlongitude lines by up to one-half mile (0.80 km) in some spots, especially in the mountainous region along the45th parallel.[35] Wyoming is bordered on the north byMontana, on the east bySouth Dakota andNebraska, on the south byColorado, on the southwest byUtah, and on the west byIdaho. It is the tenth largest state in the United States in total area, containing 97,814 square miles (253,340 km2) and is made up of 23 counties. From the north border to the south border, it is 276 miles (444 km); and from the east to the west border is 365 miles (587 km) at its south end and 342 miles (550 km) at the north end.
The Snowy Range in the south-central part of the state is an extension of the ColoradoRockies both in geology and in appearance. The Wind River Range in the west central part of the state is remote and includes more than 40 mountain peaks in excess of 13,000 ft (4,000 m) tall in addition toGannett Peak, the highest peak in the state. The Bighorn Mountains in the north-central portion are somewhat isolated from the bulk of the Rocky Mountains.
The Teton Range in the northwest extends for 50 miles (80 km), part of which is included inGrand Teton National Park. The park includes theGrand Teton, the second-highest peak in the state.
The Continental Divide forks in the south-central part of the state in an area known as theGreat Divide Basin where water that precipitates onto or flows into it cannot reach an ocean—itall sinks into the soil and eventually evaporates.
Several rivers begin in or flow through the state, including the Yellowstone River, Bighorn River, Green River, and the Snake River.
Basins
Much of Wyoming is covered with large basins containing different eco-regions, from shrublands to smaller patches of desert.[36] Regions of the state classified as basins contain everything from large geologic formations to sand dunes and vast unpopulated spaces.[37] Basin landscapes are typically at lower elevations and include rolling hills, valleys, mesas, terraces and other rugged terrain, but also include natural springs as well as rivers and artificial reservoirs.[38] They have common plant species such as various subspecies ofsagebrush,juniper and grasses such aswheatgrass, but basins are known for their diversity of plant and animal species.[36]
Since 2024, Wyoming license plates feature the flag of Wyoming in the background.
Wyoming license plates have a number on the left that indicates the county where the vehicle is registered, ranked by an earlier census.[39] Specifically, the numbers are representative of the property values of the counties in 1930.[40] The county license plate numbers are:
The largest population centers areCheyenne (southeast) andCasper.
The2020 United States census counted 576,851 people living in Wyoming.[43] Thecenter of population of Wyoming is inNatrona County.[44][45] Sparsely populated, Wyoming is the least populous state of the United States. Wyoming has the second-lowest population density in the country (behindAlaska) and is the sparsest-populated of the 48contiguous states. It is one of only two states with a population smaller than that of the nation's capital; the only other state with this distinction isVermont.
According to the 2020 census, the population's racial composition was 84.7%white (81.4% non-Hispanic white), 2.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% Black or African American, 0.9% Asian American, and 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 3.5% from some other race, and 7.5% from two or more races.[48] As of 2011, 24.9% of Wyoming's population younger than age1 were minorities.[49] According to data from theAmerican Community Survey, as of 2018, Wyoming was the only U.S. state where African Americans earn a higher median income than white workers.[50]
Ethnic origins in Wyoming
As of 2015, Wyoming had an estimated population of 586,107, which was an increase of 1,954, or 0.29%, from the prior year and an increase of 22,481, or 3.99%, since the2010 census. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 12,165 (33,704 births minus 21,539 deaths) and an increase from net migration of 4,035 into the state. Immigration resulted in a net increase of 2,264 and migration within the country produced a net increase of 1,771. In 2004, the foreign-born population was 11,000 (2.2%). In 2005, total births in Wyoming were 7,231 (birth rate of 14.04 per thousand).[51]
Wyoming experienced its first population decline since 1990, with a decrease of just over 1,000 people (0.2 percent) from July 2015 to July 2016. This decline was attributed to the downturn in the state's mineral extraction industry, particularly the oil and gas sector, which led to the loss of thousands of jobs. However, state economist Jim Robinson noted signs of economic stabilization. Job losses in the oil and gas industry appeared to have leveled off, and there was a slight increase in drilling activity in recent months. While the state's economy showed little growth, it was considered to have reached a more stable condition as of late 2016.[52]
Since 2016, data for births ofWhite Hispanic origin are not collected, but included in oneHispanic group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
In 2007, theAmerican Community Survey reported 6.2% (30,419) of Wyoming's population over five spoke a language other than English at home. Of those, 68.1% were able to speak English very well, 16.0% spoke English well, 10.9% did not speak English well, and 5.0% did not speak English at all.[66]
A 2010Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) report recognized as Wyoming's largest denominationsthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), with 62,804 (11%); the Catholic Church, with 61,222 (10.8%); and theSouthern Baptist Convention, with 15,812 (2.8%). The report counted 59,247 evangelical Protestants (10.5%), 36,539 mainline Protestants (6.5%), 785 Eastern Orthodox Christians; 281 Black Protestants; 65,000 adhering to other traditions; and 340,552 claiming no religious tradition.[71] In 2020, ARDA reported the state's largest individual denominations as the following: the Catholic Church (69,500); the LDS Church (67,729); and the Southern Baptist Convention (11,082). Non-denominational Protestants were 23,410 in number.[72]
According to ARDA's 2020 report, the Roman Catholics had an adherence rate of 120.48 per 1,000 people, Mormons 117.41 per 1,000 people, and Southern Baptists 19.21 per 1,000 people. Non-denominational Protestants had an adherence rate of 40.58 per 1,000 people; these trends reflected the separate 2014 Pew study's varying attendance at religious services. In 2014, 38% visited a religious service at least once a week, 28% once or twice a month, and 32% seldom/never.[69] A 2018 research article by theNational Christian Foundation cited non-churchgoing Christians nationwide did not attend religious services often through practicing the faith in other ways, not finding a house of worship they liked, disliking sermons and feeling unwelcomed, and logistics.[73]
According to a United States Bureau of Economic Analysis report, Wyoming'sgross state product in 2022 was $49.8 billion.[74] As of 2014, the population was growing slightly with the most growth in tourist-oriented areas, such asTeton County. Boom conditions in neighboring states, such asNorth Dakota, were drawing energy workers away. About half of Wyoming's counties showed population loss.[75] The state makes active efforts through Wyoming Grown, an internet-based recruitment program, to find jobs for young people educated in Wyoming who have emigrated but may wish to return.[76]
The mineral-extraction industry and travel and tourism sector are the main drivers of Wyoming's economy.[77] The federal government owns about 42.3% of its landmass, while the state controls 6%.[77] The total taxable value of mining production in Wyoming in 2007 was over $14.5 billion. In 2018,tourism industry contributed approximately $3.8 billion in spending from domestic and international visitors.[77]
Historically, agriculture has been an important component of Wyoming's economy. Its overall importance to the economy has waned, but it is still an essential part of Wyoming's culture and lifestyle. The main agricultural commodities Wyoming produces include livestock (beef),hay,sugar beets, grain (wheat and barley), andwool. More than 91% of Wyoming's land is classified as rural.
Wyoming is the home of only a handful of companies with a regional or national presence.Taco John's andSierra Trading Post, both in Cheyenne, are privately held.Cloud Peak Energy in Gillette and U.S. Energy Corp. (NASDAQ: USEG) in Riverton are Wyoming's only publicly traded companies.
Various initiatives have been put in place and legislation adopted to encourage the use of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies in the state.[78]Tyler Lindholm, a former state legislator, claimed that 500 member-owned limited liability companies built on blockchain had been established and that 17,000 businesses with "crypto" in their name were registered by 2023. State legislators appointed a commission in 2023 to create astablecoin, aiming to be the first cryptocurrency created by a U.S. state.[79][80][81]
Wyoming produced 277 millionshort tons (251 million metric tons) of coal in 2019, a 9% drop from 2018.[84]Wyoming's coal production peaked in 2008, when 514 million short tons (466 million metric tons) were produced.[84] Wyoming has a reserve of 68.7 billion tons (62.3 billion metric tons) of coal. Major coal areas include thePowder River Basin and theGreen River Basin. In 2002,coalbed methane extraction (CBM), a method for the extracting of methane, yielded 327.5 billion cubic feet (9.3 km3).[citation needed] In 2016, Wyoming produced 1.77 trillion cubic feet (50 billion m3) of natural gas, ranking the state sixth nationwide in natural gas production.[85]
Oil
Wyoming produced 53.4 million barrels (8.49×10^6 m3) of crude oil in 2007, ranking fifth nationwide in oil production. By 2022, Wyoming ranked eighth nationally in the production of both crude oil and natural gas and was the second-largest producer of oil and gas on federal lands. At its peak in 2022, the state had 27,951 producing wells, including 10,120 oil wells and 17,800 gas wells. Wyoming’s oil reserves were estimated at 978 million barrels at the end of 2021, representing 2.4% of U.S. reserves. The state had four operational refineries in 2022 with a combined refining capacity of 125,850 barrels per day, a significant reduction from the 14 refineries operating in 1981.[86][87]
Because of its geography and altitude, the potential for wind energy in Wyoming is one of the highest of any U.S. state. TheChokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project is the largest commercial wind generation facility under development in North America.[88]Carbon County is home to the largest proposed wind farm in the nation. Construction plans have been halted because of proposed new taxes on wind power energy production.[89]
Other
TheKelsey Lake Diamond Mine in Colorado, less than 1,000 feet (300 m) from the Wyoming border, produced gem-quality diamonds for several years.[citation needed] TheWyoming craton, which hosts thekimberlitevolcanic pipes that were mined, underlies most of Wyoming.Wyoming possesses the world's largest known reserve oftrona,[90] a mineral used in manufacturing glass, paper, soaps, baking soda, water softeners, and pharmaceuticals. In 2008, Wyoming produced 46 million short tons (41.7 million metric tons) of trona, 25% of the world's production.[90]Althoughuranium mining in Wyoming is much less active than in previous decades, a sharprise in uranium prices in 2007 spurred new interest in prospecting and mining.[91] In 2024, the uranium industry in the state experienced a significant resurgence due to a sharp increase in uranium prices.[92] Rare earth metals are also among Wyoming's mineral commodities.[93]
Taxes
Unlike most other states, Wyoming levies no individual or corporateincome tax. It also assesses no tax on retirement income earned and received from another state. Wyoming has a statesales tax of 4%. Counties have the option to collect an additional 1% tax for general revenue and a 1% tax for specific purposes, if approved by voters. Food for human consumption is not subject to sales tax.[94] A county lodging tax varies from 2% to 5%. The state collects ause tax of 5% on items purchased elsewhere and brought into Wyoming. Allproperty tax is based on the property's assessed value; Wyoming's Department of Revenue's Ad Valorem Tax Division supports, trains, and guides local government agencies in the uniform assessment, valuation and taxation of locally assessed property. "Assessed value" means taxable value; "taxable value" means a percentage of the fair market value of property in a particular class. Statutes limit property tax increases. For county revenue, the property tax rate cannot exceed 12mills (or 1.2%) of assessed value. For cities and towns, the rate is limited to eightmills (0.8%). With very few exceptions, state law limits the property tax rate for all governmental purposes.
Personal property held for personal use is tax-exempt. Inventory held for resale, pollution control equipment, cash, accounts receivable, stocks and bonds are also exempt. Other exemptions include property used for religious, educational, charitable, fraternal, benevolent and government purposes and improvements for handicapped access. Mine lands, underground mining equipment, and oil and gas extraction equipment are exempt from property tax, but companies must pay a gross products tax on minerals and aseverance tax on mineral production.[95][96]
Wyoming does not collectinheritance taxes. There is limitedestate tax related to federal estate tax collection.
In 2008, theTax Foundation reported that Wyoming had the most "business-friendly" tax climate of any U.S. state.[97] Wyoming state and local governments in fiscal year 2007 collected $2.242 billion in taxes, levies, and royalties from the oil and gas industry. The state's mineral industry, including oil, gas,trona, and coal, provided $1.3 billion in property taxes from 2006 mineral production.[86] As of 2017, Wyoming receives more federal tax dollars as a percentage of state general revenue than any state exceptMontana.[98]
As of 2016, Wyoming does not require the beneficial owners ofLLCs to be disclosed in the filing, which creates an opportunity for a tax haven, according toClark Stith of Clark Stith & Associates.[99] If fact, Wyoming was the first state to enact a statute authorizing the creation of LLCs.[100] By 2024, company registrations were higher per capita in Wyoming than those in Delaware, which is historically the most prominent US tax haven.[101] Entities linked toforeign adversaries have been observed exploiting Wyoming's business filing policies for fraudulent purposes, prompting state legislators to draft bills for increased oversight and restrictions. One of these bills, targeting foreign adversaries, was signed into law on February 24, 2025.[102][101]
Interstate 25 enters Wyoming south of Cheyenne and runs north, intersecting Interstate 80 immediately west of Cheyenne. It passes through Casper and ends at Interstate 90, nearBuffalo.Interstate 80 crosses the Utah border west ofEvanston and runs east through the southern third of the state, passing through Cheyenne before entering Nebraska nearPine Bluffs.Interstate 90 comes into Wyoming nearParkman and cuts through the northeastern part of the state. It servesGillette and enters South Dakota east ofSundance.
U.S. Routes14,16, andthe eastern section of U.S. 20 have their western terminus at the eastern entrance to Yellowstone National Park and pass throughCody. U.S. 14 runs eastward before joining I-90 atGillette. U.S. 14 then follows I-90 to the South Dakota border. U.S. 16 and 20 split off of U.S. 14 atGreybull and U.S. 16 turns east atWorland while U.S. 20 continues southShoshoni.U.S. Route 287 runs fromFort Collins, Colorado, toLaramie, Wyoming, through a pass between theLaramie Mountains and theMedicine Bow Mountains, then merges with US 30 and I-80 until it reaches Rawlins, where it continues north, passing Lander. Outside ofMoran, U.S. 287 is part of a large interchange with U.S. Highways 26, 191, and 89, before continuing north to Yellowstone's southern entrance. U.S. 287 continues north of Yellowstone, but the park separates the two sections.
Chief Washakie established the reservation in 1868[110] as the result of negotiations with the federal government in theFort Bridger Treaty,[111] but the federal government forced the Northern Arapaho onto the Shoshone reservation in 1876 after it failed to provide a promised separate reservation.[111]
Today the Wind River Indian Reservation is jointly owned, with each tribe having a 50% interest in the land, water, and other natural resources.[112] It is a sovereign, self-governed land with two independent governing bodies: the Eastern Shoshone Tribe and the Northern Arapaho Tribe. Until 2014, the Shoshone Business Council and Northern Arapaho Business Council met jointly as the Joint Business Council to decide matters that affect both tribes.[110] Six elected council members from each tribe served on the joint council.
The Rocky Mountain Herbarium at the University of Wyoming
The state superintendent of public instruction, an elected state official, directspublic education. The State Board of Education, a nine-member board appointed by the governor, sets educational policy. The constitution prohibits the state from establishing curriculum and textbook selections; these are the prerogative of local school boards. TheWyoming School for the Deaf was the only in-state school dedicated to supportingdeaf students before it closed in the summer of 2000.[114]
Before the passing of a new law in 2006, Wyoming had hosted unaccredited institutions, many of them suspecteddiploma mills.[115] The 2006 law requires unaccredited institutions to make one of three choices: move out of Wyoming, close down, or apply for accreditation. TheOregon State Office of Degree Authorization predicted in 2007 that in a few years the problem of diploma mills in Wyoming might be resolved.[116]
Wyoming's media market consists of 16 broadcast TV stations, radio stations and dozens of small to medium-sized newspapers.[117][118][119] There are also a few small independent news sources such as the nonprofit news site Wyofile.com[120] and Oil City News.[121]
The Wyoming State Liquor Association is the state's sole legal wholesale distributor of spirits, making it analcoholic beverage control state. With the exception of wine, state law prohibits the purchase of alcoholic beverages for resale from any other source.[122]
Judicial system
Wyoming's highest court is theSupreme Court of Wyoming, with five justices presiding over appeals from the state's lower courts. Wyoming is unusual in that it does not have an intermediateappellate court, like most states. This is largely attributable to the state's population and correspondingly lower caseload. Appeals from the state district courts go directly to the Wyoming Supreme Court. Wyoming also has state circuit courts (formerly county courts), of limited jurisdiction, which handle certain types of cases, such as civil claims with lower dollar amounts, misdemeanor criminal offenses, andfelonyarraignments. Circuit court judges also commonly hear small claims cases as well.
Before 1972, Wyoming judges were selected by popular vote on a nonpartisan ballot. This earlier system was criticized by the state bar which called for the adoption of theMissouri Plan, a system designed to balance judiciary independence with judiciary accountability. In 1972, an amendment to Article5 of theWyoming Constitution, which incorporated a modified version of the plan, was adopted by the voters. Since the adoption of the amendment, all state court judges in Wyoming are nominated by the Judicial Nominating Commission and appointed by the Governor. They are then subject to aretention vote by the electorate one year after appointment.[123]
Wyoming's political history defies easy classification. The state was the first to grant women the right to vote and to elect a woman governor.[125] On December 10, 1869,John Allen Campbell, the first Governor of the Wyoming Territory, approved the first law in United States history explicitly granting women the right to vote. This day was later commemorated as Wyoming Day.[125] On November 5, 1889, voters approved the first constitution in the world granting full voting rights to women.[125]
While the state elected notableDemocrats to federal office in the 1960s and 1970s, politics have become decidedly more conservative since the 1980s as theRepublican Party came to dominate the state's congressional delegation. Today, Wyoming is represented in Washington by its two Senators,John Barrasso andCynthia Lummis, and its one member of the House of Representatives, CongresswomanHarriet Hageman. All three are Republicans; a Democrat has not represented Wyoming in the Senate since 1977 or in the House since 1978. The state has not voted for a Democrat for president since 1964, one of only eight times since statehood. In the 2004 presidential election,George W. Bush won his second-largest victory, with 69% of the vote. Former Vice PresidentDick Cheney is a Wyoming resident and represented the state in Congress from 1979 to 1989.
The last time a Democrat won a statewide election in Wyoming was in2006, when Democratic governorDave Freudenthal was re-elected to a second term by a wide margin, winning every county in the state. For 19 of Wyoming's 23 counties, 2006 marked the last time that they voted for the Democratic nominee in a statewide race. Of the remaining 4,Sweetwater County last voted Democratic in the2008 U.S. House race andLaramie County last voted Democratic in the2014 Superintendent of Public Instruction race, leavingTeton andAlbany as the only counties that Democrats are able to win. Teton, which is composed of affluent resort communities, is reliably Democratic, except in Republican landslides like the2022 gubernatorial election; Albany, which contains the college town ofLaramie, is more competitive.
Republicans are dominant at the state level. They have held a majority in the state senate continuously since 1936 and in the state house since 1964, though Democrats held thegovernorship for all but eight years between 1975 and 2011. Uniquely, Wyoming elected DemocratNellie Tayloe Ross as the first woman in United States history to serve as state governor. She served from 1925 to 1927, winning a special election after her husband,William Bradford Ross, unexpectedly died a little more than a year into his term.[126]
^CHAP. 664.—An act to provide for the admission of the State of Wyoming into the Union, and for other purposes. 26 Stat.222. Fifty-First US Congress. Approved July 10, 1890.
^Hyon B. Shin; Robert A. Kominski (April 2010)."Language Use in the United States: 2007"(PDF).United States Census Bureau. United States Department of Commerce.Archived(PDF) from the original on June 14, 2013. RetrievedMay 27, 2013.
^"GDP by State". Bureau of Economic Analysis. RetrievedNovember 15, 2024.
^Star-Tribune staff writers (March 29, 2015)."Wyoming's population growth slows".Casper Star-Tribune.Archived from the original on October 19, 2017. RetrievedJuly 16, 2015....according to Wyoming's Economic Analysis Division
^Julie Turkewitz (July 15, 2015)."Wyoming, Long on Pride but Short on People, Hopes to Lure Some Back".The New York Times.Archived from the original on July 19, 2015. RetrievedJuly 16, 2015.This effort has taken the form of an Internet-based recruitment program called Wyoming Grown. Young Wyomingites who have left the state sign up on the program's website and quickly receive a call from a recruiter who helps link them to work here.
^"About us".wyofile.com. Wyofile. January 17, 2021.Archived from the original on December 21, 2020. RetrievedJanuary 17, 2021.
^"About us".oilcity.news. Oil City News. January 17, 2021.Archived from the original on January 12, 2021. RetrievedJanuary 17, 2021.
^"Common Questions". Wyoming State Liquor Association. Archived fromthe original on February 12, 2014. RetrievedFebruary 18, 2014.
^Hubble, Larry; et al. (2008).The Equality State: Government and Politics in Wyoming (6th ed.). Peosta, Iowa: Eddie Bowers Publishing Co. pp. 91–92.ISBN978-1-57879-076-0.
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