Republican · Wyoming governor · 2026
Eric Barlow
Barlow grew up on the family ranch outside Gillette, joined the Marines after high school and later trained as a veterinarian.
Biography
Eric Barlow and his wife, Kelly, raise cattle, sheep and yak on their family ranch near Gillette.1 They met in ninth grade, married in 1991 and have two children, Kate and Graham; Kelly is an educator who also spent years leading 4 H activities.1
Born in Gillette and raised on that ranch, Barlow graduated from Campbell County High School in 1984 and enlisted in the Marine Corps.1 After his military service, he earned a veterinary degree from Colorado State University in 1998, returned to Wyoming and worked as a veterinarian treating large animals while continuing the ranching operation.1
Barlow served six years on the Wyoming Livestock Board after his appointment in 2006, then won election to the state House in 2012.1 His five House terms included service as majority leader and speaker before he moved to the Senate.1 He now chairs the Senate Labor, Health and Social Services Committee, placing him in a central role in its healthcare and workforce deliberations.2
His campaign emphasizes energy production, rural healthcare access and water infrastructure.3 He opposes November's proposed additional residential property tax exemption, citing the services those taxes support.4 Against Democrat Kenneth Casner and Constitution Party nominee Rebecca Bextel, he is asking voters to choose his approach to state leadership and public services.4