James Byrd defeats Billy Benavidez in Wyoming Democratic Senate primary

In Wyoming’s Democratic primary for the newly vacant Senate seat, former state representative James Byrd emerged victorious over Billy Benavidez, a former golf-club greenskeeper. Byrd, who previously worked as an exploration geophysicist and later as an IT project manager, highlighted a bipartisan record and campaigned on protecting public lands, expanding energy-related employment, and reducing rural health-care expenses.

Benavidez presented a more libertarian agenda, stressing personal freedom, opposition to government surveillance, free-market policies, and curbing federal power. The open seat became available after Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis announced she would not run again, citing a lack of energy for another six-year term. Republicans have controlled the seat since 1962, with the last Democrat elected in 1954. Byrd also criticized President Donald Trump’s tariffs for harming Wyoming’s beef and agricultural exports and advocated for moderate immigration reforms and data-center development to diversify the state’s economy.