Wyoming Senate Explained

Wyoming State Senate
Coa Pic:Seal of the Wyoming State Legislature.png
House Type:Upper House
Term Limits:None
New Session:January 10, 2023
Leader1 Type:President
Leader1:Ogden Driskill (R)
Election1:January 10, 2023
Leader2 Type:Vice President
Leader2:Dave Kinskey (R)
Election2:January 10, 2023
Leader3 Type:Majority Leader
Leader3:Larry Hicks (R)
Election3:January 10, 2023
Leader4 Type:Minority Leader
Leader4:Chris Rothfuss (D)
Election4:January 7, 2013
Members:31
Structure1:Senate diagram 2023 State of Wyoming.svg
Structure1 Res:250px
Political Groups1:Majority

Minority

Last Election1:November 5, 2024
(15 seats)
Next Election1:November 3, 2026
(16 seats)
Term Length:4 years
Salary:$150/day + per diem
Redistricting:Legislative Control
Website:Wyoming State Legislature

The Wyoming Senate is the upper house of the Wyoming State Legislature. There are 31 Senators in the Senate, representing an equal number of constituencies across Wyoming, each with a population of at least 17,000. The Senate meets at the Wyoming State Capitol in Cheyenne.

Members of the Senate serve four-year terms without term limits. Term limits were declared unconstitutional by the Wyoming Supreme Court in 2004, overturning a decade-old law that had restricted Senators to three terms (twelve years).

Like other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the federal U.S. Senate, the Wyoming Senate can confirm or reject gubernatorial appointments to the state cabinet, commissions, boards, or justices to the Wyoming Supreme Court.

Composition of the Senate

AffiliationParty

(Shading indicates majority caucus)

Total
RepublicanDemocraticVacant
nowrap style="font-size:80%"End of 59th Legislature237300
nowrap style="font-size:80%"End of 60th Legislature237300
nowrap style="font-size:80%"End of 61st Legislature264300
nowrap style="font-size:80%"End of 62nd Legislature264300
nowrap style="font-size:80%"End of 63rd Legislature264300
nowrap style="font-size:80%"End of 64th Legislature273300
nowrap style="font-size:80%"End of 65th Legislature273300
nowrap style="font-size:80%"End of 66th Legislature282300
nowrap style="font-size:80%"Beginning of 67th Legislature292310
nowrap style="font-size:80%"Latest voting share

Leadership

Wyoming, along with Arizona, Maine, and Oregon, is one of the four U.S. states to have abolished the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, a position which for most upper houses of state legislatures and indeed for the U.S. Congress (with the Vice President) is the head of the legislative body. Instead, a separate position of Senate President is in place, removed from the Wyoming executive branch.

The current Senate President is Republican Ogden Driskill of District 1 (Devils Tower).

Position Name Party
Republican
Senate Vice President Republican
Republican
Democratic
Democratic

Members of the Wyoming Senate

DistrictRepresentativePartyResidenceCounties RepresentedNested House districts[1] First electedNext election
1Ogden DriskillRepublicanDevils TowerCampbell, Crook, WestonHD 1, HD 5220102026
2Brian BonerRepublicanDouglasConverse, PlatteHD 6, HD 622015*2024
3Cheri SteinmetzRepublicanLingleGoshen, Niobrara, WestonHD 2, HD 520182026
4Tara NethercottRepublicanCheyenneLaramieHD 7, HD 820162024
5Lynn HutchingsRepublicanCheyenneLaramieHD 12, HD 4220182026
6Anthony BouchardRepublicanCarpenterLaramieHD 4, HD 1020162024
7Stephan PappasRepublicanCheyenneLaramieHD 9, HD 4120142026
8Affie EllisRepublicanCheyenneLaramieHD 11, HD 4420162024
9Chris RothfussDemocraticLaramieAlbanyHD 13, HD 4520102026
10Dan FurphyRepublicanLaramieAlbanyHD 14, HD 4620202024
11Larry S. HicksRepublicanBaggsAlbany, CarbonHD 13, HD 4520102026
12John KolbRepublicanRock SpringsFremont, SweetwaterHD 17, HD 4820202024
13Stacy JonesRepublicanRock SpringsSweetwaterHD 39, HD 6020222026
14Fred BaldwinRepublicanKemmererLincoln, Sublette, Sweetwater, UintaHD 18, HD 2020162024
15Wendy Davis SchulerRepublicanEvanstonUintaHD 19, HD 4920182026
16Dan DockstaderRepublicanAftonLincoln, Sublette, TetonHD 21, HD 2220082024
17Mike GierauDemocraticJackson HoleTetonHD 16, HD 2320182026
18Tim FrenchRepublicanPowellParkHD 24, HD 5020202024
19Dan LaursenRepublicanPowellBig Horn, ParkHD 25, HD 2620142026
20Ed CooperRepublicanTen SleepBig Horn, Hot Springs, Park, WashakieHD 27, HD 2820202024
21Bo BitemanRepublicanRanchesterSheridanHD 29, HD 30, HD 40, HD 5120182026
22Dave KinskeyRepublicanSheridanSheridan, Johnson2014*2024
23Eric BarlowRepublicanGilletteCampbellHD 3, HD 3120222026
24Troy McKeownRepublicanGilletteCampbellHD 32, HD 5320202024
25Cale CaseRepublicanLanderFremontHD 33, HD 5419982026
26Tim SalazarRepublicanRivertonFremontHD 34, HD 5520202024
27Bill LandenRepublicanCasperNatronaHD 35, HD 362007*2026
28James Lee AndersonRepublicanCasperNatronaHD 56, HD 5720122024
29Bob IdeRepublicanCasperNatronaHD 37, HD 5920222026
30Charles ScottRepublicanCasperNatronaHD 38, HD 5819822024
31Evie BrennanRepublicanCheyenneLaramieHD 43, HD 6120222026

*Senator was originally appointed

History

Women in the Senate

Senator Party Residence Senate Term Notes
Republican 1931–1933 First woman in the Wyoming Senate[2] [3]
Willa Wales CorbittDemocraticRiverton1965-1969
Edness Kimball WilkinsDemocraticCasper1967-1973First woman to serve as Speaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives[4]
June BoyleDemocratic 1973–1985
Republican 1979–1985
Democratic 1981–1991
Democratic Laramie 1985–1995
Democratic 1987–1993
Democratic Cheyenne 1989–1993 First African-American to serve in the State Legislature[5] [6]
Democratic 1993–1995
Republican Cheyenne 1993–2005 First female President of the Senate
Republican Casper 1993–1995 Resigned to become U.S. Representative
Republican Cheyenne 1993–1995 Later served as State Treasurer, U.S. Representative, and U.S. Senator
Mary MacGuireRepublican Casper 1993–1995 Son Joe MacGuire currently serves in the Wyoming House of Representatives
Republican Laramie 1997–2005
Democratic 1997–2009
Democratic Cheyenne 1997–2009
Democratic Cheyenne 1999–2011
Democratic Cheyenne 2004–2005
Republican 2005–2009
Democratic 2009–2011
Republican Cheyenne 2011–2015
Democratic Rock Springs 2013–2017
Democratic Rock Springs 2017–2021
Republican Cheyenne 2017–present Member of the Navajo Nation, first Native American to serve in the Wyoming Senate.[7]
Republican Cheyenne 2017–present
Republican Evanston 2019–present
Republican Cheyenne 2019–present
Republican 2019–present
Republican Cheyenne 2023–present
Republican Rock Springs 2023–present

Past composition of the Senate

See main article: Political party strength in Wyoming.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: HB0100 - Redistricting of the legislature. . Wyoming Legislature . 29 November 2024.
  2. Web site: Wyoming Women in the Legislature. 2010. Historical Information. Wyoming Ssecretary of State Office. 29 March 2010. Wyoming.
  3. News: Nation's 147 Women Legislators Active . Associated Press . . January 19, 1931 . March 29, 2010. ("In Wyoming, where women have been voting since 1869, Mrs. Dora McGrath is the first woman ever elected to the senate. Following her election last September she remarked that rather than go down to the legislature she would prefer to 'stay home and win prizes for my apple pies.'")
  4. Book: American legislative leaders in the West, 1911-1994. 1997. Greenwood Press. Sharp, Nancy Weatherly., Sharp, James Roger, 1936-. 031330212X. Westport, Conn.. 35138609.
  5. http://www.uwyo.edu/profiles/extras/liz-byrd.html University of Wyoming-UW Profiles Harriet Elizabeth "Liz" Byrd
  6. http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2015/01/29/news/01top_01-29-15.txt#.VMsWdZ3F-AU "Liz" Byrd, first black woman in Wyoming House, dies at 88"
  7. News: First Native American . Women in Wyoming . live . https://archive.today/20200804115957/https://womeninwyoming.com/affie-ellis . August 4, 2020 . September 7, 2020 .

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