Sen. Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming Republican, announced Friday that she will not run for reelection in 2026, citing a “change of heart.”
Ms. Lummis, 71, is first-term senator who was elected to her seat in 2020. She spent 12 years in the House before joining the Senate, and served in various state government roles in the decades preceding her congressional career.
“In the difficult, exhausting session weeks this fall I’ve come to accept that I do not have six more years in me,” she said in announcing her decision to retire at the end of her term. “I am a devout legislator, but I feel like a sprinter in a marathon. The energy required doesn’t match up.”
Ms. Lummis said it’s been a “blessing” to serve with Wyoming through the years with her state delegation mates.
“We all put Wyoming first, which has cemented our cohesive working relationship,” she said.
The senator said she was honored to have President Trump’s support and will throw all energy in the remainder of her term partnering with him to bring important legislation to his desk and help Republicans retain control of the Senate in the midterms.
Ms. Lummis was the only woman founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, a conservative group of occasional rabble rousers who have pushed the party’s agenda to the right.
In the Senate, she has served on committees overseeing banking, housing, commerce, transportation and environmental issues.
Ms. Lummis has made a name for herself as an ally of the cryptocurrency industry, pushing legislation to establish a regulatory framework for digital assets that would provide clarity on the jurisdictions of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Wyoming is a red state, so Ms. Lummis’ Senate seat is all but guaranteed to stay in GOP hands.
Republican Rep. Harriet Hageman is a likely candidate to run, because she already represents the entire state in Wyoming’s at-large House seat.
Ms. Hageman, 63, praised Ms. Lummis on social media for serving Wyoming “with integrity, independence and unwavering dedication” for 46 years.
“From the ranch to the halls of Congress, she built one of the most distinguished careers in our state’s history, strengthening both Wyoming and nation through her service,” Ms. Hageman said. “I’m proud to call her a lifelong friend and grateful for her extraordinary service.”
