Wyoming Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis announced on Friday that she will not seek re-election in 2026, becoming the fifth GOP senator to announce her retirement this year.
“Deciding not to run for re-election does [not] represent a change of heart for me, but in the difficult, exhausting session weeks this fall I’ve come to accept that I do not have six more years in me,” said Lummis, who has served in the Senate since 2021.
“I am a devout legislator, but I feel like a sprinter in a marathon. The energy required doesn’t match up,” the 71-year-old senator added.
Lummis joins a growing list of Republican senators who have announced this year that they will not seek to remain in the chamber, including longtime GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell (KY), Joni Ernst (IA), Tommy Tuberville (AL), and Thom Tillis (NC).
The Wyoming senator was a strong ally of President Donald Trump, who endorsed her in the 2020 election before Lummis went on to win the primary and general elections in landslide victories.
“I am honored to have earned the support of President Trump and to have the opportunity to work side by side with him to fight for the people of Wyoming,” Lummis added in her statement. “I look forward to continuing this partnership and throwing all my energy into bringing important legislation to his desk in 2026 and into retaining commonsense Republican control of the U.S. Senate.”
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Lummis’ departure will likely not affect the balance of power in the Senate as Wyoming remains a reliably red state, but with her retirement, the GOP must now rally behind a new candidate in 2026. Congresswoman Harriet Hageman, who defeated Trump critic Liz Cheney in 2022, is considered a potential candidate to replace Lummis.
Before being elected to the Senate in the 2020 election, Lummis served in the U.S. House for eight years. She got her start in politics in the Wyoming House of Representatives at just 24 years old. Lummis became known as the “Crypto Queen” in the Senate for her work to develop U.S. regulations on cryptocurrency and establish a national Bitcoin reserve.
“We sincerely thank Senator Cynthia Lummis for her dedicated service to the people of Wyoming and congratulate her on a well-deserved retirement,” The Republican-aligned Senate Leadership Fund said. “Senator Lummis’ strong conservative record is unquestioned, and her list of accomplishments includes ensuring that the United States is the world leader in digital currencies and energy production. While she will be missed, we look forward to seeing many more great things ahead for Senator Cynthia Lummis.”
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