First on Fox: Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray runs for Congress
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FIRST ON FOX: Wyoming Republican Secretary of State Chuck Gray announced Monday that he is running for Congress to replace Rep. Harriett Hageman, who recently opted to run for the U.S. Senate.
Gray, an outspoken ally of former President Donald Trump, said he made the decision after prayer and conversations with voters across the state.
“I’m running for Congress to continue to fight for Wyoming’s way of life,” Gray said in a press release. “With Congresswoman Harriet Hageman running for U.S. Senate, Wyoming needs a representative who will build on her strong record, advance our shared values in Wyoming, and advance the Trump agenda that has delivered the largest margin of victory in the nation in three consecutive presidential elections.”
Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray is running for Congress to replace Rep. Harriet Hageman after announcing his run for Senate. (Fox News Digital/Getty)
In his announcement video, Gray describes himself as “Wyoming tough” and “America First” while pledging to crack down on Chinese influence in the United States, treat drug traffickers as “terrorists,” reject the left’s “woke” energy policies, protect women’s sports and deport “every” illegal alien.
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“If you elect me, they’ll notice,” Gray says in the video.
Gray has served as Wyoming’s top elections official since winning the race for secretary of state in 2022, after campaigning on election integrity issues. As secretary of state, he oversaw the implementation of several conservative election reforms, including requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration, banning ranked-choice voting, and restricting foreign financing of elections.
He also moved to limit third-party involvement in election administration and supported measures to prevent cross-voting in Republican primaries.
“My record shows that I do what I say,” Gray said. “In Congress, I will secure the border, unlock Wyoming’s energy, lower costs for families, and protect the Second Amendment.”
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Representative Harriet Hageman, Republican of Wyoming, speaks during a House Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington, DC. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Gray gained national attention in 2023 when he publicly opposed efforts to remove Trump from the presidential ballots under the 14th Amendment. He led the filing of an amicus brief before the Colorado Supreme Court and later became the only secretary of state to submit a brief to the United States Supreme Court explicitly supporting Trump’s electability.
“When political insiders abandoned President Trump, I didn’t flinch,” Gray said. “I stood with the president and the American people, because in this country, voters decide elections, not radical left lawyers.”
Gray’s campaign highlighted several national conservative awards he has received, including recognition from CPAC, the Club for Growth and Wyoming Right to Life. His team also cited an internal poll showing Gray leading among potential primary opponents.
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President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a campaign event Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The solid red seat was previously held by former Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican who lost her 2022 primary to Hageman after breaking with party leadership and becoming one of former President Donald Trump’s most vocal critics.
Hageman announced earlier this month that she is running for Senate to replace outgoing Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis.
“I will work to stand with President Trump and continue to deliver common-sense energy independence policies that will protect and grow Wyoming’s key industries,” Gray told Fox News Digital.
“Woke wind subsidies and green boondoggles must be eliminated. We must continue President Trump’s great work to secure the border. I will also work to pass the SAVE Act, Proof of Citizenship for Voter Registration, passed in Congress so that every state benefits from this election integrity reform we led in Wyoming.”
