Former education official mounts bid for Wyoming’s at-large U.S. House seat

Former Wyoming State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow is entering the congressional race to succeed Rep. Harriet Hageman in the Cowboy State’s at-large U.S. House district.

“Wyoming deserves a representative who understands our way of life and fights for it every day in Washington,” Balow said, according to a press release obtained by Fox News Digital. “I’m running to defend Wyoming’s energy economy, protect our constitutional freedoms, support parents and students, and ensure the voices of rural communities are never ignored.”

The race is an open contest since Hageman announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate last month after Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis announced she would not run for reelection.

SCOOP: TRUMP ALLY WHO AVOIDED CHENEY LAUNCHES SENATE BID TO KEEP GOP SEAT IN REPUBLICAN HANDS

Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow gestures during a 2022 news conference in Richmond, Virginia. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, file)

“I am proud of the legacy that Senator Cynthia Lummis and Congresswoman Harriet Hageman built by defending Wyoming values ​​and refusing to back down in Washington,” Balow noted, according to the press release. “They are trailblazers for our state, and I am running to carry that same strong, independent Wyoming voice, follow in their footsteps and fight for our state with the same conviction and determination.”

Balow will face competition in the GOP primary for the U.S. House of Representatives seat from Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray and Reid Rasner, who lost the state’s 2024 Republican U.S. Senate primary to incumbent Sen. John Barasso.

‘AMERICA FIRST’: WYOMING SECRETARY OF STATE CHUCK GRAY LAUNCHES HOUSE BID

In 2022, Balow resigned from her role as Wyoming State Superintendent of Public Instruction to become Virginia’s Superintendent of Public Instruction.

She resigned from her Virginia post in 2023.

WYOMING SUPREME COURT DECLINES LAWS RESTRICTING ABORTION VIOLATE STATE CONSTITUTION

Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wy., speaks during the annual CPAC DC conference at the Gaylord National Resort in Oxon Hill, Maryland, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I believe Wyoming leads best when we stand firm on conservative principles and produce real results,” Balow noted, according to the press release. “This campaign is about protecting what makes Wyoming strong and ensuring our state has a confident, independent voice in Congress.”