Chuck Gray Eyes Higher Office, Tests Waters for Governor or Congress Run

Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray is making some political noise — and possibly laying the groundwork for a bigger run, Wyoming News Now reports.

This week, Gray confirmed he’s “exploring” a campaign for either governor of Wyoming or the state’s lone seat in the US House of Representatives, saying he’s been “strongly encouraged” to jump in.

No official announcement yet, but Gray just dropped internal polling to test the waters — and gauge whether he’s got enough juice to make it through a primary. The results? Mixed, but interesting.

Gray’s survey was conducted by Fabrizio, Lee & Associates — a GOP polling firm best known for doing work for Donald Trump, among others. From July 15–17, they asked 500 registered Republican voters in Wyoming about a few familiar names and how they’d feel about supporting them in either a gubernatorial or congressional race.

When it came to name recognition, Gray led the pack — 73% of respondents had heard of him, more than any other candidate. Wyoming Superintendent Megan Degenfelder followed at 46%, and the rest — names like Bo Biteman, Chip Neiman, and Cheri Steinmetz — hovered in the 40% range.

But recognition doesn’t equal love. When voters were asked how favorably they viewed the candidates, Degenfelder topped the list at 62% favorable, while Gray came in fourth at 55%.

As for the actual races? Voters were mostly undecided.

In a hypothetical governor’s race, 56% said they didn’t know who they’d support. Gray had the most support at 12%, with Brent Bien and Sen. Eric Barlow tied for second at 6%.

In a congressional matchup, 58% were still undecided. Gray again led the pack, this time at 16%, with the next closest candidates trailing by nearly 10 points.

One notable twist in the poll? When voters were told about Gray’s strong support for Trump, his numbers improved. He was endorsed by Trump during his 2022 campaign for Secretary of State, and that stamp of approval still matters big-time in Wyoming politics.

Just look back to 2022 — Trump’s endorsement of Harriet Hageman over Liz Cheney helped flip the state’s US House seat by over 30 points.

Gray hasn’t declared which race he might enter — or if he’ll run at all. But a few key decisions from Gov. Mark Gordon and Rep. Hageman will shape the playing field.

• Gordon, now in his second term, hasn’t ruled out a third — though Gray argues the state constitution would block that. The law is murky, and while Wyoming’s Supreme Court struck down legislative term limits in 2004, it didn’t apply that ruling to the governor’s office.
• Hageman hasn’t made her plans clear either, but an active reelection bid could complicate Gray’s path to DC.

Worth noting: The poll didn’t include Joseph Kibler, who’s already announced a run for governor, or Reid Rasner, who’s filed paperwork but hasn’t formally entered the race.