Former governor policy advisor announces bid for superintendent of public instruction

Chad Auer, who recently served as senior policy adviser for Gov. Mark Gordon, declared Tuesday he’s running for state Superintendent of Public Instruction. Auer, 54, of Cheyenne, joins the race against state Rep. Tom Kelly, a 56-year-old Republican of Sheridan, setting up a heavyweight GOP primary on Aug. 18.

Incumbent Superintendent Megan Degenfelder is not seeking reelection; she’s running for governor against state Sen. Eric Barlow and Cody Republican Brent Bien.

Auer’s last day with the governor’s office was Friday. He told Cowboy State Daily the response to his potential candidacy was “overwhelmingly supportive,” adding that Gordon encouraged him to run, though he hasn’t sought formal endorsements.

Auer served two decades in educational leadership as a teacher, principal and school improvement administrator before earning his law degree from the University of Wyoming. He holds a master’s in education administration and a bachelor’s in biology, with experience in traditional public schools, charter schools and online programs across rural, inner-city, suburban and Native American communities.

“As I talked to people around the state, I told them I was thinking seriously about running,” Auer said. “It was overwhelming how supportive people were.”

Auer believes Wyoming can improve literacy, expand trades education, implement school choice and modernize accountability systems “without falling into the trappings of partisan whiplash.” During his tenure as deputy superintendent of the Wyoming Department of Education, he led a statewide school safety tour convening roundtables with law enforcement, parents and students.

The next superintendent will oversee the tail end of the Legislature’s K-12 funding recalibration. Auer said he doesn’t oppose the instructional “silo”—which prevents districts from using instructional money elsewhere—but called it “incomplete,” preferring local districts retain flexibility. “I would have preferred that we not have an instructional silo. But now that we do, I think the next part of the conversation needs to be how, then, do we also support the operational side?”

Kelly, who served on the House Education Committee and the Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration, welcomed Auer to the race. “This is good news for Wyoming,” Kelly said. “With his credentials and his professionalism—I look forward to having substantive and useful, high-level discussion on policy and governance.”

Kelly spent 10 years as a public school teacher and paraprofessional. He holds a master’s in education and a PhD in political science. He was unable to attend most of this year’s legislative session due to a back injury requiring surgery but is healing and plans to campaign soon.

Kelly said he would have voted for the recalibration law and supports the instructional silo as a way to ensure teacher raises. He noted his early attempt to remove a provision requiring school employees to join the state insurance plan—which was ultimately stripped from the final bill—succeeded despite initially lacking support. “I was the only member on the recalibration team to try to get rid of the mandate,” he said. “I couldn’t even get a second. I ended up winning on that one.”