Former Wyoming Superintendent Announces Run For U.S. House

Jillian Balow, the former Wyoming state superintendent of public instruction, announced she is running for Congress in Wyoming’s at-large U.S. House district, setting up a bid to succeed Rep. Harriet Hageman.

“Wyoming deserves a representative who understands our way of life and fights for it every day in Washington,” Balow said in a statement. She said her campaign will focus on defending the state’s energy economy, protecting constitutional freedoms, supporting parents and students, and ensuring rural communities are heard.

The race is open after Hageman launched a U.S. Senate campaign last month, following Sen. Cynthia Lummis’ announcement that she will not seek re-election.

Balow praised both Lummis and Hageman for what she called their commitment to Wyoming values. “They are trailblazers for our state, and I am running to carry that same strong, independent Wyoming voice forward and fight for our state with the same conviction and resolve,” she said.

Balow will face competition in the Republican primary from Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray and businessman Reid Rasner, who lost the 2024 GOP Senate primary to Sen. John Barasso.

In 2022, Balow left her post as Wyoming’s state superintendent to become Virginia’s superintendent of public instruction, a position she resigned from in 2023.

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

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Below you can watch Balow's comments from two years ago as the Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction on Virginia's 2022 NAEP results and how the commonwealth will respond to learning losses in reading and mathematics.