Breaking: Cynthia Lummis Announces Run for Enzi’s US Senate Seat

A former congressional representative from Wyoming is running for one of the state's two seats in the U.S. Senate, her campaign announced Thursday.

Republican Cynthia Lummis will seek election to the seat currently held by U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, who plans to retire when his current term ends in early 2021.

Lummis pledged early Thursday to stand "shoulder-to-shoulder" with President Donald Trump to "enact a conservative agenda that will benefit Wyoming families, Wyoming businesses, and Wyoming communities."

“In both Washington and Cheyenne, I fought to protect the values and freedoms of Wyoming individuals and families, and I can’t in good conscience watch from the sidelines as our way of life is threatened by liberal ideologues in DC,” said Lummis. “A new crop of socialist lawmakers are waging war on our freedoms. And radical environmental groups continue to thwart commonsense energy solutions.”

Lummis continued, “Washington simply can’t seem to keep its nose out of Wyoming’s business. The heartbreaking layoffs in Campbell County are an example of this. People back here in Wyoming are continuing to be devastated by Obama-era policies aimed at regulating our natural resources out of existence. Wyoming’s next Senator needs to be a voice for the voiceless – especially Wyoming’s energy families.”

Two others have made formal announcements for the seat: conservative Josh Wheeler of Casper and Democrat Yana Ludwig of Laramie.

Some in Washington and elsewhere have speculated that Rep. Liz Cheney may seek the open Senate seat, but Cheney has not made any statement defining her intent.

Billionaire Foster Friess is considering a run as well.

Lummis previously held the U.S. House of Representatives seat now occupied by Cheney. Lummis occupied the seat from 1999 to 2007.

Her first elected position was in the Wyoming House of Representatives with a four-year term from 1979 to 1983. She served again from 1985 to 1993, when she moved to the Wyoming Senate until 1995.

Lummis later won the race for state treasurer in 1998 and held that position until 2007 under Gov. Jim Geringer followed by Gov. Dave Freudenthal.

A telephone news conference is set for 12 p.m. Thursday.