2010 Wyoming gubernatorial election
The 2010 Wyoming gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010, to elect the governor of Wyoming. Party primaries were held on August 17.
While it was initially thought that term limits would prevent incumbent Democratic governor Dave Freudenthal from running for re-election, the constitutionality of the term limit law has been questioned, leaving the possibility that if Freudenthal had successfully challenged the law, he might have been able to run for a third term. On March 4, 2010, Freudenthal announced he would not run for a third term.
Republican Matt Mead flipped every county from Democratic to Republican as he won by getting around two-thirds of the votes polled.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
- Pete Gosar, teacher, commercial pilot, state employee and small business owner, brother of Rep. Paul Gosar
- Al Hamburg, retired painter and perennial candidate
- Leslie Petersen, former Teton County Commissioner and Chair of the Wyoming Democratic Party
- Rex Wilde, cabinet maker
- Chris Zachary, former psychiatrist
Declined
- Larry Clapp, attorney and former mayor of Casper
- Dave Freudenthal, incumbent governor
- Paul Hickey, attorney
- Mike Massie, State Senator
Polling
| Poll source | Dates administered | Leslie Petersen | Pete Gosar | Al Hamburg | Chris Zachary | Rex Wilde | Undecided |
| WTE/Aspen Media & Market Research | July 26–29, 2010 | 34% | 9% | 5% | 1% | 4% | 39% |
| Casper Star Tribune | July 26–28, 2010 | 30% | 22% | 2% | 1% | <1% | 45% |
Republican primary
Candidates
- Alan Kousoulos, 19-year WYDOT supervisor
- Matt Mead, former U.S. attorney
- Rita Meyer, Wyoming state auditor
- Ron Micheli, former state representative and former director of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture
- John Self, candidate for governor in 2002 and 2006
- Colin M. Simpson, Speaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives
- Tom Ubben
Polling
| Poll source | Dates administered | Rita Meyer | Matt Mead | Colin Simpson | Ron Micheli | Alan Kousoulos | Undecided |
| WTE/Aspen Media & Market Research | July 26–29, 2010 | 23% | 18% | 10% | 20% | 1% | 25% |
| Casper Star-Tribune | July 26–28, 2010 | 27% | 24% | 17% | 12% | 2% | 18% |
General election
Candidates
- Matt Mead
- Leslie Peterson
- Mike Wheeler
- Taylor Haynes