Harshman Wins Race to Reshape Wyoming School Funding
Parents with children in Wyoming public schools should watch whether classroom funding rules change under the new superintendent.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Administration
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Republican state legislator Steve Harshman was elected Wyoming superintendent of public instruction, defeating Democrat Ana Cordova in the November 3 general election. The post oversees the state's K-12 public schools, so the outcome shapes how families across Wyoming will see classroom funding and school choice in the years ahead.
Why it matters
Harshman, who has served nearly 24 years in the Legislature and two terms as House speaker, won the GOP nomination on August 18 by defeating Chad Auer and Tom Kelly. He has called for undoing the recent recalibration of Wyoming K-12 school funding, a change that directs increases only to classroom educators, so the new direction could alter how school budgets reach families in every district.
Harshman defeated Cordova in the general election held November 3, 2026, after winning the GOP nomination on August 18. Both candidates opposed the school-choice vouchers passed in 2024 and bolstered in 2025, including the $7,000 Steamboat Legacy scholarship voucher.
The players
Steve Harshman
Republican state legislator of nearly 24 years, two-term Wyoming House speaker, and longtime Natrona County High School football coach who was elected state superintendent of public instruction.
Ana Cordova
Democratic challenger who lost the Wyoming superintendent of public instruction race and opposed the 2024 and 2025 school-choice vouchers.
Tom Kelly
Republican candidate who won the state Republican Party endorsement and lost the August 18 GOP nomination to Harshman.
Chad Auer
Republican candidate defeated by Harshman in the August 18 GOP nomination contest for Wyoming superintendent of public instruction.
The details
Wyoming's superintendent of public instruction leads the state's K-12 education system. Under the recalibration of school funding, increases are isolated to classroom educators, so the money cannot be spent on other staff, activities, equipment or programs. The Wyoming Supreme Court reversed a court-ordered pause on the Steamboat Legacy voucher program in May, leaving the school-choice program in place. Harshman has called for undoing the recalibration.
Timeline
2024: Harshman brought a bill to eliminate most property taxes, and Wyoming passed school-choice vouchers.
August 18: Harshman won the GOP nomination for superintendent by defeating Chad Auer and Tom Kelly.
May: The Wyoming Supreme Court reversed the court-ordered pause on the Steamboat Legacy voucher program.
November 3, 2026: Harshman defeated Democrat Ana Cordova in the general election.
The Home Front
Wyoming's 2024 school-choice voucher law, which funds scholarships such as the $7,000 Steamboat Legacy voucher, has been the centerpiece of the state's education debate. The superintendent's office sits between that program and the funding rules that govern district budgets for families statewide.
If you have a child in a Wyoming public school, watch for proposals to change how classroom funding is directed as the new superintendent takes office. Keep your child's school contact and district budget updates handy so you can follow any changes to funding or voucher eligibility.
The takeaway
Who leads the superintendent's office can change how school money reaches classrooms and how families weigh public schools against voucher programs. Note the election result and check your district's budget documents as the new term begins.
Further reading
For more on how school districts are run and funded across the state, see Administration in our education coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Cowboy State Daily.
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