Voters are ready for something new. Are lawmakers up to the task?

Times, they are a-changin’, a properly-rated singer-songwriter sang more than half a century ago.

We saw a lot of turnover in the Wyoming Legislature in the 2026 Primary Election. Several incumbents, including some who fancied themselves as the more “conservative” option, lost their races, which will make for an interesting next couple of years.

Much has been written about the Wyoming Freedom Caucus legislators losing their races. Some blame “Checkgate,” but I don’t think that’s the main reason. And it wasn’t a whole bunch of Democrats voting as Republicans, either, because Wyoming passed a law to ban crossover voting.

Sometimes the simplest answer is the best one, and in this case, the simplest answer is voters were just tired of the way things were going and wanted to try something new.

These lawmakers had their turn in the legislature. Four to six years ago, they were new, and they didn’t have a voting record. I really believe people were interested in giving them a shot.

But now, they have a list of decisions that voters can look back on and decide whether they were the right choice. And apparently, many of the lawmakers didn’t make the right choices, but hey, at least they stayed true to themselves, right? That’s what matters at the end of the day.

There will be a lot of new legislators in Cheyenne when the new session gets underway. And as anyone who has served in the legislature can tell you, the learning curve is a steep one. And just when you think you’re starting to get the hang of things, it’s time to run for re-election.

These freshman lawmakers will be in the spotlight, whether they like it or not. Every vote they cast will be scrutinized and compiled into a list that will be posted on a website that will be linked on a mailer that shows up in your mailbox next election cycle.

Will they do a better job than their predecessors? Who knows? Running a successful campaign and being an effective legislator are two very different things.

In a few years, if the voters aren’t happy, the pendulum could swing back in the other direction.

That’s just how the world turns.

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