THERMOPOLIS — Sam Mead announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Cynthia Lummis.

Mead, who previously served as mayor of Kirby, will formally launch his campaign at 5 p.m. Friday at the Hot Springs County Armory Building in Thermopolis, where he served as mayor and helped build and operate the Wyoming Whiskey distillery.

He enters the Republican primary alongside Rep. Harriet Hageman. Mead said his campaign will center on “Wyoming-first” values, public lands and fiscal responsibility.

“I’m running to represent Wyoming, not Washington,” Mead said. “That means making decisions based on what’s right for the people here. Wyoming needs someone focused on our public lands, our energy, and our economy – from protecting what we have, to building what comes next. That’s what I’m here to represent.”

On federal land policy, Mead said he opposes the sale of publicly managed land.

“Our public lands are not for sale,” he said. “They belong to the people, and once they’re gone, they’re gone. We need leadership that protects what makes this state special.”

He also criticized what he described as a disconnect between campaign promises and governing decisions in Washington.

“Wyoming voters deserve honesty,” Mead said. “If you campaign on cutting spending, you should actually cut spending, not vote to increase it while putting critical Wyoming programs at risk.”

Mead’s professional background includes engineering work at Blue Origin and co-founding Wyoming Whiskey. He lives in Wyoming with his wife, Brianna, and their two children.

“This campaign is about the future; for our land, for our kids, and whether or not the people of Wyoming will have representation in Washington that mean what they say,” Mead said. “Wyoming deserves a senator who will stand up, speak plainly, and get things fixed.”