CHEYENNE — The state’s superintendent of public instruction is running for the state’s top position.

Republican Megan Degenfelder announced her campaign Monday morning, accompanied by a video. She has served one term as the Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction and received strong support from President Donald Trump in a Truth Social post he made Friday.

“I am humbled and inspired to have the support and encouragement of President Trump,” Degenfelder said in her campaign announcement. “Coastal elites and liberal activists are coming for our oil, gas and coal jobs. Radical extremists seek to redefine genders, threatening our young women. And the political establishment cares more about undermining President Trump than serving the people who elected them. Not in Wyoming. Not when I’m Governor.”

Degenfelder is originally from Casper and is a “sixth-generation Wyoming ranch kid.” She received bachelor’s degrees in economics and political science from the University of Wyoming. She also has a master’s degree in economics from the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, China. Her thesis focused on the elasticity of demand between coal and natural gas.

She spent almost a decade working in the coal and natural gas industries in Wyoming. She is also a lifelong hunter and outdoorswoman and coaches the University of Wyoming’s women’s rugby team. She volunteers at her church, fosters rescue dogs with her husband Dr. Bryan Dugas, and is a cancer survivor.

A few of high-profile Wyoming politicians have indicated their intent to run for different offices in 2026. Following Sen. Cynthia Lummis’ announcement that she would not seek re-election to the U.S. Senate, Rep. Harriet Hageman launched a campaign for that position, with Secretary of State Chuck Gray launching a bid for Hageman’s current role in the U.S. House of Representatives shortly after Hageman’s campaign launched.