Republican Senator Announces Decision to Retire

Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) said Friday that she will not seek reelection next year, opening up a rare open-seat contest in the reliably Republican state. Lummis announced her decision after the Senate adjourned for the holiday recess. Her departure will bring her tenure in the chamber to a close after one term.

In a statement, she said that following an intense legislative session — particularly in recent weeks — she just didn’t believe she had the stamina to commit to another six-year term.

“Deciding not to run for re-election does represent a change of heart for me, but in the difficult, exhausting session weeks this fall I’ve come to accept that I do not have six more years in me,” she said, via The Hill. “I am a devout legislator, but I feel like a sprinter in a marathon. The energy required doesn’t match up.”

“I am honored to have earned the support of President Trump and to have the opportunity to work side by side with him to fight for the people of Wyoming,” she continued. “I look forward to continuing this partnership and throwing all my energy into bringing important legislation to his desk in 2026 and into retaining commonsense Republican control of the U.S. Senate.”

Lummis previously served four terms in the House before stepping away from public office. She later returned to politics to run for the Senate seat formerly held by the late Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), The Hill added.

Her decision is expected to have ripple effects in Washington, particularly within the cryptocurrency policy arena, where she has been a prominent advocate. She currently chairs the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Digital Assets.

Trump made note of that when he endorsed her in March, saying that she is “working closely with me to make America the [cryptocurrency] Capital of the World.”

The announcement makes her the fifth Senate Republican to opt against seeking reelection next year, joining Sens. Joni Ernst (Iowa), Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Thom Tillis (N.C.) and Tommy Tuberville (Ala.).

Her departure also sets the stage for another competitive Republican primary. Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) is widely viewed as a leading potential contender in the deeply Republican state. The primary is scheduled for mid-August.

Wyoming has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1977, The Hill added.

In September, Trump endorsed Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) in her bid to succeed Ernst.

Hinson, a former TV news anchor now in her third term representing Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, highlighted her support for Trump as she launched her Senate campaign. “I’m running to be President Trump’s top ally in the United States Senate,” she said.

In a Fox News interview, Hinson also declared that she is “proud to stand” with the president.

“I know Ashley well, and she is a WINNER!” Trump noted in a social media post. “A Loving Wife and Proud Mother of two sons, Ashley is a wonderful person, has ALWAYS delivered for Iowa, and will continue doing so in the United States Senate.”

He added: “Ashley Hinson will be an outstanding Senator, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement – SHE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!”

Trump’s backing comes on the heels of endorsements from Senate Majority Leader John Thune and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the GOP’s Senate campaign arm.

“We need conservative fighters in the Senate — and that’s exactly what we’ll get with Ashley Hinson,” Thune noted on Friday, lending is endorsement as well.

NRSC chair Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina noted: “Having traveled Iowa with Ashley, I know she is the fighter the Hawkeye State needs to deliver President Trump’s agenda in 2026 and beyond.”