Draft:Brent Bien

• Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest guideline, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. Aegis Protectorate (talk) 03:38, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

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Wyoming Governor Candidate 2026 - Brent Bien

Brent W. Bien
Personal details
Born	Wyoming, U.S.
Party	Republican
Education	University of Wyoming (BS) Naval War College (MA)
Awards	Legion of Merit
Website	Official campaign website

Brent W. Bien is an American politician, retired United States Marine Corps colonel, and aviator. A member of the Republican Party, he is a candidate for Governor of Wyoming in the 2026 Wyoming gubernatorial election. Bien previously ran for the same office in the 2022 Wyoming gubernatorial election, securing approximately 30% of the vote in the Republican primary.

His political platform emphasizes state sovereignty, reduced property taxes, and limited government. In 2024, Bien served as a Republican National Delegate and a Wyoming elector in the U.S. Electoral College.

Early life and education

Bien is a Wyoming native, raised in Cody, Wyoming, and is the son and brother of Marine Corps officers. He attended Ponderosa High School. He then attended the University of Wyoming, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1991. He later attended the Naval War College, earning a Master's in National Security and Strategic Studies in 2011.

Military and civilian career

Bien served in the United States Marine Corps for 28 years, deploying as a Naval Aviator and logging over 500 combat flight hours during operations in the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

During his military career, Bien held several executive leadership roles. From August 2014 to July 2016, he served as the Air Officer and Fires Coordinator for the II Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He later served as the Officer-in-Charge of the Defense Policy Review Initiative for Marine Corps Forces Pacific in Guam from August 2016 to June 2019. In this role, he managed the relocation of 6,500 Marines from Okinawa to Guam and oversaw an $8.7 billion construction program. He was instrumental in naming Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz after Ben Blaz, the first Chamorro general officer in Marine Corps history. Bien retired from the military in 2019 with the rank of Colonel and was awarded the Legion of Merit.

Following his retirement from the military, Bien returned to Wyoming in 2019 and served as the Director of Safety and Standardization for Bighorn Airways in Sheridan, Wyoming until October 2021.

Political career

2022 Gubernatorial campaign

Bien entered politics in response to COVID-19 lockdown measures implemented by incumbent Governor Mark Gordon. Running in the 2022 Republican gubernatorial primary, Bien campaigned on a platform of protecting personal liberties and state sovereignty. He garnered 29.6% (48,572 votes) of the primary vote, losing to incumbent Mark Gordon, who secured 61.5% in a four-way race. A subsequent voter-driven write-in campaign was organized for the general election.

Ballot initiatives and party involvement

Following his 2022 campaign, Bien became the Chairman of BCR Ballot Initiatives, a political action committee. The committee successfully organized a ballot initiative to reduce residential property taxes in Wyoming by 50% via a homeowner's exemption, collecting over 44,000 signatures to secure a place on the 2026 general election ballot. The PAC also pursued initiatives to mandate hand-tabulation of election ballots and remove electronic voting systems from Wyoming elections.

In 2024, Bien was elected as a National Delegate representing Park County at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where he served on the Credentials Committee. He was also elected as one of Wyoming's three state electors for the United States Electoral College in the 2024 presidential election.

2026 Gubernatorial campaign

Bien is a Republican candidate for Governor of Wyoming in the August 18, 2026 primary election. His campaign slogan is "Make Wyoming #1." He has stated he is the only gubernatorial candidate to agree in writing to all 23 planks of the Wyoming Republican Party platform.

Political platform Bien campaigns as a constitutional conservative. His stated policy priorities include:

• Economy and Taxes: Advocating for the reduction of property taxes, reducing government regulations, ending taxes on unrealized gains, and conducting a full routine audit of the state government budget.
• Education: Promoting parental rights in education, raising standards, and opposing "race and class-based scholastic indoctrination." He supports eliminating the U.S. Department of Education.
• Energy and Agriculture: Returning energy production to Wyoming, expanding agricultural output, maximizing mineral extraction, and opposing the Biden administration's "30 by 30" conservation initiative. He has stated his support for coal, natural gas, and nuclear energy.
• Elections: Implementing hand-tabulated voting, removing electronic voting systems, and requiring proof of residency.
• Social Issues: Bien opposes vaccine mandates, the legalization of marijuana, and illegal immigration, stating he will fully cooperate with federal law enforcement to remove undocumented persons from the state. He campaigns on traditional family values, stating support for the nuclear family and asserting that there are only two genders.

Endorsements Bien's 2026 campaign has been endorsed by several conservative organizations, including the Wyoming Republican Party, Wyoming Right to Life, Conservative Coalition 307, Make Liberty Win, and Liberty's Place 4 U Wyoming. He has also received endorsements from Wyoming State Representatives Gary Brown and Ken Pendergraft.

Personal life

Bien is married to his wife, Susan, who served as a nurse in the United States Navy and works at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Sheridan. They have three daughters.

External links

• Brent Bien Official Campaign Website

Category:Living people Category:Wyoming Republicans Category:United States Marine Corps officers Category:People from Sheridan, Wyoming Category:University of Wyoming alumni Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit Category:Candidates in the 2026 United States elections