Bo Biteman Named Wyoming Senate President, Chip Neiman Is New House Speaker

The leadership positions for the 68th Wyoming Legislature have been decided.

State Sen. Bo Biteman, R-Ranchester, and Rep. Chip Neiman, R-Hulett, were named the top leaders in the Legislature as a result of Republican caucus elections held Saturday.

Both of their positions will be finalized on the first day of the 2025 legislative session in January when the entire body convenes, but the Democrats will not have enough votes to overturn the Republicans’ decisions.

Sen. Tara Nethercott, R-Cheyenne, was elected majority floor leader in the Senate and Sen. Tim Salazar, R-Riverton, was elected to Senate vice president.

All three leadership candidates ran as a slate.

Biteman’s slate beat out challenger Sen. Larry Hicks for Senate President. Hicks, and Sens. Cheri Steinmetz, R-Lingle, and Brian Boner, R-Douglas, had announced their candidacy as a slate ticket for Senate leadership in the early fall.

The trio formally announced the news in a press release at the time, a highly unorthodox move for the closed-door caucus elections that raised many eyebrows within the party.

In the House, Rep. Scott Heiner, R-Green River, was elected majority floor leader in the and Rep. Jeremy Haroldson, R-Wheatland, earned enough votes for speaker pro tempore. All three members of the House leadership represent the more conservative wing of the Republican Party.

Who’s Biteman?

Biteman has been in the Legislature since 2017 after first being elected in the House. He is in the middle of his second term in the Senate and is considered one of the more conservative members of the chamber.

“I’m humbled to receive the support of my fellow Republicans in the Senate and honored to be given the opportunity to serve Wyoming as president of the Senate,” Biteman said in a press release. “As president, my mission is to empower every member to rise to their full potential, fostering collaboration and mutual respect.”

With President-elect Donald Trump’s administration taking over, Biteman said Wyoming will have some “enormous opportunities” to benefit from his agenda.

“Wyoming voters want action on President Trump’s agenda,” he said. “As president of the Senate, I want to continue to support and defend our energy industries to regain energy dominance, ensure a good quality of life for the citizens of the state and make Wyoming business friendly again by eliminating excessive and costly regulations.”

Senate Race

Nethercott, a more moderate Republican who has been in the Senate since 2017, said in the press releasethat she’s committed to advancing conservative priorities.

“I am honored to be elected by my peers to serve as majority floor leader,” she said in the press release. “I am committed to a strong and effective Senate to advance our conservative values for a better and stronger future for Wyoming.”

Nethercott will be the first woman in a leadership position in the Legislature since 2016.

Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander, said Biteman’s slate beat the Hicks group by a 20-9 vote margin. The meeting started “a little testy,” he said, but it quickly became clear Biteman’s slate had enough votes to win.

Case, a moderate Republican, sees Biteman’s slate as more of a coalition rather than any kind of political movement.

“It was the best possible result,” he said. “This is how adults do things. It was very refreshing.”

To be elected, Biteman’s slate had to not only win the most votes, but a majority of votes taken. 

The Senate is roughly split 50-50 among the more conservative and moderate wings of the Republican Party, a divide that was on clear display during this year’s legislative session. The fact that Senate leadership features members of both shows unity has at least somewhat improved in the body.

Biteman had to solicit support from the more moderate wing, an effort Case said Biteman, Sen. Eric Barlow, R-Gillette, and Nethercott were highly engaged in during the weeks leading up to the leadership election.

In contrast, Case said he never received a call from a member of Hicks’ slate.

Steinmetz told Cowboy State Daily she is hopeful the new Senate leadership will advance a conservative agenda and congratulated the winners. 

“The voters of Wyoming gave us a clear mandate in August in the primary election,” she said. “They expect us to deliver on a conservative agenda, which reflects Wyoming Republican values. I am hopeful, we will see solid legislation passed on the floor to advance a common-sense conservative agenda in line with what voters have clearly given us a mandate to accomplish.”

Salazar is considered similar to Biteman politically, passing legislation in 2023 banning chemically induced abortions in Wyoming.

“I thank my colleagues for their vote and their confidence in my leadership,” he said in the press release.

Who’s Neiman?

There was much less drama in the House leadership elections, with Neiman winning the speaker role unopposed.

“Whatever happens, one way or another, it’s going to be way better for the future of Wyoming,” he said. “I’m very hopeful and very enthusiastic about the future of Wyoming.”

Neiman was first elected to the House in 2021 and quickly rose through the ranks to be named majority floor leader for the last legislative session, unusual for a legislator with only one term under his belt.

Now Neiman has risen farther, with many people speculating he could be a potential governor candidate in 2026.

Neiman said he’ll take a wait-and-see approach to how the leadership in the Senate operates and won’t announce his committee selections until it announce theirs.

“I think that only makes sense,” he said.

Neiman said there was a near-jovial atmosphere in the room for the House elections, while Rep. John Bear, R-Gillette, described it as “a real family atmosphere.”

Heiner ran unopposed for majority floor leader, while Haroldson beat out Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, R-Cody, chair of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus.

Neither Neiman nor Bear would reveal the vote tally in that race, but Bear referred to it as a friendly, brother versus sister-type rivalry. 

Some Waves Already

When asked what he thought of the Senate leadership, Neiman said it doesn’t matter what he thinks, but he’slooking forward to working with Biteman.

“I have a really good relationship with President Biteman and I look forward to working to get these conservative priorities done,” Neiman said.

Bear expressed more direct concern to Cowboy State Daily about Nethercott’s election because of her more moderate views.

“I’m super pleased we have a conservative president and vice president. I have concern about the majority floor leader position,” Bear said.

As majority floor leader, Nethercott is considered the No. 2 ranking member of the Senate and will have power over which bills are heard on the Senate floor. Bear mentioned how Neiman wielded this similar power to kill a bill expanding Medicaid in Wyoming when he was majority floor leader.

“It does give me some concern to see a moderate in that important of a role,” Bear said,.

Wyoming’s entire congressional delegation was present at the leadership elections.

Sen. Dan Laursen, R-Powell, was named chair of the Senate Republican caucus, while Sen. Wendy Schuler, R-Evanston, was named vice chair.

Contact Leo Wolfson at leo@cowboystatedaily.com

Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.