Mark Gordon (politician)

In 2008, Gordon was an unsuccessful candidate in the Republican primary for the United States House of Representatives for Wyoming's at-large congressional district seat held by Barbara Cubin, who was retiring. His main opponent was Cynthia Lummis, also a former state treasurer and the wife of a Democratic former state representative, Alvin Wiederspahn.[5] Former U.S. senator Alan K. Simpson of Cody, considered a moderate Republican, defended Gordon's candidacy but stopped short of an outright endorsement because he was also friendly with Lummis. Former U.S. senator Malcolm Wallop endorsed Gordon, as did the late Joseph B. Meyer, who was serving as state treasurer at the time.[6]

In the primary, Gordon garnered the endorsements of Wyoming's two most prominent statewide newspapers, The Casper Star-Tribune[7] and the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.[8] Though polls and the financial advantage rested with Gordon in the primary campaign, he lost the nomination to Lummis.[9]

Gordon was Treasurer of Wyoming from 2012 to 2019. He was sworn in as treasurer on November 1, 2012, by Wyoming Supreme Court Justice William Hill,[10][11] after being selected by Governor Matt Mead.[5][10]

Gordon was elected to a full term as treasurer in 2014.[10]

Gordon declined to run for Cynthia Lummis's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016, the one he ran for in 2008, and instead ran for governor of Wyoming in 2018. He won the Republican primary on August 21 and the general election on November 6, defeating Democratic state representative Mary Throne.[12] Gordon was inaugurated on January 7, 2019.

Gordon was sworn in on January 7, 2019.

Amid a November 2020 spike in coronavirus cases, Gordon imposed some restrictions on indoor and outdoor public gatherings. He did not implement curfews, temporarily close any businesses or initially impose a statewide mask mandate.[13] Gordon and his wife, Jennie Gordon, contracted COVID-19 later in the month.[14] In December 2020, Gordon imposed a statewide mask mandate.[15] In February 2021, he extended that order until the end of the month.[16] On March 8, 2021, he announced that he would lift the mask mandate on March 16.[17] On March 16, the mask mandate was lifted.[18] As of March 30, Gordon has no plans to reinstate the mask mandate.[19]

In November 2020, Gordon proposed $500 million in cuts to the Wyoming budget to account for declining revenue from the fossil fuel industry (particularly coal mining), which is crucial to Wyoming's economy.[20] On April 2, 2021, he signed a budget passed by the Wyoming legislature that cut $430 million instead of the $500 million Gordon proposed,[21] due to improved budget forecasts for the year of 2021 and supplemental money from the American Rescue Plan Act[22] signed by President Biden. The budget Gordon signed decreases the amount cut to the University of Wyoming and the Wyoming Department of Health.

In 2021, a New York Times investigation revealed that Gordon had been targeted by hard-right conservatives, such as Susan Gore, the heiress to the Gore-Tex fortune. Gore funded secret operatives who targeted Gordon.[23]