“Nobody Gets a Republican or Democrat Discount at the Pump”: James Byrd Demands Immediate Federal Action on Wyoming Gas Prices, Grocery Gouging, and Healthcare Costs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 26, 2026
Contact:
Campaign Press Office — James Byrd for U.S. Senate
Madison Shamley, Campaign Manager, madison@byrdforsenate.com
Jill Cumer, Communications Director, jillcumer@gmail.com
Website: Byrd for Senate
CHEYENNE, WY — With one week remaining before Election Day, former Wyoming State Representative and Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, James Byrd, issued a sharp rebuke of Washington’s failure to address the compounding affordability crisis in Wyoming, pointing to skyrocketing fuel prices, grocery gouging, and rising medical expenses. Ahead of a major statewide commercial campaign launching this week, Byrd called out the direct financial strain hitting working families, ranchers, and small business owners across all 23 Wyoming counties.
“Nobody gets a Republican or Democrat discount at the pump. We are paying way too much, and Washington did it to us,” said James Byrd. “Whether you’re filling up your truck in Gillette, buying groceries in Rock Springs, or trying to pay a hospital bill in Fremont County, Wyoming families are getting squeezed dry by reckless federal policies, corporate price-gouging, and unmonitored foreign spending. It’s time for leadership in Washington that puts our local pocketbooks first.”
Tackling Fuel Prices and Supply Chain Inflation
As a former energy industry geophysicist and lawmaker, Byrd highlighted how soaring diesel and gasoline prices trickle directly down to every grocery shelf in Wyoming:
The Diesel & Freight Engine: Gasoline and diesel power Wyoming’s agriculture, freight, and energy sectors. When fuel costs spike, shipping expenses explode, driving up the cost of basic food items and everyday essentials at local grocery stores.
Cracking Down on Corporate Price-Gouging: Byrd called for aggressive federal investigations into corporate monopolies and oil conglomerates that keep pump prices artificially high while working families struggle to make ends meet.
Energy Independence: Byrd advocates for cutting federal permitting red tape, supporting domestic energy production, and ending broad foreign trade distortions that drive up costs for local truckers and agricultural producers.
Ending the Healthcare and Daily Living Squeeze
In addition to fuel and food prices, Byrd emphasized that healthcare costs remain the single largest threat to household budgets and rural community survival.
“You can’t talk about affordability in Wyoming without addressing the healthcare disaster in our small towns,” Byrd added. “We have rural hospitals on the brink of closure, seniors splitting their pills because prescription drugs cost too much, and working parents choosing between health coverage and buying groceries. These aren’t political issues—they are economic survival issues.”
Byrd’s economic plan calls for:
Capping out-of-pocket prescription drug costs
Protecting rural critical-access hospitals through equitable federal reimbursements
Expanding permanent telehealth coverage across frontier communities
About James Byrd
James Byrd served ten years in the Wyoming House of Representatives (2009–2019) representing Cheyenne’s District 44. His professional career spans work as an exploration geophysicist in the energy sector and an IT project manager. Byrd is running for the U.S. Senate to deliver practical, commonsense leadership focused on bringing down living costs, protecting rural healthcare, defending public lands, and backing Wyoming energy workers.
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