Representative Ocean Andrew is a Freedom Caucus leader who represents House District 46 in Albany County. He is the chairman of the House Education Committee and the House Majority Whip.

In the 2026 primary election on Aug. 18, Rep. Andrew is running for re-election against former UW Engineering Dean and 30-year military veteran Cameron Wright.

By the numbers

In the legislature’s 2026 budget session, Rep. Andrew voted for all 10 of the Freedom Caucus’ priority bills. He also voted along with Freedom Caucus Chair Rachel Rodriguez-Williams 90% of the time on bills tracked in Better Wyoming’s 2026 Grassroots Accountability Report.

Likewise, during the legislature’s 2025 general session, Rep. Andrew voted in support of 27 of the Freedom Caucus’ 28 priority bills. He also voted along with Freedom Caucus chair Rachel Rodriguez-Williams 97% of the time on bills tracked in Better Wyoming’s 2025 Grassroots Accountability Report.

Votes Against Economic Development

The Freedom Caucus, with Andrew’s support, has attempted to defund the main state agency that works to diversify Wyoming’s economy.

Rep. Andrew supported the effort in 2026 to dismantle the Wyoming Business Council, which is the state’s main economic development organization.

The WBC invests across the state in infrastructure to attract new businesses and grow current enterprises, planning to help communities grow, and support for human resources.

In Albany County, the Business Council has funded the construction of a major new training facility for WyoTech, which is in Rep. Andrew’s own district. The WBC also provided a grant to dramatically expand high-speed internet access in rural Albany County to many of Rep. Andrew’s own constituents.

Ultimately, the Freedom Caucus effort to dismantle the Business Council failed after significant popular pushback.

Ignores the constitution

Rep. Andrew has long been a leader in the effort to create a private school voucher program in Wyoming that would divert public money from public schools and divert it instead to private schools.

Wyoming’s Constitution prohibits spending state money on private education. Unlike public schools, private schools have no formal mechanism—like an elected school board—to hold them accountable to taxpayers. They are also able to refuse to enroll whichever students they would like, meaning that schools have the choice to reject children even while receiving public funds.

In 2025, the Freedom Caucus-led legislature passed a bill that Rep. Andrew sponsored to create a private school voucher program. But the program is currently being challenged in court.

No to Healthcare Funding

Albany County has a shortage of healthcare options for senior citizens and, like most of Wyoming, lacks sufficient mental health resources. Its local hospital, Ivinson Memorial, frequently delivers babies from neighboring Carbon County, because Carbon County’s hospital recently closed its birthing center.

Nevertheless, Rep. Andrew voted consistently against healthcare funding during the legislature’s 2026 budget session that would address these issues, including specific proposals to increase state support for local mental health clinics, for maternity care at rural hospitals, and  $4.7 million in state funds for senior healthcare at “skilled” nursing homes.

No to Feeding Hungry Kids

Rep. Andrews has repeatedly voted to reject funds to feed hungry Albany County kids during the summer when they do not have access to school lunch. Rep. Andrew’s district includes Linford Elementary School, where nearly 60 percent of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The first time was in 2025, when the Freedom Caucus refused to pass a bill (HB-341) to have Wyoming participate in the federal “SUN Bucks” program.

The issue returned in a budget amendment in 2026. But because of Freedom Caucus opposition in the House—including Andrew’s—it failed again.

The program would have benefitted an estimated 32,000 kids statewide. 

Fortunately, Gov. Mark Gordon signed an executive order that will provide one-time funding to begin SUN Bucks in Wyoming in June. But it will take legislative action to continue the funding next year.

Rep. Andrew has made it clear he will always be a “no” vote on feeding hungry kids.

No raises for state workers

Rep. Andrew voted against cost-of-living raises for hardworking state employees during the 2026 budget session.

Gov. Mark Gordon proposed bringing long overdue state employee salary increases from 2022 up to 2024 market levels to better help retain and attract workers.

But as a Freedom Caucus leader, Andrew followed the group’s position against the cost-of-living raises for state employees, even while some members of the Freedom Caucus split to help the raises narrowly pass.

Banning books

Rep. Andrew voted alongside the Freedom Caucus in 2026 for a bill to ban books that politicians find offensive from public and school libraries.

He also voted for a failed bill in the 2025 session that would have put librarians and teachers in jail for giving minors access to “obscene” literature.

Both of these bills eventually failed to pass the legislature.