By Allison Allsop
Casper Star-Tribune  
Via- Wyoming News Exchange

CASPER — Just one month after returning to Wyoming, Ana Cordova entered the race for state superintendent of public instruction.

Cordova, who grew up in Cheyenne, left Wyoming to pursue higher education and has spent the past 12 years on the East Coast.

The Star-Tribune earlier examined the policy views of three candidates running for Wyoming superintendent of public instruction. Cordova has since joined the race, and she is one of two Democrats now running.

Tom Kelly, Chad Auer and Steve Harshman are all running on the Republican ticket.

Megan Degenfelder, the current superintendent of public instruction, is running for governor.

The superintendent leads the state Department of Education, directs its operations and sets education priorities.

Professional background

Cordova has a bachelor’s degree from New Mexico State University. She went on to receive her J.D. from Northwestern University and a Ph.D. in human genetics from John Hopkins University.

Cordova worked for Georgetown University’s Experimental Medical Studies Program, where she helped students pursuing admission to medical school. She also worked for the AccessLex Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to improving legal education at law schools across the country.

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education is another nonprofit focused on supporting education. In her role with that organization, she worked primarily with minority-serving institutions and indigenous communities, she said.

Unlike other candidates for the state office, Cordova does not have any experience as a primary or secondary school teacher.

“I think Wyoming has a long history of excellence in education, and I’d like to take up that banner and continue and push forward in this area,” she said. “I think I’m well prepared and have the background and experience to support Wyoming’s educational efforts.”

Campaign priorities

Cordova said support for teachers, students and parents is the core of her campaign.

“We’re fairly unique in how rural we are and how different modalities of education can take shape, so really it’s just making sure we can reach all of the children and students of Wyoming, where they are, and helping support them as best we can to become successful members of the community,” she said.

Cordova said the role of superintendent is really about finding what works in Wyoming.

“It really boils down to supporting our students and our education system, and understanding that it’s more than just the classroom. It’s teachers, it’s health initiatives, it’s year-round support of students’ learning and being successful in the classrooms, in their communities, and in their future careers, whatever that may be,” she said.

Required state assessments

Cordova said she would have to look into reducing state assessments and continuing work already done by Degenfelder before she could state her support for them. 

However, she said testing should be standardized, but not overused to the point of over-testing students.

Education savings accounts

The state enacted the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act in 2025, and it was placed on pause because of court challenges. In late May, a judge lifted the injunction, but the case has not yet been decided.

“I’ve been following the case, and before I could really comment appropriately on that, I would want to see how the courts provide their final ruling,” Cordova said, regarding whether she supports education savings accounts.

School choice

Cordova also addressed where she stands on the issue of school choice, sometimes called open enrollment, both within districts and between districts.

“I think that Wyoming has a long history of really excellent public schooling. That said, I recognize that some citizens may want to work on educating their students outside of that system. I really want to make public schooling the premier option, not because parents feel there’s no other choice, but because they feel it’s the best choice.”

Speaking specifically to any legislation that would require districts to have open enrollment, Cordova said it would be redundant, given that local governing bodies could make those decisions.

State education funding

The legislature recently adopted its first recalibration bill in 15 years, and the state is currently appealing a judge’s ruling that indicated the state had been underfunding education. The judge required the state to include funding for school resource officers, mental health counselors, nutritional programs and computers for all students.

Cordova did not offer a position on the issue at the time of the interview. However, she said education should encompass more than academics alone.

“I am supportive of education being more than just the classroom, you know, mental health, nutrition, making sure our students are coming to school after being in safe spaces, whether that’s housing with a parent or a trusted caregiver, that they come to school or they come to the classroom with good sleep, feeling safe, well fed, so that they can do their best to learn,” she said.

Cordova will face Sergio Maldonado Sr. in the Democratic primary on Aug. 18.