[co-author: Stephanie Kozol]*
Keith Kautz will serve as the new attorney general (AG) of the state of Wyoming following his appointment by Governor Mark Gordon, effective July 7, 2025. Kautz has a long history of civil service in the state, having served as a district court judge for the Eighth Judicial District — covering Converse, Goshen, Niobrara, and Platte counties — for 22 years. His hometown of Torrington falls within this district. In 2015, Governor Matt Mead appointed Kautz as a justice to the Wyoming Supreme Court, where he served until his retirement in March 2024.
Kautz’s appointment as AG comes after former AG Bridget Hill was appointed to the state Supreme Court, a transition that underscores the fluid movement between Wyoming’s highest judicial and executive legal positions. Kautz succeeds interim AG Ryan Schelhaas, who had temporarily filled the role since Hill’s departure in late May.
During his Supreme Court tenure, Kautz defended Wyoming’s judicial appointment system, emphasizing its role in maintaining judicial impartiality compared to states with elected judges.
Gordon praised Kautz, stating, “Justice Kautz has the talent, experience, and skill to fulfill this important duty,” a sentiment echoed by former AGs Bridget Hill and Gay Woodhouse. Hill, who also serves on the Supreme Court, described Kautz as “first-rate in every respect” and predicted he would be “a very fine attorney general.”
Kautz grew up in Torrington, WY, and earned both his bachelor’s degree and law degree from the University of Wyoming. He began his legal career in private practice, working in both Torrington and Sheridan, and served as a partner at the Torrington-based law firm of Sawyer, Warren & Kautz before being appointed to the bench by then-Governor Mike Sullivan.
*Senior Government Relations Manager
