Matt Mead, Wyoming governor, says he’ll return to private life when his term ends

Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead said Thursday that he plans to return to life as a private citizen when his term ends next year.

“After being in the political business, raising cows looks pretty good to me,” Mr. Mead, a Republican, said on Fox News.

Mr. Mead is term-limited next year and was recently ranked among the top most popular governors in America. He said that despite his success in politics, he plans to return to his ranch rather than pursuing a career on the national stage.

He credits his success to treating people with respect in a small state where everyone knows each other.

“I don’t know what happens when you get to Washington, but one of the keys in Wyoming is to reach out to Democrats and Republicans and none of the above, because we’re a small state. And you’ve got to treat each other with respect because that’s someone’s cousin, someone’s brother, aunt, uncle,” he said.

Mr. Mead said accountability is what makes governors different than lawmakers in Washington, D.C.

“The decisions you make, you’ve got to be accountable, and I think that’s expected among all governors,” he said.