Former Wyoming Gov. Ed Herschler

Ed Herschler, 71, a country lawyer who became Wyoming’s only three-term governor, died of cancer in Cheyenne on Monday. He was 71.

A Democrat in a predominantly Republican state, Herschler remained popular after leaving office in 1986 but declined to seek a fourth term.

Herschler, who guided Wyoming through a boom in the energy industry, entered state politics in 1961 when he won a term in the House of Representatives after eight years as a county prosecutor. In 1970, Herschler lost his House seat, but returned to claim a surprising victory for governor four years later.