Tim French

What was on paper expected to be a tight race for the Republican nomination for Senate District 18 turned out as a clear victory for Tim French.

Amid a stacked, four-candidate field, French pulled ahead of the pack in Tuesday’s primary election to advance to November’s general election.

“I’m just thrilled, just humbled by my supporters turning out like they did. It’s very humbling to me,” he said Wednesday.

With 2,174 votes (41.7%), French finished 14 percentage points ahead of state Rep. David Northrup, R-Powell, who drew 1,442 votes in his bid to move to the Legislature’s upper chamber. French wound up more than 17 points ahead of longtime Cody school board member Stefanie Bell (1,265 votes). Former park ranger Richard Jones of Wapiti rounded out the field with 322 votes.

French said that, if elected in November, his top priority in the Legislature will be getting a handle on the size of state government.

“This COVID and the drop in the mineral prices, it’s just brought it to the forefront that, hey, for a population of around 600,000 people, the government’s too big,” he said.

French plans to push for efficiencies and consolidation, while opposing any calls for a state income tax.

French has been planning the legislative run for years. When he decided against seeking a fifth term on the Park County Commission in 2018, he immediately announced his plans to run for the Senate seat in 2020 — regardless of whether longtime Sen. Hank Coe, R-Cody, sought re-election.

“I’m a conservative person,” he said of his decision to run for the Legislature. “I don’t like that the state’s kind of leaning left and building bigger government.”

He said he also wants to help ensure future generations have the same opportunities he had, pledging to work hard for the people of Park County and Wyoming.

French wasn’t the only one who had planned a Senate run for some time.

Before announcing her candidacy in May, Bell said she spoke with Coe about the position over a period of two years and spent months studying for the job. After finishing third, Bell said she was proud of her campaign and team.

“I am optimistic about the future of Wyoming and Park County,” she wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday night. “Let’s commit to work together in our communities and make a difference for our children and grandchildren.”

As for Northrup — who’s represented House District 50 since 2013 — his decision to make a bid for the Senate seat was not planned as far in advance. He said in early April that he was “90% certain” he would not run for re-election, explaining he needed to take care of his home and family. However, in early May, he decided to run for the Senate District 18, saying his experience and leadership were needed amid the state’s budget crunch.

In a Wednesday interview, Northrup thanked all of his supporters and said he plans to spend a lot more time with his children and grandchildren, including hunting and fishing.

However, the former Powell school board member and former Park County Republican Chairman added that, “I am going to always pay attention to what’s going on in politics.”

Campaign finance reports filed last week showed that the race drew more than $50,000 worth of spending, as both local donors and Wyoming power players supported different candidates. French drew support from a few deep-pocketed conservatives from other parts of the state, including financier Foster Friess of Jackson.

Political action committees representing various industries backed Northrup’s campaign, as did the Wyoming Education Association, a group representing Wyoming realtors and Sen. Coe, but it ultimately wasn’t enough.

Meanwhile, Republican Rachel Rodriguez-Williams of Cody is running for Northrup’s seat in House District 50 and went unopposed in the Republican primary. Northrup said he has no regrets about running for the Senate instead of re-election to the House.

“We wanted to make sure to give the right candidate, a choice, to the people,” he said, “And they have made their choice.”

French amassed a clear, but not insurmountable lead among 2,900 early and absentee voters, picking up 36.3% of the ballots to Northrup’s 31% and Bell’s 26.4%. However, Election Day voters heavily favored French and created plenty of space between the former commissioner and the field. Those who cast ballots on Tuesday picked French 48.5% of the time — as he drew more votes than Northrup and Bell combined.