David Northrup

State Rep. David Northrup, R-Powell, will attempt to move to the Wyoming Senate next year, announcing Wednesday that he’ll seek to replace retiring Sen. Hank Coe, R-Cody.

Northrup, a Willwood farmer, said he will file his candidacy to represent Senate District 18. The district is made up of House District 24 and HD 50, which Northrup has represented since 2012. The Senate district encompasses Cody, the North and South forks, Clark, Ralston, Heart Mountain, the northern part of Yellowstone National Park, Sunlight, Crandall and the Willwood.

Northrup’s entry into the Senate race sets up a Republican primary contest with Heart Mountain farmer and former Park County Commissioner Tim French, who earlier announced he would run for SD 18.

Northrup said last month that he was “90% certain” he would not seek re-election and might end his eight-year tenure in the Legislature, as he weighed farm and family considerations. But Northrup said Wednesday that he’s working to resolve those concerns.

Northrup missed a considerable stretch of the general legislative session in 2019 when his mother was battling cancer. At the time, Northrup stressed that family comes first.

“Things look good now,” he said of his mother’s health, then added, “It can happen to anybody at any time.”

Northrup said he has been making changes in his family farming operation.

“We’ve sold some land and are in the process of selling more,” he said. “The goal is to trim down to where I can handle it with myself and one man rather than having to employ a whole crew.”

Of the SD 18 Republican primary race, Northrup acknowledged that “it’ll be a tough campaign.”

He believes his legislative experience, including six years as chairman of the House Education Committee, are important proving ground.

“Experience and leadership are needed now,” he said. “The revenue shortfall coming to Wyoming is going to be a different look for this state.”

Northrup served on the revenue and education committees when he was first elected in 2012. He was appointed acting chair of education in 2015 and took over the full chairmanship of the Education Committee in 2016. A former chairman of the Park County Republican Party, Northrup also served for six years as chairman of the school board in Powell School District No. 1.

“Now is the time for Wyoming leadership to rise up and help Wyoming recover from the pandemic,” Northrup stressed. He specially commended teachers and school district personnel for their work and great innovation during the pandemic.

Northrup said he supported Gov. Mark Gordon in his belief that federal stimulus funding for Wyoming through the CARES Act should include assistance to small businesses that have suffered from the pandemic. Wyoming received a $1.25 billion appropriation from the federal government.

“There should be help for the small businesses, down to lawn care services and the like, who have been closed down by the pandemic and just about ruined,” he said.

Wyoming’s Legislature will convene in special session May 15-16 to determine how the $1.25 billion in stimulus money will be allocated.

The filing period for municipal and partisan offices — including the Wyoming Legislature — formally opens on Thursday, May 14 and runs through Friday, May 29.

Republican Rachel Rodriguez-Williams of Cody has already announced her intent to run for Northrup’s current seat in House District 50.