Idaho General Election · November 3, 2026Find polling place
Independent

Tripp Charles Hutchinson

Tripp Charles Hutchinson

U.S. House District 2

Tripp Hutchinson, independent candidate for U.S. House, Idaho District 2

Tripp Charles Hutchinson, an independent and a Ketchum city councilman, is a candidate for Idaho's 2nd Congressional District in the November 3, 2026 general election. He filed on February 25, 2026, and the Idaho Secretary of State's filed-candidates search lists the filing as approved. He had no primary contest. His opponents are Republican incumbent Mike Simpson, Democrat Ellie Gilbreath, independent Emre Houser and Libertarian Will Johanson.

Background

The Idaho Mountain Express reported in September 2025 that Hutchinson, 27, "was born and raised in Ketchum" and spent three years at the University of Colorado, Boulder, studying economics, political theory and philosophy. In the Idaho Capital Sun's 2026 voter guide he lists his age as 28, his hometown as Ketchum and his occupation as "City Councilman."

The Idaho Mountain Express reported on November 8, 2023 that he won a seat on the Ketchum City Council, and a photo caption in its August 8, 2025 coverage says he took the oath of office in January 2024. The Express reported on February 13, 2026 that he does not plan to step down from the council. He said he is running for Congress "to lower the cost of living for working class Idahoans and families, and also to keep Idaho as a rural state."

The airport poster case

The Idaho Mountain Express reported on July 14, 2025 that Hutchinson was charged with misdemeanor petit theft after allegedly removing a Palantir advertising poster from Friedman Memorial Airport, and that he pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. In an emailed statement to the Express after residents called for his resignation at an August 4, 2025 council meeting, reported on August 8, 2025, he said: "Civil disobedience in the name of democracy is as American as apple pie."

The Express reported on February 24, 2026 that he accepted a deal to plead guilty to one count of misdemeanor petit theft. According to the Express's April 6, 2026 report, Fifth District Judge Brendan Ash sentenced him on March 31, 2026 to 12 months of probation and ordered restitution of $3,513.19 to Friedman Memorial Airport. The Express reported that Ash "also granted withheld judgement until March 31, 2027, meaning that the judge will not formally enter Hutchinson's guilty plea and that if Hutchinson follows all the terms of his probation the case could be dismissed."

Positions

His campaign platform page includes congressional term limits, a ban on congressional stock trading, a lifetime lobbying ban for former members of Congress, a minimum tax for billionaires, a ban on corporate PACs, an audit of the Pentagon, a ban on corporate purchase of single-family homes and overturning Citizens United. The page says a full platform is in the works.

The Express quoted him on February 13, 2026: "In Mike Simpson's 27 years in office he has supported and enacted a neoliberal agenda that has completely decimated the working class of this country."

In the Idaho Capital Sun's voter guide he answered on the SAVE Act: "I do not. The legislation is blatant voter suppression." On immigration he wrote that Congress needs to legislate "a much more efficient and robust pathway to citizenship for law abiding immigrants that are already in our country" and that "our border security needs more people, not more physical barriers." He also wrote that "the internal culture of the department of homeland security and its subsidiary ICE has become so corrupt that the entire leadership needs to be replaced and ICE most likely needs to be disbanded and replaced by a new organization." On health care he wrote: "Take on Big Pharma Monopolies and Insurance Monopolies while also working towards a public single-payer system." On Social Security he wrote: "This one is simple: Raise The Cap." On public lands he wrote: "Keep Public Lands in Public Hands. No Sell-Offs."

Asked whether he supports a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus project coming to Idaho, he answered: "Yes, I used to think that we could just address consumption... but now I know we need both."

His council record

The Idaho Mountain Express reported in July 2025 that Hutchinson said he would like to see salaries increase to $70,000 for council members and $80,000 for the mayor, and reported in August that the council tabled the proposed increase. The Express editorial board wrote on July 30, 2025 that the proposal "was too much, too late in the budget process." It also wrote of Hutchinson: "Worse was the belligerence that Hutchinson brought to what should have been a debate instead of a petulant rant about another elected official's intelligence quotient."

Campaign finance

According to his Federal Election Commission filings for the committee Tripp Hutchinson for United States Congress, his July quarterly report for April 1 through June 30, 2026 showed receipts of $7,565.00, all from individuals, disbursements of $1,578.36, $6,963.48 in cash on hand and no debts. The filing itemizes four contributors, and Robert Brennan of Sun Valley gave $5,000.00 of the total in two same-day entries.

Sources

Profile published by IdahoVoters.com. Last updated October 2, 2026. This profile will be updated as additional information becomes available.

Frequently asked questions

What office is Tripp Hutchinson running for?
He is an independent candidate for Idaho's 2nd Congressional District in the November 3, 2026 general election. His opponents are Mike Simpson, Ellie Gilbreath, Emre Houser and Will Johanson.
What is Tripp Hutchinson's background?
The Idaho Mountain Express reported that he was born and raised in Ketchum and was elected to the Ketchum City Council in November 2023, and he lists his occupation as city councilman.
What happened in the airport poster case?
The Idaho Mountain Express reported that he was charged with misdemeanor petit theft over a Palantir poster at Friedman Memorial Airport, accepted a plea deal, and was sentenced on March 31, 2026 to 12 months of probation and restitution, with judgment withheld until March 31, 2027.
Where does Tripp Hutchinson stand on health care?
He wrote in the Idaho Capital Sun's voter guide that he wants to take on pharmaceutical and insurance monopolies while working toward a public single-payer system.
Where does Tripp Hutchinson stand on public lands?
He wrote in the voter guide: "Keep Public Lands in Public Hands. No Sell-Offs."
How much money has Tripp Hutchinson raised?
His July quarterly report to the FEC showed $7,565.00 in receipts for April 1 through June 30, 2026, all from individuals, with $6,963.48 in cash on hand.