Businessman and Jackson Hole resident Foster Friess will not run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Mike Enzi, he said in a news release on Monday.

"After a listening tour to Cody, Gillette, Casper, and Cheyenne, and a Tele-Town Hall visit with 8,000 fellow Wyomingites, I believe my most significant opportunity to serve the people of Wyoming is by enlarging the efforts of Foster's Outriders," Friess said.

Friess visited Casper on Feb. 21 and spoke to a group of about 20 area residents at Eggington's restaurant at an informal town hall meeting.

Friess fielded questions about health care, energy, climate change, education, and how people can be more involved in politics through social media.

During the meeting, he touted his nonprofit "Foster's Outriders"that advocates for government transparency, school safety and a requirement to publish health care prices, according to its website.

Friess unsuccessfully ran for Wyoming governor in 2018, and came in second in the GOP primary to now-Gov. Mark Gordon. President Donald Trump endorsed Friess.

The leading Republican contender for the U.S. Senate seat is former U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis, who has a campaign war chest of $868,263.97 as of Monday, according to the Federal Election Commission.

The other GOP primary candidates are Robert Short, Joshua Wheeler, Bryan Miller and Patrick Dotson, according to the FEC.

The Democratic Party candidates are Chuck Jagoda, Merav Ben David and Yana Ludwig, according to the FEC.

The primary is Aug. 18.

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