Mark Fitzpatrick is a conservative Republican challenger to Brad Little in the 2026 primary. He is a retired police officer, father of six who homeschools his children, and organizer of the Hetero Awesome Fest in downtown Boise. Fitzpatrick positions himself as a 'bold culture warrior' defending biblical values and traditional family structures. He is running from the far-right of the Republican Party, criticizing Little as insufficiently conservative and as a 'weak RINO' engaged in compromise.
Fitzpatrick is a retired police officer and business owner who owns State Street Saloon (Old State Saloon) in Eagle, Idaho. He organized the Hetero Awesome Fest in downtown Boise in 2025. He has no prior political office experience but is running as a challenger to Little from the far-right, positioning himself as more conservative than the incumbent governor.