Idaho governor 2026

Compare candidates running in this Idaho federal race. Review their positions, voting records, campaign promises, and donor information.

John Stegner

Party: Unaffiliated

Jacob Burnett

Party: Independent

Stephen Heidt

Party: Democrat

Terri Pickens

Party: Democrat

Justin Plante

Party: Republican

Mark Fitzpatrick

Party: Republican

Brad Little

Party: Republican

OBJ SPEAKING

Create StoryTimelinesVoter ToolsRegional AnalysisAll StoriesUSWorldPoliticsBusinessHealthEntertainmentTechnologyCommunity PicksAbout
← US Map>Idaho>governor
governor

Idaho governor

Election: Nov 3, 2026Updated: Apr 10, 2026
safe r— Cook Political Report - Solid R (Jan 2025)

Idaho has voted Republican for governor since 1994 (32 years). Democrats have not won a gubernatorial race since Cecil Andrus in 1990. The state is becoming increasingly Republican; Little won 60.5% in 2022. While Little faces a conservative primary challenge from the right, the general election is heavily favored Republican in this Solid R state.

John StegnerO
Jacob BurnettI
Stephen HeidtD
Terri PickensD
Justin PlanteR
Mark FitzpatrickR
Brad LittleR

Summary

John Stegner is running as an Unaffiliated (Independent) candidate in the 2026 Idaho gubernatorial general election. He is a retired Idaho Supreme Court Justice who served from 2018-2023, and previously served as a judge of the 2nd Judicial District Court of Idaho from 1997-2018.

Jacob Burnett is running as an Independent candidate in the 2026 Idaho gubernatorial general election. Limited public information is available about his background, campaign platform, or policy positions.

Stephen Heidt is the 2022 Democratic nominee for Governor running again in the 2026 Democratic primary. He is a fourth-generation Idahoan, educator, and Army National Guard veteran who taught English as a Second Language (ESL) and GED classes at Idaho state prisons for 14 years. At age 61, Heidt left his teaching position to run full-time for governor in 2022 (taking two years early retirement). He lost to Brad Little 60.5%-20.3%. In 2026, he is running again, emphasizing education, rural issues, healthcare access, and criminal justice reform.

Terri Pickens is a Democratic primary candidate for Idaho Governor in 2026. She is a fourth-generation Pocatello native, attorney, and small business owner who founded Pickens Law, P.A. in 2008. Pickens previously ran unsuccessfully for Idaho Lieutenant Governor in 2022, receiving 30.5% to Scott Bedke's 64.4%. She is running for governor on a platform of ending the 'dangerous and cruel supermajority' in Idaho politics and fighting for public schools, rural communities, and civil rights.

Justin Plante is a Republican primary challenger to Brad Little. He identifies as a journeyman mechanic, not a politician, and campaigns on themes of transparency, accountability, and responsible spending. Plante focuses on auditing state government to find waste and redirect savings to critical needs rather than raising taxes.

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.

Brad Little is Idaho's 33rd Governor, currently seeking a third term. Born February 15, 1954, in Emmett, Idaho, Little grew up on his family's sheep and cattle ranching operation. He earned a B.S. in agribusiness from the University of Idaho (1977) and has maintained dual careers in ranching and public service for over 40 years. As a Republican, Little has emphasized fiscal conservatism, tax relief, education investment, and deregulation. He served in the Idaho State Senate (2001-2009) where he was elected Majority Caucus Chair by his peers, and as the 42nd Lieutenant Governor (2009-2019) before becoming governor.

View John Stegner's Full Profile →View Jacob Burnett's Full Profile →View Stephen Heidt's Full Profile →View Terri Pickens's Full Profile →View Justin Plante's Full Profile →View Mark Fitzpatrick's Full Profile →View Brad Little's Full Profile →

Campaign Promises

No campaign promises listed yet.

No campaign promises listed yet.

Education
  • Adequate education funding—invest in schools as top priority
Housing
  • Fair and affordable housing
Healthcare
  • Healthcare access and preventing medical bankruptcy
Public Safety
  • Criminal justice reform and decriminalization
Education
  • Prioritize fully funded public schools and affordable higher education and workforce training
Infrastructure
  • Invest in modern infrastructure: roads, broadband, utilities reaching every corner of the state
Housing
  • Affordable housing and economic opportunity for working families
Other
  • Protect civil rights for LGBTQ community and people of color
  • Election accessibility, transparency, and security
Economy
  • Transparency through audits: open the books and conduct extensive audits to find waste, inefficiency, and fraud
  • No new taxes; use audit savings to fund critical services
  • Local-hire preference in state contracts to put Idahoans first in job creation
  • Monthly public reports on spending and a Citizens Oversight Task Force of regular Idahoans
Other
  • Defend traditional family values without compromise: ban all abortion without exception, uphold traditional marriage, protect parental rights, enforce biological reality in sports and bathrooms
Economy
  • Drastically cut government spending to eliminate bloated bureaucracy and wasteful programs
  • Focus on property tax relief and limiting or eliminating taxes
  • Responsibly increase state revenue from natural resources: timber, mining, agriculture, and energy development
Economy
  • Historic tax relief: $4.7 billion in cumulative tax cuts since 2019, including $253 million income tax cut (largest in state history) in 2025
  • Red tape reduction and regulatory streamline: Executive orders 2019-02 and 2025-05 to create efficiencies
Education
  • Education investment: 80% increase in state support for K-12 since 2019; $2 billion in school facility funding; $150+ million in new public school funding for 2026
  • School choice expansion: $50 million proposed with accountability and oversight requirements
Housing
  • Workforce housing: $15 million in continued funding; permitting reforms to increase housing supply
Environment
  • Water sovereignty: New water deal protecting Idaho agriculture; $30 million for water infrastructure in 2025
Defense
  • Public safety: Crime down 17% since taking office; $37 million for public defenders; $500K for fentanyl awareness

Key Issue Positions

No key issues listed yet.

No key issues listed yet.

Education
Adequate education funding is top priority
Emphasizes rural school facilities and program funding.
Criminal Justice Reform
Decriminalization of marijuana; reduce incarceration costs
Supports decriminalization (ticketing model like speeding ticket) rather than full legalization. Opposes imprisonment for drug offenses due to cost ($100/day per prisoner) and ineffectiveness.
Healthcare
Ensure healthcare access and prevent medical bankruptcy
Emphasizes healthcare as human issue; Idahoans should not die or go bankrupt due to lack of healthcare.
Democratic Governance
Moderate Democrat; willing to work with Republican legislature
In 2022, Heidt emphasized he is a moderate and 'side(s) with founding fathers' on civil liberties. Said working with Republican-controlled legislature wouldn't be difficult if compromises met his principles.
Public Education
Strong investment in public schools; opposes tax breaks over education funding
Criticizes Idaho's approach of giving tax breaks to the wealthy and well-connected while schools lack funding. Advocates for fully funded public schools as foundation for economic opportunity.
Civil Rights
Defender of LGBTQ rights and civil rights for people of color
Campaign criticizes governor's approach to ICE enforcement and supports robust civil rights protections.
Economy and Tax Policy
Progressive taxation; oppose oversized tax breaks; invest in people
Believes economy for working Idahoans requires investment in schools, infrastructure, workforce training, and housing—not tax cuts for wealthy.
Democracy and Elections
Protect voting rights and election accessibility
Emphasizes election security, transparency, and ensuring eligible voters can participate.
Government Efficiency and Accountability
Radical transparency and efficiency through audits
Core message: find waste through audits and redirect savings to critical services.
Tax Policy
No new taxes; fund services through efficiency gains
Opposes raising taxes; wants to balance budgets through eliminating waste.
Local Jobs and Economic Development
Local-hire preference and putting Idahoans first
Wants state contracts to prioritize hiring and spending within Idaho communities.
Cultural Conservatism
Hard-right conservative; opposes gender ideology and progressive values
Criticizes Little as not conservative enough on social issues. Promises to enforce 'biblical values' in state government without compromise.
Government Spending and Taxes
Cut government deeply; prioritize property tax relief
Promises to shrink government to core functions and eliminate wasteful spending while increasing revenue from natural resource development.
Natural Resource Development
Pro-development while respecting local control
Wants to unlock revenue from timber, mining, agriculture, and energy to offset taxes rather than fuel endless spending.
Tax Relief
Strong advocate for aggressive tax reduction
Delivered $4.7 billion in cumulative tax cuts. Signed largest income tax cut in state history (HB 40, $253M, 2025). Supports property tax relief, grocery tax relief, and all forms of tax reduction.
Education
Top priority; strong support for public schools with conditional support for school choice
Increased education funding 80%; secured $2 billion in school facility funding; proposed $150+ million in new public school funding for 2026. Signed HB 93 for school choice tax credits but with conditions requiring accountability.
Water Rights and Agriculture
Pro-farmer; defender of Idaho water sovereignty
Brokered new water deal between groundwater and surface water users in 2024. Signed EO 2024-06 to address aquifer depletion. Supports $30M water infrastructure funding.
Regulatory Environment
Anti-regulation; streamlining government operations
Idaho recognized as least regulated state. Signed 2-for-1 red tape reduction executive order.
Conservative Cultural Values
Strong conservative on social issues
Signed HB 500 and HB 509 (2020) banning transgender women from women's sports and prohibiting gender mark changes. Signed HB 71 (2023) banning gender-affirming medical care for minors under 18. Signed HB 366 and SB 1309 restricting abortion after 6 weeks.

Top Donors

No donor data available.

No donor data available.

No donor data available.

No donor data available.

No donor data available.

No donor data available.

Brad Little for Governor campaign
$1.5 million raised as of Feb 2026Campaign Fund
Raised from individuals and businesses across all 44 Idaho counties. Little set gubernatorial fundraising record in 2022.

Contradictions

No contradictions documented.

No contradictions documented.

No contradictions documented.

No contradictions documented.

No contradictions documented.

No contradictions documented.

Claim: In January 2025, Little recommended $100 million in tax relief for the 2025 session in his State of the State address.
Contradiction: Little ultimately signed legislation totaling $400+ million in tax relief in 2025, including HB 40 ($253M income tax), HB 304 ($100M property tax), and other bills—4 times his stated recommendation.

What Opponents Say

No opponent claims documented.

No opponent claims documented.

No opponent claims documented.

No opponent claims documented.

No opponent claims documented.

No opponent claims documented.

Mark Fitzpatrick (Republican primary challenger)

Little is a 'weak RINO' fostering 'compromise and insider politics'

Fitzpatrick, a retired police officer and conservative activist, positions himself to Little's right, arguing the incumbent is insufficiently conservative on cultural issues.

Ilana Rubel (Idaho House Minority Leader, D-Boise)

The tax cuts signed by Little and the legislature are 'textbook opposite of fiscal conservatism' and leave the state vulnerable.

Democrats argue that $400+ million in 2025 tax relief and additional 2026 budget cuts leave no cushion for economic downturns and force reductions in critical services.

Endorsements

No endorsements listed.

No endorsements listed.

No endorsements listed.

No endorsements listed.

No endorsements listed.

No endorsements listed.

President Donald Trumpindividual
Idaho Fraternal Order of Policeorganization
NRA Political Victory Fundorganization