Idaho Senate Race 2026

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

Natalie Fleming

Party: Independent

David Roth

Party: Democrat

Todd Achilles

Party: Independent

Jim Risch

Party: Republican

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Idaho Senate Race

Election: Nov 3, 2026Updated: Apr 6, 2026
📊Polling+3.0 Achilles
Achilles leads Risch 41-38 in March 2026 Public Policy Polling; earlier polling shows Risch with significant leads over Democratic opponents
Source: Public Policy Polling2026-03-17
41%
Achilles
38%
Risch
likely r★ Flip Potential— other

This race has potential to shift Senate control if Todd Achilles (Independent) gains traction, similar to Nebraska 2024. However, Idaho's Republican dominance since 1981 and Risch's strong fundraising advantage make Democratic takeover unlikely.

Natalie FlemingI
David RothD
Todd AchillesI
Jim RischR

Summary

Natalie Fleming is a software developer and experienced political candidate who has run for federal office multiple times. She previously ran in the 2022 Republican primary for U.S. Senate against incumbent Mike Crapo, finishing among four challengers who lost to Crapo. She also ran in the 2020 general election for Senate as an independent, receiving votes against incumbent Jim Risch. Fleming has reinvented herself as a frequent candidate willing to challenge incumbents from various angles. In 2026, she is running as an independent candidate for Senate, making her one of two independent candidates (along with Todd Achilles) who qualified for the general election ballot.

David Roth is a 43-year-old realtor and community activist from Idaho Falls, Idaho. He earned recognition in 2022 as the first openly gay candidate to receive a statewide Democratic nomination in Idaho and only the second gay man ever nominated for U.S. Senate. He serves as Executive Director of the Bonneville Youth Development Council and volunteers extensively in his community. Roth has served on the boards of Habitat for Humanity of the Idaho Falls Area and the Idaho Falls Soup Kitchen and is treasurer of Community Coalitions of Idaho. He has been politically active since 2006, serving as Precinct Captain, Legislative District Vice-Chair, and Chair of the Bonneville County Democrats. In 2022, he ran unsuccessfully against U.S. Senator Mike Crapo and in 2024 challenged U.S. Representative Mike Simpson in the 2nd Congressional District. He is running for the Democratic primary in 2026 as the main Democratic challenger to incumbent Republican Senator Jim Risch.

Todd Achilles is an Army veteran and former Democratic state legislator from Boise, Idaho. Born in Oregon, he served as a tank commander in the U.S. Army from 1992 to 1995. After military service, he worked for over two decades in the technology sector, holding senior positions at T-Mobile, Hewlett-Packard (HP), and HTC. He was appointed to the Idaho House of Representatives in February 2024 to represent District 16B and was elected to the seat in November 2024. In July 2025, he resigned from the state legislature to focus full-time on his independent U.S. Senate campaign, becoming unaffiliated from the Democratic Party. He has degrees from Claremont McKenna College (B.A. in economics and international relations), University of Washington (M.B.A. in marketing and finance, and M.A.I.S. in international studies), and University of California, Berkeley (M.P.A.). Achilles is running as an independent to unseat Senator Jim Risch, positioning himself as a centrist alternative to the two-party system.

James Elroy Risch was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and moved to Idaho in the early 1960s. He earned a B.S. in forestry in 1965 and a J.D. in 1968, both from the University of Idaho. Before entering federal service, he served as Ada County Prosecuting Attorney starting in 1970 and taught criminal law at Boise State University. He served in the Idaho State Senate from 1975 to 1988 and again from 1995 to 2002. He was elected Lieutenant Governor of Idaho in 2002, served as Governor from 2006 to 2007, and has been a U.S. Senator since 2009. He is currently 82 years old and will be 83 on Election Day 2026. If reelected, he would be 89 at the end of his fourth term.

Campaign Promises

Other
  • Protect religious liberty and Christian values
  • Protect traditional marriage
Justice
  • Protect life at all stages
  • Defund abortion providers
  • Support Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act
Healthcare
  • Guarantee access to healthcare
Economy
  • Lower housing costs and expand homeownership
  • Raise wages and support workers
Justice
  • Protect individual rights
Justice
  • Fight corruption in Congress
Economy
  • Reduce the national debt
  • Help grow the middle class
Environment
  • Protect public lands and public schools
Healthcare
  • Fix healthcare system
Other
  • Congressional reform and bipartisanship
Economy
  • Continue working with President Trump on America First Agenda
  • Get government out of the way
Environment
  • Protect Idaho's natural resources
Energy
  • Advance civil nuclear energy
Defense
  • Protect Second Amendment rights

Key Issue Positions

Abortion and life protection
Strong pro-life stance with narrow exceptions
Believes life begins at conception and must be protected legally. Opposes taxpayer funding for abortion providers and supports protections for infants who survive abortion attempts.
Religious liberty and Christian values
Strong advocate for religious liberty protections
Emphasizes protection of religious freedom and Christian expression in public life. Concerned about threats to religious liberty in America.
Traditional values and family structure
Defender of traditional marriage and family
Opposes recognition of same-sex marriage and supports religious exemptions for those opposed to such unions.
Healthcare access and affordability
Strong support for Medicare for All
Believes healthcare is a human right and criticizes Senator Risch for not voting to protect healthcare for veterans and ignoring needs for affordable prescription drugs. Advocates for systemic reform through Medicare for All.
Individual rights and civil liberties
Strong defender of LGBTQ+ rights, abortion rights, and voting rights
As the first openly gay statewide Democratic nominee in Idaho history, Roth champions rights for LGBTQ+ individuals. Opposes restrictions on abortion access and voting rights.
Economic justice
Advocate for working families and middle-class concerns
Sees economic inequality as the central problem. Advocates raising wages, making housing affordable, ensuring healthcare access. Believes current Senator has lost touch with everyday Idahoans' struggles.
Congressional representation
Belief that Senator Risch has lost touch with Idaho voters
Criticizes Risch for rarely responding to constituents' concerns in meaningful ways and voting against Idahoans' interests on healthcare, prescription drugs, and infrastructure.
Two-party system dysfunction
Fundamental belief that the two-party system is broken
Achilles repeatedly states that both Democratic and Republican parties are responsible for the same problems: 'debt is getting worse...same debt, same dysfunction, same division.' He argues both parties are failing the American people.
Healthcare access
Critical of rural hospital closures and healthcare gaps
Estimates that 60% of Idaho hospitals are rural and approximately 75,000 Idahoans lack health coverage. Claims Risch could have used his influence with Trump to protect hospitals but didn't.
Campaign finance reform
Strong advocate for limiting money in politics
Calls for campaign finance reform, banning congressional stock trading, and imposing term limits. Says 'if the four [independent veterans running for Senate] won, we could be the fulcrum to force term limits, force a ban on stock trading for Congress members.'
Public lands
Protect public lands for future generations
Advocates protecting Idaho's public lands: 'I will fight to protect the public lands we grew up on and that we raise our kids on.' Views this as essential to Idaho's way of life.
Wage and economic inequality
Advocate for living wages and eliminating non-compete agreements
Believes 'wages are just too damn low' and 'if you're working 40 hours, you should be able to afford a home and not be struggling for groceries.' Particularly focused on younger generations' economic struggles.
Conservative governance
Strongly conservative voting record
The American Conservative Union's Center for Legislative Accountability gives him a lifetime conservative score of 91.54. Americans for Democratic Action gave him an ideology score of zero in 2019.
Abortion
Anti-abortion
Co-sponsored the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act in 2013 and supported the June 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade, applauding the Supreme Court for recognizing state interests in protecting life.
Foreign policy
Chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee
As Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he shapes U.S. foreign policy. Sponsored reports on NATO strengthening and China, and condemned atrocities in Sudan.
Energy
Proponent of nuclear energy and state-level resource control
Supports nuclear energy projects at Idaho National Laboratory and worked on the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act. Advocates returning natural resource management to the states.

Top Donors

No donor data available.

Individual campaign contributions
Amount not fully disclosed in available sourcesSmall donors and individual supporters
Roth has been running statewide campaigns since 2022 and builds support from Democratic base voters in Idaho
Individual contributions and grassroots fundraising
$350,000Primarily small donors and individual contributions
As of March 2026, Achilles has raised approximately $350,000 compared to Risch's $2.85 million. Has built campaign infrastructure with nearly 1,000 volunteers and held over 100 events across all 44 Idaho counties.
Cash on hand as of June 30, 2025
$2,850,000Campaign account
Risch has built a substantial war chest that deters primary challengers
Individual and PAC contributions (2023-2024)
$632,240Mixed individual and PAC donations
Raised in the 2023-2024 cycle; 2025-2026 data still being compiled

Contradictions

No contradictions documented.

Claim: Roth is running for Senate as the Democratic nominee in a race where he acknowledges victory is 'unlikely'
Contradiction: Despite recognizing the long odds in a Republican-dominated state, Roth has stated he has 'no intention of dropping out of the race' and is running to provide Democratic voters a choice
Source: Spokesman-Review reporting on Roth's continued candidacy despite independent Todd Achilles also running
Claim: Achilles ran as a Democrat in the 2024 state House election and won, then was chair of the Democrats' caucus in 2025
Contradiction: In July 2025, less than a year after his election, Achilles left the Democratic Party and became unaffiliated to run as an independent for U.S. Senate
Source: Multiple sources including Idaho Capital Sun and local news reports
Claim: Achilles positions himself as independent and above partisan politics
Contradiction: Idaho GOP Chair Dorothy Moon criticized Achilles as 'clearly out of step with the great majority of Idahoans,' claiming he is 'one of the most left-wing Democrats in the statehouse' despite his independent positioning
Source: Idaho GOP statement quoted in Spokesman-Review
Claim: Achilles was a registered Republican early in his life
Contradiction: He later became a registered Democrat and ran for state House as a Democrat, but claims to have been 'registered Republican longer than I've been a registered Dem'
Source: Achilles' own statements during campaign stops
Claim: Risch announced his re-election bid in April 2025 with plans to serve another six-year term, which would make him 89 at the end of his term
Contradiction: At 82 years old on Election Day 2026, Risch would be the oldest sitting U.S. Senator if reelected. Some observers question whether his reelection announcement is genuine or a tactical move, given his age and wealth.
Source: Idaho Capital Sun reporting and political analysis of Risch's campaign strategy

What Opponents Say

No opponent claims documented.

Todd Achilles (Independent)

A Democratic candidate could hurt Achilles' independent bid by splitting the anti-Republican vote

Achilles needs Democratic leadership to encourage Roth to withdraw so the party doesn't split the anti-Risch vote, but Democratic leaders have not made such a move

Idaho GOP Chair Dorothy Moon

Achilles is 'clearly out of step with the great majority of Idahoans' and represents 'radical ideology'

Moon criticized Achilles as a vocal critic of the Republican Presidential Caucus, a major backer of ranked choice voting that voters rejected 70-30, and 'one of the most left-wing Democrats in the statehouse for the past two years'

David Roth (Democratic candidate)

Achilles could hurt Democratic turnout by positioning as a centrist alternative

Roth expressed concern that Achilles criticizing both parties could promote apathy among voters and hurt a Democratic Party already fighting uphill in Idaho

Todd Achilles (Independent)

Risch voted against the CHIPS Act (which funded Micron's expansion in Boise) and against the PACT Act (which expanded health care for veterans exposed to toxic burn pit chemicals)

Achilles criticized Risch's 2022 voting record, saying 'If you're going to vote to send them to war, you better vote to take care of them when they get back'

Todd Achilles (Independent)

Risch could have protected Idaho's rural hospitals from closure if he wanted to

Achilles argued that Risch, as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and close to Trump, had the influence to protect hospitals but chose not to use it. Approximately 75,000 Idahoans lack health coverage according to Achilles.

David Roth (Democrat)

Risch has lost touch with constituents' needs and rarely responds to concerns in meaningful ways, often voting against their interests

Roth criticized Risch's voting record on healthcare for veterans, affordable prescription drugs, and investments in Idaho

Endorsements

No endorsements listed.

Idaho Democratic Partyorganization
Independent voters and reform-minded Idahoansgrassroots
President Donald Trumpindividual
U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID)individual
Congressman Russ Fulcher (R-ID-1)individual
Governor Brad Little (R-ID)individual
Idaho Senate President Pro Tem Kelly Anthonindividual
Idaho House Speaker Mike Moyleindividual
U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT)individual
U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY)individual
National Rifle Associationorganization
FreedomWorksorganization
View Natalie Fleming's Full Profile →View David Roth's Full Profile →View Todd Achilles's Full Profile →View Jim Risch's Full Profile →