Saturday, August 15, 2026 · Off-Session

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Elections

Idaho Voters Head to the Polls as 2026 Primary Season Hits Midpoint

Idaho held its 2026 primary election on August 11-12, with results coming in as the national political landscape showed signs of a Democratic surge heading into the fall midterms. The Idaho contest took place amid a broader primary season that saw consequential races decided across several states. National Backdrop A CNN poll released around the […]

By Idaho Politics Staff · August 13, 2026
Elections

Stop Prop 1 Campaign Rolls Out First TV Ad Against Idaho Abortion Ballot Measure

A campaign opposing a proposed abortion ballot measure in Idaho released its first television advertisement on August 6, targeting voters with claims that the measure goes further than its supporters have acknowledged. The ad, titled “Not What It Seems,” runs two minutes and was produced by Stop Prop 1, a campaign organized by the Too […]

By Idaho Politics Staff · August 8, 2026
Elections

Retired Farmer and Educator Enters Idaho District 1 Senate Race as Independent

Steve Johnson, a retired educator and longtime Bonner County farmer, formally entered the race for the District 1 Idaho Senate seat last week, launching his independent campaign at an event in Sandpoint on August 4. Johnson will face Republican nominee Scott Herndon in the November 3 general election. Running without party affiliation, Johnson is positioning […]

By Idaho Politics Staff · August 5, 2026
Elections

Idaho Elections Draw Federal Lawsuit and Fraud Arrests Even as Officials Point to Integrity Measures

Idaho’s election system is facing federal legal scrutiny over voter data access while state officials highlight security measures they say make the state a model for election integrity — a dual reality playing out as the national debate over election law continues to intensify. Federal Lawsuit Over Voter Data The U.S. Department of Justice has […]

By Idaho Politics Staff · July 29, 2026
Elections

Ten Republicans Now Vying for Idaho’s Special Election Congressional Seat as Sanford Enters Race

The Republican field for Idaho’s 2026 special election congressional primary grew to ten candidates after Sanford formally entered the race, adding another contender to an already crowded contest for what is shaping up to be one of the most competitive intraparty battles the state has seen in recent memory. A Crowded Republican Field Sanford’s entry […]

By Idaho Politics Staff · July 28, 2026
Elections

Abortion Rights Measure Qualifies for Idaho’s November Ballot After Record Signature Haul

An abortion-related ballot initiative will go before Idaho voters this November after supporters gathered a record-breaking number of signatures, setting up one of the state’s most consequential electoral fights in years. The Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act would establish a right to abortion before fetal viability and allow post-viability procedures to protect the health of […]

By Idaho Politics Staff · July 24, 2026
Elections

Ada County Road Fee Renewal Heads to November Ballot — But Truck Exemption Stirs Debate

Ada County voters will have a say this November on whether to extend a long-standing vehicle registration fee that pumps roughly $14 million annually into road and bridge maintenance across the county, after the Ada County Highway District Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to place the measure on the general election ballot. A Fee With […]

By Idaho Politics Staff · July 22, 2026
Elections

Idaho Governor’s Race Candidates Split on November Abortion Rights Initiative

Two of Idaho’s gubernatorial challengers have publicly declared their support for a November ballot measure that would roll back the state’s near-total abortion ban, while the Constitution Party candidate has vowed to fight the initiative if it passes. Republican incumbent Gov. Brad Little did not respond to requests for comment on the measure. Where the […]

By Idaho Politics Staff · July 22, 2026
Elections

Two Idaho Death Row Inmates Sue Over Firing Squad Law as Advocacy Campaign Targets Boise

A federal lawsuit filed by two of Idaho’s longest-serving death row inmates is challenging the state’s newly enacted firing squad execution law on constitutional grounds, while an advocacy group has taken its opposition directly to the public with a billboard campaign in Boise. The Lawsuit Thomas Creech and Gerald Ross Pizzuto Jr. filed suit against […]

By Idaho Politics Staff · July 21, 2026
Elections

Idaho Attorney General’s Office Tells DOJ to Back Off McGrane, Drop Election Lawsuit

Idaho’s attorney general office fired back at the U.S. Department of Justice this month, demanding federal officials cease direct contact with Secretary of State Phil McGrane and drop a civil lawsuit filed against him earlier this year over access to voter registration records. James E. M. Craig, a division chief in the Idaho Attorney General’s […]

By Idaho Politics Staff · July 17, 2026