Independent candidate Todd Achilles has secured an endorsement from the Forward Party in his bid to unseat three-term Republican U.S. Senator Jim Risch of Idaho, setting up what could be one of the more unusual Senate matchups in the state’s recent history. The race effectively narrowed to a two-man contest after Democrat David Roth withdrew from the field, leaving Achilles as the principal challenger heading into November.

The Challenger and His Case

Achilles, 59, brings a distinctive résumé to the race. A U.S. Army veteran, he spent more than two decades in the tech and telecommunications industry before entering Idaho politics. He was appointed to the state legislature in 2024 to fill the seat vacated by Colin Nash, then won a full term in that year’s election as a Democratic lawmaker. He subsequently resigned his legislative seat, changed his party registration to unaffiliated, and entered the Senate race.

To appear on the November ballot as an independent, Achilles was required to collect at least 1,000 petition signatures — a threshold he has met. He has also issued a series of debate challenges spanning August through October, though Risch has not indicated any interest in participating.

Achilles has framed his campaign around congressional dysfunction, telling the Idaho Press: “The fundamental problem, and I hear this from Idahoans from Boundary (County) to Bear Lake (County), is Congress isn’t working.”

Forward Party Endorsement

The Forward Party, co-founded in 2021 by Andrew Yang and former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman, endorsed Achilles as part of its effort to promote centrist, non-partisan alternatives to the two major parties. The party’s tagline — “Not Left. Not Right. Forward.” — reflects its pitch to voters dissatisfied with both Republicans and Democrats.

Yang weighed in on Achilles’ prospects, saying as reported by the Idaho Press: “If Todd gets the resources necessary to make his case, he’s got a shot to change the game by ousting an octogenarian incumbent in a deep red state.”

A 2026 Pew Research survey showing Republican Party favorability at 40 percent and Democratic Party favorability at 39 percent provides some context for the Forward Party’s argument that a meaningful share of voters may be open to alternatives — though translating national discontent into votes against a deeply entrenched incumbent in Idaho is a different challenge.

Risch’s Position and the Fundraising Gap

Risch, 83, first won election to the Idaho State Senate in 1974 and later served as the state’s lieutenant governor before moving to Washington. He has held his current U.S. Senate seat since 2009 and shows no signs of treating this race as anything other than a routine reelection effort.

The financial disparity between the two candidates is stark. Risch has accumulated roughly $4.4 million in campaign funds since his 2020 reelection, with $3.3 million of that arriving after the start of last year. Achilles, by comparison, has raised $692,000 since July 1 — a figure that reflects early momentum but remains a fraction of what the incumbent has banked.

Roth’s Exit and the Race’s Shape

The departure of Democrat David Roth simplified the contest considerably. Roth announced his withdrawal, saying he believed his energy and resources would be more effectively deployed helping other Democratic candidates across Idaho. Roth had previously run campaigns against Representative Mike Simpson and Senator Mike Crapo, giving him credibility as a party figure, but Idaho’s deep-red lean made his own Senate path narrow from the start.

His exit left Achilles as the only real opposition to Risch, consolidating whatever anti-incumbent sentiment exists in the state behind a single candidate — though one who spent most of his legislative tenure affiliated with the Democratic Party.

What’s Next

With roughly three months until the November election, Achilles faces the dual challenge of closing the fundraising gap and convincing Idaho voters — in a state that has not elected a Democrat to statewide office in decades — that an independent with a Democratic legislative history represents a credible alternative. Risch, for his part, holds the advantages of incumbency, name recognition stretching back half a century in Idaho politics, and a substantial financial cushion.