Idaho Republican Senate nominee?
$3.5K
MAY 20, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleU.S. Senator
PartyRepublican
Political ideologyConservative Republican
Age83 years old (May 3, 1943)
GenderMale
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LocationIdaho
BackgroundAttorney
EducationUniversity of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (attended, 1961–1963)
Notable personal detailsJames Elroy Risch is a Republican attorney and public official who has served as the junior U.S. senator from Idaho since 2009. He previously served in the Idaho Legislature, was twice elected lieutenant governor, and served as Idaho’s 31st governor in 2006. He earned a B.S. in Forestry and a J.D. from the University of Idaho, and has worked as a prosecutor and in private law practice.
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Positions
Economy & Taxes
Supports tax cuts and permanent extensions of pro-growth tax provisions for businesses, opposes new taxes such as a carbon tax, and has sponsored legislation to repeal the federal estate tax and make pass-through/business tax deductions permanent.
Healthcare
Opposes government-run national health insurance and has called for repeal of the Affordable Care Act; supports preserving Medicare and Social Security but warns against creating new large government healthcare programs. Has opposed Medicaid expansion and voted against major Democratic health‑care legislation. Advocates market-based choice and fiscal restraint in health policy rather than creating new government-run programs.
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Immigration & Border
Supports aggressive border enforcement and restrictions on illegal immigration, including construction of the border wall, reinstating Remain in Mexico, ending “catch and release,” empowering local law enforcement to assist ICE, and restricting federal support to sanctuary jurisdictions.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
The candidate is strongly pro-life and supports restricting abortion access, opposes federal funding for abortion, and praised the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision returning abortion policy to the states. He has sponsored and supported legislation to prohibit taxpayer-funded abortion and introduced multiple pro-life bills to protect the unborn while supporting aid for pregnant and parenting mothers.
Climate & Energy
Supports expansion of domestic oil and gas production, increased leasing, and reduced federal regulatory barriers for energy development while backing nuclear and other baseload clean sources; opposes carbon taxes and federal greenhouse-gas regulatory mandates that he views as overreach. He has also opposed large-scale federal wind and solar projects on public lands when they conflict with local/state preferences.
Public Safety & Guns
The candidate consistently sponsors and champions legislation that protects and expands gun owners’ access to firearms, opposes new gun-control measures (including state-level excise taxes and federal registries), and seeks to limit ATF authority over firearm imports and records. His public statements emphasize defending Second Amendment rights and reducing federal regulation of firearms.
Fundraising
Latest report: Cycle 20262022
2024
2026
LatestCycle 2022
Cycle 2024
Cycle 2026
Source: FEC
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We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
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