Who is running for U.S. Senator (Idaho) in 2026?
Here are the candidates for U.S. Senator on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for all voters in Idaho.
Positions come only from each candidate's own votes, official actions, statements and questionnaire answers, never from party labels. Every item links to its source.
Side by side
Each candidate's position on the issues this office handles, from their own record. Details and sources are in each profile below.
| Issue | Jim RischRepublican | Natalie M FlemingIndependent | Todd AchillesIndependent | Matt LoesbyLibertarian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income taxes | Cut taxes across the board, including for top earners and corporationsVoted · high | No public position | Cut taxes mainly for middle and lower earnersSaid · medium | No public position |
| National debt | No public position | No public position | No public position | Cut spending sharply, including popular programs, to balance the budgetQuestionnaire answer · medium |
| Safety net programs | Keep them, but add work requirements for able-bodied adultsVoted · medium | No public position | No public position | No public position |
| Healthcare | No public position | No public position | Keep the Affordable Care Act and fix what is brokenSaid · medium | No public position |
| Abortion | Illegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestSaid · low | No public position | Legal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)Said · medium | Illegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestSaid · medium |
| Guns | No public position | No public position | Keep current laws and enforce what is already on the booksSaid · medium | No public position |
| Immigration | Secure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadyVoted · high | No public position | Tighter border security plus a path to legal status for long-time residentsSaid · medium | Deport everyone here illegally, as quickly as possibleQuestionnaire answer · medium |
| Foreign policy | No public position | No public position | No public position | Pull back from foreign conflicts and aid (often called America First)Questionnaire answer · medium |
| Energy and climate | All of the above: oil, gas, nuclear and renewables, and let markets pickSaid · medium | A gradual shift to cleaner energy, driven by incentivesQuestionnaire answer · medium | No public position | No public position |
| Politicians trading stocks | No public position | No public position | No, ban it for members and their spousesSaid · medium | No public position |
| Marijuana | No public position | No public position | Medical use onlySaid · medium | No public position |
| Term limits | No public position | No public position | Yes, strict limits, such as three House terms and two Senate termsSaid · medium | No public position |
| Mandatory minimums | Add or lengthen them for serious crimes like fentanyl traffickingVoted · medium | No public position | No public position | No public position |
| Student loans | Cap borrowing, simplify repayment, and skip broad forgivenessVoted · medium | No public position | No public position | No public position |
| Nuclear power | Back new reactors with public funds, tax credits, and streamlined approvalsSaid · medium | No public position | No public position | Fast-track nuclear as a top priority with strict approval deadlines and looser rulesQuestionnaire answer · medium |
| Transgender athletes | No, and Congress should set a biological sex rule nationwideVoted · medium | No public position | No public position | No public position |
| Aid to Ukraine | Restore strong U.S. aid and add tougher sanctions on RussiaVoted · high | No public position | No public position | No public position |
Jim Risch
Republican · IncumbentU.S. Senator from Idaho; Chairman, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Jim Risch is the Republican incumbent U.S. Senator from Idaho and chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee2. He is a rancher and attorney who was Ada County prosecutor, Idaho Senate President Pro Tem, Lieutenant Governor, Governor and then U.S. Senator2. He is listed on the November 2026 general election ballot for U.S. Senator6.
Where they stand 10 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
Income taxesCut taxes across the board, including for top earners and corporationshigh
Voted · high confidence- His official site says the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the Working Families Tax Cuts bill delivered policies that will increase wages and create jobs, and that taxpayers should keep more of their money. (2025) source
- Voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which makes permanent the individual tax rates of 10% to 37%; the Senate vote was 50 to 50 and the Vice President broke the tie. (2025-07-01) source
ImmigrationSecure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadyhigh
Voted · high confidence- His official site says he wants to secure the borders first, reform legal immigration with a practical, workable program for workers, and allow no amnesty for people who broke the law. (2025) source
- Voted for the Laken Riley Act, which requires detention of people in the country illegally who are charged with theft; it passed 64 to 35. (2025-01-20) source
- Voted for S. 2, the Secure America Act, a budget reconciliation bill that provides $70 billion for immigration enforcement and border security through fiscal year 2029; it passed 52 to 47. (2026-06-05) source
- Voted against the 2013 comprehensive immigration reform bill, which paired border security spending with a path to citizenship; it passed 68 to 32. (2013-06-27) source
Aid to UkraineRestore strong U.S. aid and add tougher sanctions on Russiahigh
Voted · high confidence- In 2022 he said Western sanctions had not deterred Putin and that it is time to completely shut down the Russian economy and do more to assist Ukrainian defenses. (2022-03-02) source
- In 2026, in remarks ahead of Senate passage of a Russia sanctions bill, he said it would impose critical new sanctions on Russia and those enabling its war in Ukraine. (2026-08-07) source
- Voted for the April 2024 national security supplemental, which his statement says included his REPO Act on Russian sovereign funds for Ukraine and aid for Taiwan and allies; it passed 79 to 18. (2024-04-23) source
- Voted for H.R. 5334, a Russia sanctions bill that passed 86 to 11. (2026-08-07) source
Safety net programsKeep them, but add work requirements for able-bodied adultsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which expands work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents in SNAP, among many other provisions. (2025-07-01) source
Energy and climateAll of the above: oil, gas, nuclear and renewables, and let markets pickmedium
Said · medium confidence- His official site says he supports expanded domestic oil drilling along with nuclear, hydropower, geothermal, biomass, natural gas and clean coal. (2025) source
- In the CBS2/FOX9 survey he said he has pushed for policies that make it easier to produce oil, natural gas, nuclear and geothermal power. (2026-08-24) source
Nuclear powerBack new reactors with public funds, tax credits, and streamlined approvalsmedium
Said · medium confidence- His official site calls himself a leading voice for the aggressive expansion of domestic nuclear power and says he has advocated investments in next-generation nuclear research at Idaho National Laboratory. (2025) source
Transgender athletesNo, and Congress should set a biological sex rule nationwidemedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on cloture to begin debate on the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which would bar school athletic programs from letting people whose sex at birth was male join women's and girls' programs; the motion failed 51 to 45. (2025-03-03) source
Mandatory minimumsAdd or lengthen them for serious crimes like fentanyl traffickingmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted for the HALT Fentanyl Act, which permanently places fentanyl-related substances in Schedule I and applies mandatory minimum prison terms to them; it passed 84 to 16. (2025-03-14) source
Student loansCap borrowing, simplify repayment, and skip broad forgivenessmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted to overturn the Department of Education rule on Waivers and Modifications of Federal Student Loans; it passed 52 to 46. (2023-06-01) source
AbortionIllegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestlow
Said · low confidence- His official site says he is strongly pro-life and has advocated legislation that protects and promotes human life, including the unborn. (2025) source
No public position found on: National debt, Social Security, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Guns, Trade and tariffs, Foreign policy, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Supreme Court reform, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Birthright citizenship, E-Verify mandate, DEI programs, Religion in schools, Aid to Israel, China policy.
Natalie M Fleming
IndependentPrivate citizen
Natalie M Fleming is an independent candidate for U.S. Senate1. She returned to Idaho in 2002, raised four children as a single mother, worked in software development, and returned to school at Boise State University for degrees in information technology management, supply chain management and cybersecurity1. Her platform emphasizes privacy and data rights, homeownership and land management1.
Where they stand 1 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
Energy and climateA gradual shift to cleaner energy, driven by incentivesmedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- In the CBS2/FOX9 survey she said she would bring back the 30 percent federal credit for families who own rooftop solar panels and batteries and keep Idaho's hydropower dams running. (2026-08-24) source
No public position found on: Income taxes, National debt, Social Security, Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Abortion, Guns, Immigration, Trade and tariffs, Foreign policy, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Supreme Court reform, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, Birthright citizenship, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, Aid to Israel, Aid to Ukraine, China policy.
Todd Achilles
IndependentFormer Idaho state representative (District 16B)
Todd Achilles is an independent candidate for U.S. Senate, a U.S. Army veteran and former tank commander who represented District 16B in the Idaho House of Representatives from 2024 to 20251. He previously served as a Democrat in the Legislature and is running without a party label1. His campaign platform includes term limits, a ban on member stock trading and protecting public lands2.
Where they stand 8 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
Term limitsYes, strict limits, such as three House terms and two Senate termsmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site says he will fight for a constitutional amendment limiting the Senate to two terms, the House to three terms and Supreme Court justices to 18 years, and he has pledged to serve only two terms. (2026) source
Politicians trading stocksNo, ban it for members and their spousesmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site says members of Congress should not be allowed to trade individual stocks, period, and that he will fight to ban the practice. (2026) source
HealthcareKeep the Affordable Care Act and fix what is brokenmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site says he will protect healthcare tax credits that help Idaho families afford coverage and work across party lines on insurance competition, price transparency and affordability. (2026) source
Income taxesCut taxes mainly for middle and lower earnersmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site says he will work to lower taxes for working families, small businesses and agricultural producers and to close tax loopholes that the elite and corporations abuse. (2026) source
GunsKeep current laws and enforce what is already on the booksmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site says he will vote against new federal bans on firearms or magazines and against a federal gun registry, and that Idaho already decided how Idahoans carry. (2026) source
AbortionLegal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)medium
Said · medium confidence- At a September 30, 2026 forum he said he supports Proposition 1, the Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act, adding that every abortion is a tragedy but these decisions are not improved by government inserting itself. (2026-09-30) source
- His campaign site says he supports Idaho's Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act ballot initiative and trusts Idahoans to make private healthcare decisions with their providers. (2026) source
ImmigrationTighter border security plus a path to legal status for long-time residentsmedium
Said · medium confidence- His campaign site says he would fund Customs and Border Protection to secure the border while modernizing the visa system and reviving the Lankford bipartisan immigration reform bill. (2026) source
- At a September 30, 2026 forum he said long-time immigrant residents are good people who deserve a right to become American citizens. (2026-09-30) source
MarijuanaMedical use onlymedium
Said · medium confidence- At a September 30, 2026 forum he said he supports medical cannabis. (2026-09-30) source
No public position found on: National debt, Social Security, Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Trade and tariffs, Foreign policy, Energy and climate, Judges, Redistricting, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Supreme Court reform, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, Birthright citizenship, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, Aid to Israel, Aid to Ukraine, China policy.
Matt Loesby
LibertarianSoftware developer (Eagle)
Matt Loesby is the Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate1. He is a software developer who builds backend systems for video games, raised in Centennial, Colorado, and living in Eagle, Idaho since 20201. His survey answers call for ceding federal land to Idaho, cutting entitlements and overseas military spending, and mass deportation of people in the country illegally1.
Where they stand 5 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
ImmigrationDeport everyone here illegally, as quickly as possiblemedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- In the CBS2/FOX9 survey he said he would push to enable mass deportation of illegal immigrants and the remigration of foreign ethnic enclaves, and that many legal immigrants and their children must be sent back to their homelands. (2026-08-24) source
- At a September 30, 2026 forum he argued for enforcing the border and removing people who are in the country illegally. (2026-09-30) source
AbortionIllegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestmedium
Said · medium confidence- At a September 30, 2026 forum he said abortion should be permitted only in cases of self-defense and that in all other cases homicide should be punished under the law, and that the issue should remain with the states. (2026-09-30) source
Foreign policyPull back from foreign conflicts and aid (often called America First)medium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- In the CBS2/FOX9 survey he said Congress should cut funding for all overseas military operations and bring servicemembers home to defend the American homeland. (2026-08-24) source
National debtCut spending sharply, including popular programs, to balance the budgetmedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- In the CBS2/FOX9 survey he said Congress needs to aggressively cut entitlements, including Social Security, and cut funding for overseas military operations to address a deficit of over $3 trillion. (2026-08-24) source
Nuclear powerFast-track nuclear as a top priority with strict approval deadlines and looser rulesmedium
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence- In the CBS2/FOX9 survey he said he would attack the regulatory infrastructure that has prevented construction of nuclear power plants. (2026-08-24) source
No public position found on: Income taxes, Social Security, Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Guns, Trade and tariffs, Energy and climate, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Supreme Court reform, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Birthright citizenship, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, Aid to Israel, Aid to Ukraine, China policy.
Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.