BOISE, Idaho — Republican Sen. Jim Risch remains the clear favorite to win another term in one of the nation’s most reliably Republican states, but independent Todd Achilles is trying to turn Idaho’s Senate contest into a more competitive race by appealing to voters dissatisfied with both political parties.
The contest has attracted unusual attention for an Idaho Senate race as Achilles, a former state lawmaker, challenges the longtime incumbent on issues ranging from public lands and immigration to health care and election law.
A recent Peak Insights poll of 500 likely Idaho voters showed Risch with 52% support and Achilles at 18%. Independent Natalie Fleming received 9%, while Libertarian Matt Loesby received 2%. The survey was conducted for Risch’s campaign.
The results underscore the difficult political terrain facing anyone attempting to unseat Risch. Idaho hasn’t elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1974, and major election forecasters have continued to treat the seat as safely Republican.
Still, Achilles is mounting an unusually active independent campaign in a state where Republican nominees typically enter statewide general elections with a substantial advantage.
The two candidates share some common ground, particularly on protecting Idaho’s vast public lands and addressing problems with agricultural-worker visa programs. But they differ substantially over how the federal government should approach elections, immigration and other issues.
One dividing line is the SAVE Act, federal legislation backed by Risch that would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.
Risch has supported the measure as an election-integrity safeguard. Achilles opposes the legislation, arguing that it represents unnecessary federal involvement in elections traditionally administered by states.
Public lands are also playing a prominent role in the campaign. More than 60% of Idaho is federally managed, making access and federal land policy particularly important to voters in the state.
Both Risch and Achilles say Idaho’s public lands should remain protected, although they have differed over the incumbent’s record and how aggressively Idaho’s congressional delegation should push back against federal land policies.
Achilles has sought to make Risch’s longevity in Washington an issue as well. Risch, 83, has served in the Senate since 2009 after previously serving as Idaho’s governor, lieutenant governor and state Senate leader.
Fundraising suggests Achilles has assembled a more substantial campaign than many independent candidates, though Risch maintains a sizable financial advantage.
Achilles has also called for Risch to participate in three public debates, another effort to draw the incumbent into a more visible campaign.
Risch retains several significant advantages: incumbency, a financial edge and Idaho’s overwhelming Republican lean.
For Achilles, the challenge is convincing enough Republican and unaffiliated voters to abandon the incumbent while consolidating voters looking for an alternative to Risch. For Risch, the task is considerably simpler: hold together the Republican coalition that has made Idaho one of the GOP’s most dependable states.
The latest polling suggests Risch remains firmly in control, even as the independent challenge gives Idaho voters a more active Senate contest than the state has typically seen in recent election cycles.