Risch secures fourth Senate term in Idaho after Democrat drops out
The 83-year-old incumbent won 56.5% of the vote in a three-way race after the Democratic nominee withdrew in late July.
By Ana Castro ·
U.S. Senator Jim Risch won re-election to a fourth term on Tuesday, claiming 56.5% of the vote in Idaho's Senate race. The Associated Press reported that Risch received 391,395 votes with 97% of the total ballots counted. His victory concludes a contest that narrowed to three candidates after the Democratic nominee exited the race.
Risch, who is 83 years old, has served in the Senate since 2009. His legislative record centers on natural resource management, forestry policy, and water infrastructure development. As Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he helped author the bipartisan Strategic Competition Act regarding national security strategy in Asia. He also backed Senate approval for NATO expansion and supported defense initiatives following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
President Donald Trump endorsed Risch throughout the campaign. The president wrote on Truth Social that the senator "is doing a tremendous job." Risch's supporters pointed to his long tenure and committee leadership as key assets in the general election.
The race featured two independent challengers and one Libertarian. Independent candidate Todd Achilles earned 33.6% of the vote, while Independent candidate Natalie Fleming gained 7%. Libertarian candidate Matt Loesby received 2.9% of the total.
The field changed in late July when David Roth, the Democratic nominee, announced his withdrawal. Roth had won the May primary with approximately 62% of the vote. In a statement on his campaign website, Roth said he decided to end his campaign after careful consideration.
"I entered this race because I believe deeply in what Democrats are fighting for across Idaho," Roth wrote. He noted that a full week of work should be enough to pay the bills and that every family deserves affordable healthcare.
Roth added that he concluded he could make the greatest difference by focusing on helping Democrats win up and down the ballot in communities across Idaho. The withdrawal left Risch to face the independent and Libertarian challengers directly in the general election.
