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Idaho's 1st Congressional District election, 2026

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2024
Idaho's 1st Congressional District
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge.png
Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: February 27, 2026
Primary: May 19, 2026
General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times:

8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Idaho

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending
Inside Elections: Solid Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
Idaho's 1st Congressional District
U.S. Senate1st2nd
Idaho elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

All U.S. House districts, including the 1st Congressional District of Idaho, are holding elections in 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. The primary is May 19, 2026. The filing deadline is February 27, 2026. For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

  • Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
  • Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

General election

The primary will occur on May 19, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.

General election for U.S. House Idaho District 1

Sarah Zabel is running in the general election for U.S. House Idaho District 1 on November 3, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Sarah Zabel
Sarah Zabel (Independent) Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Idaho District 1

Ken Brungardt and Kaylee Peterson are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Idaho District 1 on May 19, 2026.


Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Idaho District 1

Incumbent Russ Fulcher is running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Idaho District 1 on May 19, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Russ Fulcher
Russ Fulcher

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Image of Sarah Zabel

Website

Party: Independent

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography "Sarah Zabel retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2018 as a major general. Making her home in Idaho, she wrote a book about the science of depression and became an Adjunct for RAND Corporation. She entered the race for US Congress as an Independent in November 2025."


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


As a country, we are facing serious problems, but we have overcome equally challenging problems before. We know how to solve our problems.


The federal government is burdening the economy with tariffs and excessive workforce controls. Reduce those burdens and we can make living more affordable.


We need to reform our laws and enforce them fairly and evenly.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Idaho

Election information in Idaho: May 19, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: May 19, 2026
  • By mail: Received by May 8, 2026
  • Online: May 8, 2026

Is absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

N/A

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: May 15, 2026
  • By mail: Received by May 8, 2026
  • Online: May 8, 2026

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: May 19, 2026
  • By mail: Received by May 19, 2026

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

April 27, 2026 to May 15, 2026

Are all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, is a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When are polls open on Election Day?

8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. (MT/PT)

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Expand all | Collapse all

Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Sarah_Zabel_2025.jpg

Sarah Zabel (Independent)

As a country, we are facing serious problems, but we have overcome equally challenging problems before. We know how to solve our problems.

The federal government is burdening the economy with tariffs and excessive workforce controls. Reduce those burdens and we can make living more affordable.

We need to reform our laws and enforce them fairly and evenly.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Sarah_Zabel_2025.jpg

Sarah Zabel (Independent)

National debt, affordability, and foreign affairs.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Sarah_Zabel_2025.jpg

Sarah Zabel (Independent)

True motivation to serve their constituents and the nation as a whole.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Sarah_Zabel_2025.jpg

Sarah Zabel (Independent)

We are facing significant challenges with affordability, especially of health care. Going forward, the economic disruption posed by artificial intelligence and robotics will become increasingly significant.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Sarah_Zabel_2025.jpg

Sarah Zabel (Independent)

Yes. It ensures continuing accountability to the voters.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Sarah_Zabel_2025.jpg

Sarah Zabel (Independent)

Yes. Our laws affect the whole nation. Congress can't just serve a single constituency.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Sarah_Zabel_2025.jpg

Sarah Zabel (Independent)

I researched and wrote a book about the science of depression. It opened my eyes about mental health and illness and was truly challenging.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Sarah_Zabel_2025.jpg

Sarah Zabel (Independent)

The U.S. government must ensure that people are held accountable for what they do. In the area of artificial intelligence, the government needs to ensure transparency, so that people know when they are interacting with AI rather than a person. They need to know when artifacts such as video or audio recordings are generated by AI. The learning path of AI must be documented. The government can ensure such transparency by establishing technical standards and legal accountability for their violation.


Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Russ Fulcher Republican Party $316,420 $272,299 $224,130 As of September 30, 2025
Ken Brungardt Democratic Party $8,787 $1,635 $7,152 As of September 30, 2025
Kaylee Peterson Democratic Party $49,524 $49,115 $5,800 As of September 30, 2025
Sarah Zabel Independent $0 $0 $0 Data not available***

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

  • Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
  • Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
  • Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[1]
  • Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[2][3][4]

Race ratings: Idaho's 1st Congressional District election, 2026
Race trackerRace ratings
1/13/20261/6/202612/23/202512/16/2025
The Cook Political Report with Amy WalterSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Decision Desk HQ and The HillPendingPendingPendingPending
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallSafe RepublicanSafe RepublicanSafe RepublicanSafe Republican
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Idaho in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Idaho, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Idaho U.S. House Ballot-qualified party 500 $300 2/27/2026 Source
Idaho U.S. House Unaffiliated 500 $300 8/28/2026 Source


District history

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.

General election

General election for U.S. House Idaho District 1

The following candidates ran in the general election for U.S. House Idaho District 1 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Russ Fulcher
Russ Fulcher (R)
 
71.0
 
331,049
Image of Kaylee Peterson
Kaylee Peterson (D)
 
25.4
 
118,656
Image of Matt Loesby
Matt Loesby (L)  Candidate Connection
 
2.1
 
9,594
Brendan Gomez (Constitution Party)
 
1.5
 
6,933
Image of Margot Dupre
Margot Dupre (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
7
David Bot (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
3

Total votes: 466,242
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Idaho District 1

Kaylee Peterson (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Idaho District 1 on May 21, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Kaylee Peterson
Kaylee Peterson
 
100.0
 
13,982

Total votes: 13,982
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Idaho District 1

Incumbent Russ Fulcher (R) advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Idaho District 1 on May 21, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Russ Fulcher
Russ Fulcher
 
100.0
 
109,057

Total votes: 109,057
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Constitution Party primary

Constitution primary for U.S. House Idaho District 1

Brendan Gomez (Constitution Party) advanced from the Constitution Party primary for U.S. House Idaho District 1 on May 21, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Brendan Gomez
 
100.0
 
325

Total votes: 325
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Libertarian Party primary

Libertarian primary for U.S. House Idaho District 1

Matt Loesby (L) advanced from the Libertarian Party primary for U.S. House Idaho District 1 on May 21, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Matt Loesby
Matt Loesby  Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
516

Total votes: 516
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

General election

General election for U.S. House Idaho District 1

Incumbent Russ Fulcher (R) defeated Kaylee Peterson (D) and Darian Drake (L) in the general election for U.S. House Idaho District 1 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Russ Fulcher
Russ Fulcher (R)
 
71.3
 
222,901
Image of Kaylee Peterson
Kaylee Peterson (D)
 
26.3
 
82,261
Image of Darian Drake
Darian Drake (L)  Candidate Connection
 
2.3
 
7,280

Total votes: 312,442
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Idaho District 1

Kaylee Peterson (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Idaho District 1 on May 17, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Kaylee Peterson
Kaylee Peterson
 
100.0
 
15,057

Total votes: 15,057
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Idaho District 1

Incumbent Russ Fulcher (R) advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Idaho District 1 on May 17, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Russ Fulcher
Russ Fulcher
 
100.0
 
126,528

Total votes: 126,528
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Libertarian Party primary

Libertarian primary for U.S. House Idaho District 1

Joe Evans (L) advanced from the Libertarian Party primary for U.S. House Idaho District 1 on May 17, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Joe Evans
Joe Evans  Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
489

Total votes: 489
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

General election

General election for U.S. House Idaho District 1

Incumbent Russ Fulcher (R) defeated Rudy Soto (D), Joe Evans (L), and Pro-Life (Independent) in the general election for U.S. House Idaho District 1 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Russ Fulcher
Russ Fulcher (R)
 
67.8
 
310,736
Image of Rudy Soto
Rudy Soto (D)  Candidate Connection
 
28.6
 
131,380
Image of Joe Evans
Joe Evans (L)  Candidate Connection
 
3.6
 
16,453
Image of Pro-Life
Pro-Life (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
7

Total votes: 458,576
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Idaho District 1

Rudy Soto (D) defeated Staniela Nikolova (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Idaho District 1 on June 2, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Rudy Soto
Rudy Soto  Candidate Connection
 
65.8
 
25,112
Image of Staniela Nikolova
Staniela Nikolova
 
34.2
 
13,074

Total votes: 38,186
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Idaho District 1

Incumbent Russ Fulcher (R) defeated Nicholas Jones (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Idaho District 1 on June 2, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Russ Fulcher
Russ Fulcher
 
79.9
 
93,879
Image of Nicholas Jones
Nicholas Jones  Candidate Connection
 
20.1
 
23,654

Total votes: 117,533
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

  • District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 U.S. House elections in the state.
  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
  • State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.


Below is the district map in place for this election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

2023_01_03_id_congressional_district_01.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2026
Information about competitiveness will be added here as it becomes available.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is R+22. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 22 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Idaho's 1st the 21st most Republican district nationally.[5]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.

2024 presidential results in Idaho's 1st Congressional District
Kamala Harris Democratic PartyDonald Trump Republican Party
26.0%71.0%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Idaho, 2024

Idaho presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 9 Democratic wins
  • 23 Republican wins
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Winning Party D R R D D R R R D D D D D R R R D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
See also: Party control of Idaho state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Idaho's congressional delegation as of October 2025.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Idaho
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 0 0 0
Republican 2 2 4
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 2 4

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Idaho's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in Idaho, October 2025
OfficeOfficeholder
GovernorRepublican Party Brad Little
Lieutenant GovernorRepublican Party Scott Bedke
Secretary of StateRepublican Party Phil McGrane
Attorney GeneralRepublican Party Raúl Labrador

State legislature

Idaho State Senate

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 6
     Republican Party 29
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 35

Idaho House of Representatives

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 9
     Republican Party 61
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 70

Trifecta control

Idaho Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas  •  Thirty one years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

See also

Idaho 2026 primaries 2026 U.S. Congress elections
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Idaho congressional delegation
Voting in Idaho
Idaho elections:
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Democratic primary battlegrounds
Republican primary battlegrounds
U.S. Senate Democratic primaries
U.S. Senate Republican primaries
U.S. House Democratic primaries
U.S. House Republican primaries
U.S. Congress elections
U.S. Senate elections
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Special elections
Ballot access

External links

Footnotes

  1. Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  2. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  3. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  4. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  5. Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025


Senators
Representatives
District 1
District 2
Republican Party (4)