Idaho Sen. Jim Risch has raised $4.9 million for his 2026 re-election. His independent challenger, Todd Achilles, has raised $1.6 million. That's a 3 times difference in a race the handicappers rate Solid Republican.
The gap is even wider on cash. As of Sept. 30, Risch had $2.84 million on hand with zero debt. Achilles had $369,000 on hand and no debt. Risch beat Josh Roy in the Republican primary by 53 percentage points on May 19. Achilles ran unopposed to reach the general election. Natalie Fleming is also on the ballot; the FEC lists no campaign receipts for her.
Who's writing the checks? The donor bases look very different:
- Risch: CEOs top his list at $194,000, followed by consultants ($120,000), company presidents ($117,000) and physicians ($114,000). It's a small-business and executive coalition. CEOs alone gave him more than four times what Achilles's top four occupations gave combined (\~$39,000).
- Achilles: Consultants top his list at $16,000, followed by EMTs ($8,000), executives ($8,000) and consultant/board members ($7,000). It's a consultant-and-executive base with no single occupation dominating.
- Retirees matter more for Achilles. Donors listed as not employed or retired account for 17 percent of Risch's itemized individual dollars ($396,000) and 52 percent of Achilles's ($238,000).
- Risch relies more on committees. 24 percent of his receipts came through other committees, compared with 1 percent of Achilles's.
Jim Risch beat Josh Roy in the Republican primary by 53 percentage points on May 19. Achilles had $369,000 in cash on hand through Sept. 30, about 13 percent of Risch's $2.84 million.
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