Beyond the Books: Upcoming Elections
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — It's filing week, and the 2026 races are officially underway. With the primary election approaching fast, 105 legislatives seats, seven statewide offices, and the gubernatorial seat are up for grabs. Governor Brad Little filed to run for reelection Tuesday, and will appear May 19th on the Republican Primary ballot.
There are several high-stakes races in Eastern Idaho, among those are the following:
- District 32 (Idaho Falls and Ammon) - Republican Representative Stephanie Mickelson already has a primary challenger, Kelly Golden
- District 35 (Bonneville and Caribou Counties) - Former Republican Representative Chad Christensen is back, challenging representative Michael Veile
- District 30 (Bingham and Butte Counties) - Another former Republican State Representative, Julianne Young, has filed to run against Representative Ben Fuhriman - Fuhriman defeated Young in 2024, winning by only 4 votes
- In the State Superintendents race, no challengers have emerged as of yet
Idaho Districts lean heavily Republican, so in some races a win in the May Primary could send the victor straight to the statehouse. Cuts that could go into effect after this session would largely impact higher education, but this election year's changeups will have an impact on future budget decisions.
The deadline to file is Friday at 5 P.M., and any entries made before then have the potential to shake things up.
For information on the contested primaries, open seats, and who's drawing money and endorsements early, visit idahoednews.org.
