Boise, Idaho

Democrat Terri Pickens and independent John Stegner, both candidates for Idaho governor, used a Boise candidate forum to outline plans to reverse several policies of Republican Gov. Brad Little ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Little did not attend the League of Women Voters-sponsored event, despite organizers leaving an empty chair for him.

Pickens said she would prioritize a budget restoring funding for mental health services, Medicaid expansion, and public education following recent legislative cuts. Stegner, a retired Idaho Supreme Court justice, said he would move to repeal the Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit, a school-voucher law Little signed in 2025, calling it unconstitutional.

The two candidates largely agreed on major issues, both backing Proposition 1 to restore abortion rights in Idaho and opposing two legislature-backed constitutional amendments: one restricting ballot initiatives on marijuana legalization and another making English Idaho's official language. Other candidates in the race include Libertarian Paul Sand, Constitution Party candidate Pro-Life (formerly Marvin Richardson), and write-in candidate Jacob Burnett.

Florida election officials have outlined the key dates voters need to know ahead of the 2026 midterm. The deadline to register to vote, or to update a name, address, or party affiliation, is Oct. 5. Voters who want to cast a mail-in ballot must request one by Oct. 22. Early voting runs from Oct. 24 through Oct. 31, with Election Day set for Nov. 3.

To be eligible, a voter must be a U.S. citizen and Florida resident at least 18 years old, not be deemed mentally incapacitated for voting purposes, and not have an unrestored felony conviction. Registration can be completed online, at tax collector's offices that issue Florida driver's licenses or state ID cards, through designated voter registration agencies, or by mail. Local supervisors of elections, including in Leon County, are extending office hours on the registration deadline day to accommodate last-minute registrants. Turnout for Florida midterms historically trails presidential-year turnout significantly, with the 2026 ballot set to decide the governor's race, legislative control, and congressional seats.

These deadlines matter for prediction markets tracking turnout and registration trends ahead of Florida's competitive 2026 races.

Republican candidates running for statewide office in Idaho's November general election hold a clear fundraising edge over their Democratic and independent challengers, according to state campaign finance reports.

Incumbent Gov. Brad Little leads all statewide candidates, having raised just over $2.3 million in 2026, with no other candidate approaching $1 million. Among Little's challengers, independent John Stegner has raised $516,520 and Democrat Terri Pickens has brought in $217,520.

Little's contributions are split roughly evenly between individuals (about $1.2 million) and companies (nearly $1.1 million), with the remainder from political action committees; most of his money, about $1.7 million, came from within Idaho. Stegner and Pickens each drew a much larger share of their funds from individual donors rather than companies, and both raised the bulk of their contributions in-state as well.

The fundraising gap underscores the Republican Party's continued financial dominance in Idaho politics ahead of the November 3 general election.

A collection of Idaho Statesman letters to the editor spans several live political issues ahead of upcoming elections. One writer urges Senators Crapo and Risch and Rep. Fulcher to back the Public Lands Integrity Act, arguing it protects access, biodiversity and local stewardship while supporting farmers, ranchers and hunters. Another questions the state legislature's use of an advisory ballot question to designate an official "state gun," arguing lawmakers should instead focus on affordability issues like groceries, housing and health care.

On Idaho's Proposition 1, an embryologist writes in support, framing the measure as protecting patient autonomy in pregnancy decisions. Separate letters address U.S. Senate politics: one criticizes Senator Risch's Ukraine funding record and calls for a clearer strategy from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, while another accuses Risch of avoiding a debate with independent challenger Todd Achilles. A final letter endorses independent gubernatorial candidate John Stegner over incumbent Brad Little, explaining Idaho's plurality voting system ahead of the Nov. 3 election.

A federal grand jury in Boise has indicted Fredy Avila Gomez on charges including wire fraud, theft of government funds, falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to vote, voting by an alien, making a false statement on a passport application, identification document fraud and firearms offenses. Prosecutors allege that from at least March 2017 through June 2026, Gomez used a fraudulent birth certificate to obtain Idaho identification cards and falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen or national, then used those documents to fraudulently obtain a U.S. passport, Medicaid benefits and a firearm. He is also accused of falsely claiming citizenship when registering to vote and casting ballots in Idaho's May 2022 and November 2024 elections.

The Justice Department listed Gomez among 16 people charged nationwide in cases tied to alleged illegal voting or voter registration. He is set for an initial court appearance in Boise and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The case, being prosecuted by federal authorities, involved several federal investigative agencies. Gomez is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Rev. Sara LaWall, minister of the Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, was sentenced by Idaho 4th District Judge Adam Kimball to $357 in fines and no additional jail time after being convicted of misdemeanor trespassing. LaWall was one of nine protestors arrested in April after refusing to leave the lobby of Gov. Brad Little's office, where they had hoped to speak with him about bills restricting transgender rights, including a transgender bathroom ban and a measure requiring schools to notify parents if a student identifies as transgender. Both bills were later signed into law.

LaWall, whose daughter is transgender, described her actions as civil disobedience after other efforts to influence lawmakers failed. A jury had found her guilty earlier this month based on body camera footage and testimony. The judge credited her for a day already served and her cash bail, saying her conduct during the protest was peaceful and that probation was unnecessary. Hers is the first of four related trespassing cases stemming from the protest to go to trial.

A federal grand jury in Idaho has indicted Miran Kostic, 66, a Boise resident and national of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on charges of attempted naturalization fraud and making materially false statements to federal agents. Prosecutors allege Kostic lied repeatedly on his citizenship applications and in interviews with the FBI and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, concealing his role as a high-level official in the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia and his alleged participation in war crimes there, including charges filed against him in Bosnia and Herzegovina that he failed to disclose.

According to documents cited by immigration officials, Kostic is accused of pistol-whipping and beating prisoners with clubs, stakes and his fists, and forcing detainees to beat one another. He faces up to 10 years in prison on each naturalization fraud count and five years for the false statements charge. The Justice Department says the case underscores efforts to prosecute individuals who allegedly committed atrocities abroad and later sought to conceal that history while pursuing U.S. citizenship.

A batch of reader letters published by the Idaho Statesman weighs in on several hot-button issues ahead of Idaho's November election. Writers criticized Gov. Brad Little over reported plans to accept nuclear waste storage in the state, warning of risks to water supplies, while others addressed the 1st Congressional District race between Rep. Russ Fulcher and challenger Kaylee Peterson, focusing on abortion and reproductive rights records. Sen. Jim Risch's long tenure and age drew criticism from a letter backing independent challenger Todd Achilles, and another writer accused national GOP leadership of drifting from its traditional roots while calling for structural election reforms like ending gerrymandering and adopting ranked-choice voting.

Letters also split sharply on Proposition 1, Idaho's "Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act," with one writer arguing it effectively legalizes abortion with few limits, and another defending it as necessary to protect medical care for pregnancy complications and reduce legislative interference in health decisions.