Brad Little

A year after federal agents raided La Catedral Arena in Wilder, Idaho, detaining 105 people at a horse racing and cultural festival, the operation remains the subject of an ACLU class-action lawsuit alleging Fourth Amendment violations. Advocates say ICE used an FBI gambling warrant as cover for an immigration sweep, deploying armored vehicles, flash-bangs, and rubber bullets against a crowd that included children and U.S. citizens. Of those detained, roughly 75 were reportedly deported and 26 released after habeas petitions. DHS and Idaho's governor defend the raid as lawful. The case, along with related suits over ICE enforcement deaths in Minnesota and Chicago, could shape limits on immigration enforcement tactics nationwide.

Idaho Gov. Brad Little's reelection campaign has broken the state's fundraising record for a statewide candidate, surpassing the mark previously set by his own 2022 campaign. His campaign reported raising over $2.4 million, though the Idaho Secretary of State's Sunshine site shows a slightly lower figure of $2.37 million, a discrepancy attributed to reporting lag.

About $1.8 million of the contributions came from in-state donors, with roughly half from individuals rather than companies. Little has received nearly 100 maximum donations of $5,000, the limit per election cycle for statewide candidates. Top contributors include construction, real estate, mining, hospital and agricultural companies.

Little is seeking a third term, which would make him only the third governor in Idaho history to serve three consecutive terms. President Trump endorsed him in June. His Democratic challenger, Terri Pickens, has raised nearly $250,000, while independent John Stegner has raised about $540,000, leaving Little with a commanding financial advantage heading into the race.

Idaho Gov. Brad Little's reelection campaign has broken the fundraising record for a statewide candidate, surpassing the mark set by his own 2022 campaign. His campaign reported raising over $2.4 million, though the state's Sunshine disclosure site, which lags by a few days, shows about $2.37 million. Roughly $1.8 million came from in-state donors, with about half from individuals rather than companies. Little has collected nearly 100 maximum donations of $5,000, the limit per election cycle, from construction, real estate, mining, hospital, and agricultural interests.

Little, who received President Trump's endorsement in June, is seeking a third term and would become only the third Idaho governor to serve three consecutive terms. His Democratic challenger, Terri Pickens, has raised nearly $250,000, while independent John Stegner has raised about $540,000, leaving Little with a substantial financial advantage heading into the race.

President Trump signed an executive order deferring collection of the federal excise tax on dyed (off-road) diesel through the end of the year and barring IRS penalties for using it on highways, as diesel prices topped $6 per gallon nationally for the first time, driven higher by the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, restrictions near the Strait of Hormuz, and Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds followed with a proclamation allowing dyed diesel on public roads to haul crops, fertilizer and manure through February 2027. At least a dozen other Republican governors, plus North Carolina's Democratic governor, took similar action. Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed a separate order suspending state dyed-diesel inspections for 30 days while agencies review enforcement policy, with legislative leaders voicing support.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said federal estimates project roughly $640 million in savings for Iowa farmers this harvest, with state actions adding further relief. Energy analysts cautioned the tax deferral mainly benefits truckers and will do little to address the underlying supply-driven price spike. Farm groups and Republican officials praised the moves as timely relief amid tight farm margins ahead of the November elections.

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.

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.

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 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.