The brightest spot of Tuesday’s general election in Idaho was Proposition 1 (Prop 1) (to legalize abortion) losing solidly. However, the results of other contests show a less rosy picture for Idaho. Sure, Idaho Republicans retained all the federal and state officer seats, but their percentages of victory were ALL lower than the last mid-term election four years ago. Even worse, this year in the statehouse, Republicans in both chambers lost seats to Democrats. Not one state legislature seat went from Democrat to Republican, but six seats went from Republican to Democrat. The last time we saw such a swing in Democrat gains was 20 years ago.
(Note: Idaho Freedom Foundation is non-partisan, but recognizing and tracking the party affiliations of those winning offices are almost always key indicators–correlating to our Idaho Freedom Index–of the direction of ideological trends in the state office holders.)
In looking at the types of legislators based on their freedom scores and who won and lost in primaries and general elections this year, it can be argued that 2026 saw a net loss of conservative positions by 2 to 3 seats. Using Freedom Index scores and campaign platforms as guides, here’s our take: conservative gains were Herndon, J. Sauter, and Bennett; conservative losses were Thompson, Cayler, Kohl, Leavitt, and Zuiderveld.
Further, there were missed opportunities for conservatives to flip seats more conservative. Johnstone, Hyde, and Crowder lost general election efforts to win over seats from moderate Republicans or Democrats.
All told, there were definite Democrat gains on Tuesday (six seats), and conservative losses on net (2-3 seats) from the May and November elections.
While it’s true Prop 1 was defeated, that defeat should have and could have been much more lopsided. A 56% percent NO vote says something, but not nearly as much as the 69.6% NO vote on the ranked choice voting proposition two years ago. It appears the “blue wave” of discontent in national politics had some impact here in Idaho.
Here is how the blue wave affected Idaho. All our federal and state constitutional offices were retained by the Republican incumbents. However, every one of their winning vote percentages were remarkably lower than four years ago.
You can see all the statewide November 3rd results here: State Election Results
Good news: Idaho won a huge victory for LIFE! Proposition 1 —- the initiative to change Idaho law to expand the options to kill unborn babies failed! Death for the most innocent among us was on the ballot in four states and Idaho was the only state to hold the line and protect precious babies. Praise God for this win!
Other Idaho election results yielded mostly negative changes if any. Statewide and federal offices held status quo albeit with lower margins. Among the Republicans in the statehouse, there were a few November wins (two or three conservatives replacing moderates), but those couldn’t offset the numerous conservative losses in last May’s primary. And, Democrats picked up 6 seats overall — they are almost always lower on our Freedom Index.
This should be a wake-up call for all freedom and liberty-minded folks in Idaho. Freedom didn’t get crushed in Idaho like it did in Arizona, Texas, Georgia, and Ohio, but Idaho sure stepped closer to the cliff’s edge. We must be vigilant and powerful in restoring the liberty mindset in Idaho. One or two more election cycles like 2026 could be devastating for families and businesses trying to thrive and prosper.
Defeating Marxist ideology, limiting and reducing government, lowering taxes, and protecting traditional Idaho values remain our top priorities, and 2026 should be a clear and loud warning bell that “all is not well” in the Gem State.
While the 2026 legislative primary and general elections didn’t deliver some of the victories our state needs, one thing remains unchanged:
Liberty needs defenders.
Idaho Freedom Foundation is committed to defending Liberty.
Not every battle ends in victory. Not every election goes the way of freedom. But the principles Idaho Freedom Foundation stands for — limited government, fiscal responsibility, individual liberty, and constitutional governance — do not change with the political winds. The fight for freedom is never won (or lost) in a single election.
Idaho Freedom Foundation is in it for the long haul. We need you with us!
