James
Risch

Who they are, where they came from

James E. Risch serves as the junior United States Senator from Idaho, a seat he has held since January 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party and is a lawyer by training. Before his Senate tenure, Risch served as lieutenant governor of Idaho under Governors Dirk Kempthorne and Butch Otter, and held the office of governor of Idaho briefly between their terms. In the Senate, Risch has sponsored legislation spanning federal budget process reform, natural resource policy, firearm taxation, veterans' benefits, foreign policy, and federal contracting. He sponsored S.181, which would require federal agencies to submit zero-based budgets, and S.182, the Northwest Energy Security Act, addressing energy infrastructure in the Pacific Northwest. On public lands and water issues, he sponsored S.1257 to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act regarding authorized uses, S.1254 to clarify a provision of the Aquifer Recharge Flexibility Act, and S.2753, the Urban Canal Modernization Act. He sponsored S.509, the Future Logging Careers Act, related to workforce development in the logging industry. On firearms policy, he sponsored S.1169, the Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act, and S.884, the ATF Transparency Act. For veterans, he sponsored S.37, the VALOR Act of 2025. On foreign policy, he sponsored S.1612, the No Official Palestine Entry Act of 2025, and S.1521, the Stand with Israel Act. He also sponsored S.334, the American Values Act; S.592, the Simplifying Subcontracting Act; S.1902, the ETAP Act of 2025; and S.3814, the ARC Act of 2026. He introduced SAMDT.43, an amendment that was not agreed to in the Senate by a vote of 41–52.

What they’ve done lately

Where the campaign funds come from

Risch raised $2.7M this cycle, with 63.7% from individuals and 27.0% from PAC contributions; individual contributions were primarily from itemized donors, who accounted for 93.4% of individual receipts. Top PAC contributors include American Israel Public Affairs Committee PAC ($81,000), NRSC ($62,000), 2025 Senators Classic Committee ($59,453), and One Team Senate Majority ($47,624). Top employer concentrations include Access Industries, Hunter Engineering, and BGR Group.