Little cruises to victory in Republican primary for Idaho governor
Incumbent Brad Little is leading handily in the Republican primary for governor, with a majority of the vote, according to early election results released Tuesday night.
Little, who is running for his third term as governor, faces seven opponents in the primary. His challengers include Sean Calvert Crystal, Mark Fitzpatrick, Daniel C. Fowler, Ethan Giles, Ron James, Lisa Marie and Justin R. Plante. Fitzpatrick trails Little in second place with nearly one-quarter of the early votes.
At about 10:45 p.m., Little had 83,106 votes, or 60% of the vote. The Associated Press called the race for Little.
Little’s next-closest opponent, Mark Fitzpatrick, had 35,660 votes, or 26% of the vote.
During an event Tuesday night with other Republican candidates, Little celebrated the state and his record, and thanked his family and supporters for putting their faith in him for another term.
“Together, we’ve made bold decisions that have strengthened our economy and defended our freedoms. We’ve kept Idaho a beacon of hope, of prosperity for this generation and also for the next,” he told a crowd of supporters at The Grove Hotel.
The event room was covered in green and yellow signs for Little, and other statewide officials, including State Superintendent Debbie Critchfield and Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke.
When Little took the stage, he noted the state has experienced record growth, and with that, he said, comes its own challenges.
“We must meet this moment with the same grit and determination that built this state from the ground up,” he said
During his time as governor, Little has championed investments in education and programs that seek to improve the number of Idaho students who go on to higher education or other workforce training programs. He also has pushed for tax cuts. Over the past several years, Little also has signed into law a series of bills targeting transgender people, including Idaho’s recently passed bathroom bill that makes it a misdemeanor, and then a felony, to use a bathroom or changing room that doesn’t align with someone’s sex assigned at birth.
He said if reelected, he would continue to “prioritize investments in education, workforce expansion and critical infrastructure in order to meet the needs of our growing state,” according to the Idaho Statesman’s Voter Guide. Little raised more money than his competitors by a large margin.
Some of his opponents have attacked his record, including Fitzpatrick, an entrepreneur who moved to Idaho from California eight years ago. Fitzpatrick said Little has “turned his back on Idahoans” and has gone after the governor on social media, often referring to him as a RINO, or Republican in name only.
In a video posted to X earlier this month, Little said some of Fitzpatrick’s supporters are “straight racist” and “just hate Mexican people.” The governor didn’t appear to know he was being filmed.
Other candidates in the Republican primary have called for increased transparency, investments in Idaho’s children and stricter immigration enforcement.
Who leads the Democratic race?
In the Democratic primary, Terri Pickens leads the race with about 67% of the votes against three opponents: Maxine Durand, Jill Kirkham, and Chanelle Torrez.
Idaho has not elected a Democratic governor in decades, and has a Republican supermajority in the Legislature.
Pickens, an attorney, has said her priorities include creating a strong and resilient economy, which includes Medicaid expansion and investments in public schools. She also called for “no more culture war bills.”
“This nonsense will get a real fight,” she wrote in the Statesman’s Voter Guide, referring to issues like book bans and “bullying LGBTQ+ folks.” “And if it makes it to my desk, it will get a veto.”
Other Democratic candidates said their priorities included improving health care, prioritizing affordable housing and fixing Idaho’s budget. They have also opposed bills that target transgender people and teachers unions.
Two Libertarian candidates also squared off in the primary: Melissa Sue Robinson and Paul Sand. Robinson leads that race, according to early returns.
A total of 17 candidates filed to run for the position among all parties and independents.
This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 9:50 PM.
