17 people are running for Idaho governor. Who’s got donors on their side?
It’s a crowded field in this year’s race for Idaho governor: Eight candidates, including incumbent Gov. Brad Little, are running as Republicans. They’re joined by three Democrats, two Libertarians, a member of the Constitution Party and three independent candidates.
Who will rise to the top? There’s little in the way of reliable polling data available in Idaho — so money raised is often the best indicator of candidates’ strength in the state.
By that metric, at least, Little leads by a mile. As of late April, his campaign had raised $1.7 million, trailed by independent candidate John Stegner, who has raised about $200,000, and Republican Mark Fitzpatrick, who has raised about $125,000, according to the Idaho Secretary of State’s Idaho Sunshine website.
Little’s campaign spending outpaces those two candidates’ earnings combined. This election cycle, he has spent about $480,000. On his campaign website, he positions himself as an experienced leader focused on maintaining Idaho values.
Little has the financial support of a range of Idaho institutions, including Idaho Power, the Idaho Association of Realtors and the Idaho Bankers Association, each of which has donated $10,000 to his campaign. He has received $1.2 million of his campaign donations from Idaho residents and companies, with the remaining $500,000 coming from out of state.
If Little wins, he’d be the fourth governor in the state’s history to serve three terms — and only the third to do so consecutively. In June, President Donald Trump endorsed Little, 72, for another term.
“Brad Little is the strong and highly popular Governor of Idaho,” Trump posted on Truth Social, the president’s social media platform. “Brad Little has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election — HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!”
Stegner’s top donors are individuals, including former Boise City Council member Patrick Bageant and David Pate, the former CEO of St. Luke’s Health System. On Stegner’s campaign site, he emphasizes his outsider status. Having served as a district judge and then an Idaho Supreme Court justice, Stegner brands himself as “practical, reasonable and non-partisan.”
Fitzpatrick, who refers to himself as a “bold culture warrior” on his campaign website, has gotten attention for campaigns to offer free real estate listings to liberals leaving the state, put a bounty on incriminating information about Boise Mayor Lauren McLean and organize a “Hetero Awesomeness Fest.” He’s donated about $60,000 to his own campaign, according to Idaho Sunshine. His other top contributors are largely individuals, though the Boise County Republican Central Committee has also donated.
Democratic candidate Terri Pickens, a former public defender, has raised about $95,000. Seven candidates have raised under $6,000; six other candidates report raising no money at all.
