06/03/2026
"Idaho could instantly shift from a national election flyover state to a battleground for balance of power in Washington, D.C.
In November, the control of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives sits on a knife’s edge. The electoral ecosystem is constantly weighing which congressional races need to play offense and defense. In toss-up races, the money flow and overall attention is substantial. The U.S. Senate race in Idaho should be on that list.
For hints of what’s at stake in this election cycle, the recent primary election in Texas is instructive. At least $130 million was spent in the GOP primary to defeat U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and nominate Attorney General Ken Paxton to face off against Democrat James Talarico in November.
Ironically, the May 25 runoff in Texas pleased both the Democrats and the Republicans. Democrats view Paxton as the weaker opponent, and MAGA revolted against an entrenched GOP incumbent squishy on sycophancy. Sparks will fly in Texas as a race that should have been a shoo-in for Cornyn is now competitive with Paxton as the Republican nominee.
If that doesn’t show how every competitive Senate race matters this cycle, consider Nebraska, where a mix of pragmatic and hardball politics is playing out in that state’s U.S. Senate race. The winner of the May Democratic primary, Cindy Burbank, has pledged to drop out of the race and endorse independent candidate Dan Osborn against Republican incumbent Sen. Pete Ricketts. Burbank’s tactical move is influenced by the Nebraska Democratic Party, which preferred Osborn as its candidate for the general election. To be sure, the state and national GOP operatives would prefer Burbank to stay in the race, split the vote and allow Ricketts to coast to victory."
Read the entire article below.
Idaho could instantly shift from a national election flyover state to a battleground for balance of power in Washington, D.C.
