This year’s filing deadline for candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Idaho was Feb. 27, 2026.

Ten candidates — four Democrats and six Republicans — are running for Idaho’s two U.S. House districts. That’s five candidates per district. There were three candidates per district in 2024, four in 2022, 3.5 in 2020, 6.5 in 2018, 4.5 in 2016, and five in 2014.

Here are some other highlights from this year’s filings:

• This year ties with 2014 for the second-highest number of candidates running for the U.S. House since 2014. 

• No districts are open this year, meaning all incumbents — both Republicans — are running for re-election. Between 2014 and 2024, the only time a district was open was in 2018. That year, one district was open.
• Four primaries — two Democratic and two Republican — are contested this year. There was one contested primary each in 2024 and 2022. There were three contested primaries each in 2020, 2018, 2016, and 2014.
• Both districts — the 1st and the 2nd — have the same number of candidates running in each district this year. Five candidates are running in each district.
• Both incumbents — Reps. Russ Fulcher (R-1st) and Michael K. Simpson (R-2nd) — are facing a primary challenger this year. There was one incumbent in a contested primary in 2024, one in 2022, two in 2020, none in 2018, two in 2016, and two in 2014.
• Candidates filed to run in the Republican and Democratic primaries in both districts, meaning no districts are guaranteed to either party.

Idaho and five other states — Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Oregon, and Pennsylvania — are holding U.S. House primaries on May 19, 2026. 

In Idaho, the winner of a primary election is the candidate who receives the greatest number of votes, even if they do not receive an outright majority of votes cast.