Idaho Just Got Real

Some big news came out on Tuesday – David Roth, the Democratic Nominee for Senate in Idaho, dropped out of the race!

Why is that a big deal?

It leaves the Senate race as a one-on-one between Jim Risch, the 83-year-old incumbent, and Todd Achilles, a former tank commander in the U.S. Army and Independent candidate.

I wrote about Todd last month. Said Todd, “Our polling shows us well ahead of the incumbent after people find out about me.” Todd became a telecom executive, a college professor and an Idaho state legislator after leaving the Army.

I’m thrilled that the Democrat decided to drop out in a state that Trump won by 36% against Kamala Harris in ’24. A Democrat running in Idaho statewide is kind of a waste of time. David Roth had raised less than $10,000 (!!!) as a major party nominee before dropping out.

But that calculation changes quickly if it’s an Independent like Todd Achilles, who has raised almost 100 times more money than Roth to challenge the incumbent. Todd relays, “Most Idahoans are very frustrated by what’s happening in D.C. Farmers here don’t like the tariffs. Jim Risch hasn’t had a town hall in 18 years and is not well-liked in the state.” In Idaho, as in most of America, politics-as-usual has been a bust.

If Todd gets the resources necessary to make his case, he’s got a shot to change the game by ousting an octogenarian incumbent in a deep red state. What would be more fitting in the year of the Odyssey for Achilles to topple someone thought to be untouchable? He’s within $2.4 million of his opponent now.

I’ve donated to Todd’s campaign and I hope you’ll consider doing so as well. According to my MATH, a Senate vote from Idaho counts the same as a Senate vote from anywhere else. And this is a golden opportunity to show that we can improve American politics from outside the two-party system rather than waiting for it to get its act together. No one in American politics thought that Idaho’s Senate seat would be contested, but here we are.

By the way, polls now show Independent Seth Bodnar ahead of the Republican in Montana if it’s one-on-one and Independent Brian Bengs ahead of the Republican in South Dakota. Each of them has raised 4 times more than the Democrat in the race. The map could spread further than anyone had imagined. I hope that common sense prevails and the Democrat realizes that they’re the spoiler, the same way that David Roth in Idaho realized it before dropping out. It’s probably not a coincidence that Todd, Seth and Brian are all military veterans stepping up to serve.

I’ll let you know if either of those states also becomes one-on-one. In the meantime, let’s get behind Todd Achilles. This could be the shocker race of November. What does Achilles do? He charges through the gap.

For my convo with Todd Achilles, Independent candidate for U.S. Senate in Idaho, click here. I’ve donated to Todd’s campaign and I hope you’ll check him out and consider supporting him too. If Todd wins, he would have achieved immortality. To check out Forward Party candidates in your area, click here. To get a copy of “Hey Yang, Where’s My Thousand Bucks?” click here and use the code “UBIUBI” for 25% off. For 3 months off your mobile bill with Noble Mobile, click here or email matt@noblemobile.com and use my name to switch or explore. Look up this summer.