Todd Achilles
Independent candidate for U.S. Senator, Idaho · Challenger
Public policy instructor at Boise State University; former technology executive and U.S. Army officer
Todd Achilles is a U.S. Army veteran and former technology executive from Boise. Gov. Brad Little appointed him to the Idaho House in February 2024, and he won the seat in November 2024 as a Democrat. He resigned in June 2025, registered as unaffiliated, and filed on February 26, 2026 to run for U.S. Senate as an independent.
Where Achilles stands
- Cost of living and housing
- Supports banning corporations from owning single-family homes and banning rent pricing set by algorithms, as part of a plan to make housing more affordable.
- Energy prices
- Says the Iran war is raising prices. He argues that Sen. Risch, as Foreign Relations chair, should hold public hearings on the war.
- Iran war
- Says the U.S. should be done with costly 'forever wars,' including the current war with Iran. Calls for congressional hearings and public accountability on the war.
- Term limits and congressional ethics
- Supports a constitutional amendment for term limits on Congress and the Supreme Court, a ban on members trading individual stocks, and a mandatory retirement age of 72 for Congress. He pledges to serve at most two terms.
- Party caucus
- Pledges not to caucus with either party if elected.
- Public lands
- Opposes selling Idaho's public lands, using the slogan 'Not One Damn Acre.'
- Firearms
- Says he will vote against new federal bans on firearms or magazines, a federal gun-owner registry, or any proposal that lacks due process protections.
- Abortion
- Says he will align his Senate service with the outcome of Idaho's reproductive freedom ballot initiative.
- Medicaid and SNAP
- Opposes the cuts to Medicaid and SNAP in federal budget legislation passed over the past year.
Background
- U.S. Army armor officer and tank commander, 1992–1995
- About 25 years in the technology sector (T-Mobile, Hewlett-Packard, startups)
- Idaho House of Representatives, District 16B, 2024–2025 (appointed Feb 2024, elected Nov 2024); Minority Caucus Chair in 2025
- Resigned from the Legislature on June 29, 2025, and announced an independent Senate run on July 1, 2025
- Public policy instructor at Boise State University
- B.A. in economics, Claremont McKenna College; graduate degrees in business, international studies, and public policy
- Endorsed by the Forward Party (June 2026) and the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) (Sept 2026)
In the news
- Idaho senate candidates lay out priorities Moscow-Pullman Daily News, October 23, 2026
- Conflict in Iran looms large as Risch faces Achilles in race for U.S. Senate KIFI Local News 8, October 13, 2026
- Jim Risch calls for Iran war to end as rising costs take center stage in Idaho Senate race The Spokesman-Review, October 10, 2026
- Idaho US Senate candidates weigh in on tariffs, Iran War, federal spending and more Idaho Capital Sun, September 30, 2026
Also running for U.S. Senator
- Natalie M Fleming Independent
- Matt Loesby Libertarian
- Jim Risch Republican
Sources
- Idaho Voters guide: Todd Achilles (cites campaign policy page, SOS filing, legislative votes)
- Spokesman-Review, Oct 10, 2026
- Idaho State Journal: Idaho's Senate race highlights issues of cost and conflict
- Smarter.vote: Todd Achilles positions
- Spokesman-Review campaign launch, Aug 2025
- Idaho Capital Sun, Aug 5, 2026 race overview
Last researched October 23, 2026. Written in neutral language from the sources above. Spot an error? See how to report it.
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