This year’s filing deadline for candidates running for Congress in Idaho was March 15, 2024.
Six candidates are running for Idaho’s two U.S. House districts, including two Democrats and four Republicans. That’s three candidates per district, more than in the previous three election cycles. There were 4.5 candidates per district in 2022, 5.0 candidates per district in 2020, and 9.0 in 2018.
Here are some other highlights from this year’s filings:
- The total number of candidates running for the U.S. House in 2024 is also higher than any other year this decade.
- No seats are open this year, meaning all incumbents are running for re-election. There was one House seat open in 2018, the only election cycle this decade in which a House seat was open.
- Four candidates—one Democrat and three Republicans—are running for the 2nd Congressional District, the most candidates running for a seat this year.
- One primary—the 2nd Congressional District Republican primary—is contested this year. One primary was contested in 2022 and three primaries were contested in 2020.
- Rep. Michael K. Simpson (R-2nd) is the only incumbent in a contested primary this year.
- Candidates filed to run in the Democratic and Republican primaries in both districts, meaning no seats are guaranteed to either party.
Idaho and three other states—Georgia, Kentucky, and Oregon—are holding primary elections on May 21.
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.
