Democrat David Roth to withdraw from Idaho Senate race, leaving independent Todd Achilles to face GOP Sen. Jim Risch

By Orion Donovan Smith, WASHINGTON

Democrat David Roth said Tuesday he will withdraw from the race to represent Idaho in the U.S. Senate, clearing a path for independent candidate Todd Achilles to challenge Sen. Jim Risch, a three-term Republican.

The announcement comes three weeks after Democrats in Idaho's most populous county gave Roth an ultimatum, saying they would consider endorsing another candidate if he didn't raise $50,000 and produce a campaign plan within a month. In a statement announcing his decision, Roth didn't endorse Achilles but said he hopes "everyone who supported this campaign will stay involved, volunteer with their local Democrats, and help build a brighter future for our state."

Roth previously came up short in campaigns for state House of Representatives in 2020, U.S. House in 2022 and U.S. Senate in 2024. He faced steep odds in Idaho, a state where registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats more than five-to-one, but after raising more than $104,000 in his 2024 campaign, he had raised less than $9,000 and had more than $10,000 in debt by the end of April, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

In contrast, at the end of June, Risch had more than $3.5 million on hand and Achilles had raised over $692,000. The Ada County Democrats cited that financial reality in their July 8 letter, telling Roth they were "seriously concerned your campaign isn't positioned to meet the moment" when they see an opening to oust a sitting Republican senator in "the best political environment Idaho has seen in decades."

Jared DeLoof, chair of the Ada County Democrats, said in an interview Wednesday he was surprised by the announcement the previous evening. "I think there's a really strong possibility that we can defeat Risch," DeLoof said, adding that the news of Roth's withdrawal "was greeted with a sigh of relief from a lot of the Dems here in Ada County."

Reached by phone, Achilles said Roth's decision "fundamentally" changes the landscape of the campaign, which he sees as "now one of the most competitive Senate races in the country." "It takes a lot of courage to run, and it takes a lot of courage to decide that this isn't the race," Achilles said Wednesday. "I appreciate David's commitment to the Democratic process."

Achilles, a former registered Republican, represented a Boise district in the Idaho House as a Democrat after Gov. Brad Little, a Republican, appointed him to fill a vacant seat in February 2024. He resigned in July 2025 to launch his independent campaign for Senate, saying he didn't align with either party.

In a statement, Risch dismissed the idea that Achilles is different from Democrats. "There were two Democrats in this race," the senator said. "Now there's one. Changing your party label doesn't change your record. Idaho voters won't be fooled, and I'll keep fighting for conservative Idaho values."

Risch's campaign has sought to paint the independent as a typical Democrat, with a July 23 post on X citing Achilles' opposition to an Idaho state law banning transgender children from participating in girls' sports.

Roth will need to formally withdraw by Sept. 4 to keep his name from appearing on the ballot in November.