Jordan concedes to Risch as early results trickle in for Idaho’s congressional races

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Idahoans cast votes for three members of the state’s Congressional delegation Tuesday, deciding whether to reelect incumbent Republicans or their three respective Democratic challengers. With votes still being counted across Idaho, here’s the state of three contested congressional seats.

U.S. SENATE: DEMOCRAT PAULETTE JORDAN CONCEDES TO INCUMBENT JIM RISCH

Democratic Challenger Paulette Jordan conceded to Republican Sen. Jim Risch Tuesday night, calling her Senate race an “incredible honor.”

“We are well aware that we’re in Idaho — what is assumed as a ‘safe red state,’” Jordan said in a statement emailed at 9:18 p.m. “But we fight anyway. That is our honor. We must never forget that we are the accumulation of the dreams and prayers of our ancestors. We honor them, we honor one another, and we honor ourselves through our willingness to carry out our divine purpose and fight for the values that they have instilled in us.

Early results show Risch had 53% of the vote compared to Jordan’s 44%.

Risch, 77, is seeking another six-year term as a U.S. senator — which would be his 50th year as an Idaho politician. He held several offices including Ada County prosecuting attorney, state senator, lieutenant governor and governor. A stalwart supporter of President Donald J. Trump, Risch serves as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

In 2018, Jordan, now 40, was the first woman nominated for governor by a major party in Idaho and the first Native American woman nominated for governor in U.S. history. She lost the general election to Republican Gov. Brad Little.

A resident of Plummer in North Idaho, Jordan began her political career as a member of the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council and later joined the Idaho Legislature in 2014. She was reelected to represent Idaho’s fifth district — Benewah and Latah counties — in 2016, but eventually vacated her seat to run for governor.

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

In the race for the 1st Congressional District between incumbent Republican Rep. Russ Fulcher and Democrat Rudy Soto, Fulcher was leading with 59.9% of the vote as the first results of the night were tabulated. Soto followed behind with just 37.1% and 49,325 total votes.

Fulcher, 58, is a Meridian native and serving his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is a member of the House Freedom Caucus and before his election to Congress, he served 10 years in the Idaho Senate and ran for governor in 2014.

Soto, 35, is a veteran of the U.S. Army National Guard, a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation, a congressional staffer in Washington, D.C., and legislative director for the National Indian Gaming Association. Born and raised in Nampa, Soto is the son of a Mexican immigrant and a first-generation college graduate.

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 2ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

In the race for the 2nd Congressional District between incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Simpson and Democrat Aaron Swisher, Simpson led with 52.6% and 97,037 votes, compared to Swisher’s 44.4% and 81,951 votes.

During his two decades in Congress, Simpson helped create the Boulder-White Clouds Wilderness Area, which he considers his greatest achievement in his 20 years as a legislator. He also helped pass the Great American Outdoors Act, which ensures permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Simpson, 70, spent seven terms in the Idaho House of Representatives, including as speaker of the House, before being elected to Congress.

Swisher, 48, is an economist and Boise resident who grew up in rural West Virginia. A Boise State University graduate who works for OpSec Security, he told the Idaho Statesman editorial board that solving the federal budget deficit and improving the economy through tax policy were some of his main goals.