Who is funding legislative candidates in Districts 28, 29?
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CHUBBUCK – A number of organizations are supporting and opposing the same candidates in contested legislative races in southeastern Idaho.
Out of these races, the most high-profile and high-value one is in District 28 between Idaho Sen. Jim Guthrie, who’s served for around 16 years in the Idaho legislature, and David Worley, an officer in the Idaho National Guard who’s run for office twice before.
Nearly $400,000 has been spent on independent expenditures supporting and opposing the two candidates. In fact, this primary race specifically is the most expensive one in Idaho this election cycle, according to an article from IdahoEdNews.com.
Jim Guthrie
Sen. Jim Guthrie was first elected to the Idaho Senate in 2012. Before that, Guthrie served in the Idaho House of Representatives for two years, starting in 2010.
So far in this election cycle, Guthrie has raised a total of $110,569 in campaign contributions. And Guthrie’s campaign has no total debt, as it has not taken out any loans.
The majority of Guthrie’s contributions have come from sources classified as a “Company,” totaling $48,450, but he has also received $32,319 from sources classified as a “Person.”
Guthrie also received $3,500 from “Candidates” and $26,300 from “Political Committees.”
Out of Guthrie’s contributions, $93,569 have come from in-state sources, while $17,000 have come from out-of-state.
David Worley
David Worley has run for office twice before, once to become mayor of Pocatello in 2021 and then again the next year to become the state senator for District 29.
So far in this election cycle, Worley has raised $52,590.03 in campaign contributions. And like Guthrie’s campaign, he has no total debt, as he has not taken out any loans.
The majority of Worley’s contributions have come from sources classified as a “Person,” at $44,040.03, and he has also received $7,050 in total from sources classified as a “Company.”
Worley also received $500 from “Candidates” and $1,000 from “Political Committees.”
Out of Worley’s contributions, $47,609 have come from in-state sources, while $4,987 have come from out-of-state.
Independent expenditures on Guthrie and Worley
So far in 2026, $212,144.15 in independent expenditures has been spent in support of Guthrie, while $31,370.40 has been spent in opposition.
For Worley, $80,055.54 has been spent in support of him, while $69,097.36 has been spent in opposition.
Guthrie’s biggest supporter in independent expenditures has been the Idaho Liberty PAC, which has spent $72,771.24 in total. A close second is the Idaho Prosperity Fund, at $72,392.56.
The Idaho Liberty PAC and the Idaho Prosperity Fund are funded largely by mainstream, business-aligned Republicans. Both of these groups also spent money in opposition to Worley, with $35,114.89 and $1,010 being spent, respectively.
The single largest organization that spent money opposing Guthrie’s reelection, at $21,803.02, has been Make Liberty Win. Information about this organization isn’t readily available, but according to opensecrets.org, it’s a conservative group based in Alexandria, Virginia.
Make Liberty Win has also spent money supporting Worley, but it hasn’t spent the most. While it spent $9,220 supporting Worley, Idaho Summit PAC, and 36-18-1 Inc., both spent $37,463.71 and $26,674, respectively, and neither spent anything in opposition to Guthrie.
But the Citizens Alliance of Idaho PAC spent $10,498.93 supporting Worley, while spending $2,344.94 opposing Guthrie.
Out of the nine groups that spent money supporting Guthrie, six of them also spent in opposition to Worley. In addition to the two top spenders, the PAC for Public Lands, WinAg PAC, Defend and Protect Idaho and Idaho First all supported Guthrie while opposing Worley.
Independent expenditures in nearby races
The next-highest dollar amount of independent expenditures spent on a race in the area is also in District 28, in the race for representative of Seat A.
Rep. Rick Cheatum, elected to the House in 2022, has had the most spent on him among the other candidates. In total, $35,091.28 has been spent supporting Cheatum.
James Lamborn, one of Cheatum’s challengers, has had $9,107.89 spent supporting his primary bid. The other, Mike Saville, has not received any support from independent expenditures.
In the race for the representative of District 29, seat B, the only other contested legislative primary in the two districts, Representative Tanya Burgoyne has received $22,206.84. Her opponent, Jennifer Miles, has received no independent expenditure support.
Cheatum only had one organization spend money against him this election cycle, Snake River Strategies, for $13.35. Oddly, Snake River Strategies spent that exact amount opposing all of the candidates EastIdahoNews.com looked at, meaning it spent that much opposing both candidates running against each other in the same race.
Lamborn had $3,490.43 spent in opposition to him by Defend and Protect Idaho. This organization, which had also supported Guthrie and opposed Worley, spent $17,800.11 supporting Cheatum’s election.
Out of the six organizations that spent money supporting Cheatum, only one did not also support Guthrie. This was the Idaho REALTORS PAC, which spent $6,966.04 supporting Cheatum.
Both Guthrie and Cheatum were supported by Defend and Protect Idaho, PAC for Public Lands, Hometown Heroes, Idaho First and the Idaho Dairy Industry PAC.
Lamborn was supported by the Citizens Alliance of Idaho PAC, which also contributed to Worley’s campaign.
And Burgoyne was supported by 36-18-1 Inc. for $20,051.84 and Idaho Summit PAC for $2,155, which also both supported Worley.