Idaho Gov. Brad Little reports raising more campaign money than all other statewide candidates

BOISE (Idaho Capital Sun) — Gov. Brad Little has raised more campaign money this year than any other statewide candidate for office in Idaho, according to state campaign finance records.

Little, who won the May 19 Republican gubernatorial primary election, reported raising $2,080,897.75 as of Monday, according Sunshine, the online campaign finance system run by the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office.

Little, a Republican from Emmett who is seeking his third term as governor this year, raised considerably more campaign money than any of his opponents or any other non-federal candidate in Idaho.

Attorney General Raúl Labrador, who is running for a second term as attorney general, reported raising $570,592.78 in campaign money this year – the second most of any statewide or legislative candidate running for office in Idaho this year.  

While Little was the only candidate in Idaho to raise more than $1 million this year, independent gubernatorial candidate John Stegner has separated himself from Little’s challengers in the gubernatorial election.

Stegner, a retired Idaho Supreme Court justice, reported raising $365,137.90 this year – more than any other Republican, Democrat or independent challenging Little.

Stegner also has nearly his entire campaign war chest still available, reporting he has a cash balance of $350,265.31 on hand as of Monday. By comparison, Little reported a cash balance of $958.103.30.

Republican Mark Fitzpatrick, who finished in second place behind Little in the Republican gubernatorial primary election, reported raising $207,392.48 in campaign contributions this year. Democrat Terri Pickens, who won the Democratic gubernatorial primary election, reported raising $134,734.28 this year. She reported a cash balance of $45,335.84 available.

Little, Stegner, Pickens, Libertarian Paul Sand and a Constitution Party candidate who legally changed his name to Pro-Life are set to square off in the Nov. 3 gubernatorial general election.

Of Stegner’s total, campaign finance records show $346,772.50 came from people, while $17,845.40 was contributed by companies.

Little reported that $1,020,868.85 of his campaign contributions came from companies, $993,613.46 came from people and $45,500 came from political committees.

Pickens reported raising $126,684.28 from people, $5,800 from companies, $1,800 from central committees and $450 from candidates.

Pro-Life reported raising $0 this year, and Sand reported contributing $310 to his own campaign, with no other contributions.

What other Idaho candidates reported raising lots of campaign money this year?

Among the top 10 list of statewide and legislative candidates who have raised the most campaign money this year, seven were Republicans, two were Democrats and one was an independent.

State Rep. Steve Berch, D-Boise, was the legislative candidate who raised the most campaign money this year. So far in 2026, Berch reported raising $189,850.64.

Berch is running for re-election in west Boise’s Legislative District 15, a rare battleground district that Democrats and Republicans have battled back and forth for control over since 2018.

Last month, Berch told the Idaho Capital Sun that a big part of the reason he has had success raising campaign money is because he has knocked on more than 40,000 doors in his legislative district and met voters face-to-face at regular town hall meetings.

“And I’m very honored and I’m very humbled by it, and it just kind of motivates me to continue doing that and really being the role of a public servant,” Berch said.

Berch did not have a primary election opponent, so all his campaign money is going into November’s general election. Berch and Republican Steve Keyser face off in the Nov. 3 general election for House Seat A in District 15. Keyser has reported raising $8,608.28 in campaign contributions so far this year.