Idaho Voters Pick Governor in Brad Little Race

Incumbent Republican Brad Little seeks a third term against Democrat Terri Pickens and independent John Stegner.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Elections

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a simplified capitol dome silhouette above a mountain ridge under a pale sky, evoking Idaho's statewide governor's race. — Idaho voters will decide on November 3, 2026 whether Republican Governor Brad Little wins a third term over Democrat Terri Pickens and independent John Stegner. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you think Idaho is headed in the right direction under current state leadership?

Idahoans vote in the 2026 gubernatorial election, with two-term Republican incumbent Brad Little seeking a third consecutive term. Democrat Terri Pickens is the party's nominee, and former Idaho Supreme Court justice John Stegner is running as an independent.

Why it matters

Idaho is one of 13 states without gubernatorial term limits, so the outcome determines whether an incumbent can extend a long tenure. Democrats have not won the governorship since Cecil Andrus's last victory in 1990, making the race a test of the state's entrenched Republican leadership.

Brad Little secured renomination by about 30 points in the GOP primary after being backed by President Trump, while Terri Pickens won the Democratic primary with about 61 percent. Polls close at 10 p.m. EST, and the final margin in the general election remains unknown.

The players

Brad Little

Brad Little is the Republican governor of Idaho, first elected in 2018, who is seeking a third consecutive term.

Terri Pickens

Terri Pickens is the Democratic nominee for Idaho governor and was the party's 2022 lieutenant gubernatorial nominee.

John Stegner

John Stegner is a former Idaho Supreme Court justice running as an independent candidate for governor.

Cecil Andrus

Cecil Andrus was a Democrat who served as Idaho governor and was the last Democrat to win the office, in 1990.

The details

Idaho voters choose their governor in a statewide election on November 3, 2026. Little was first elected in 2018, and Pickens was the 2022 Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial nominee.

1990: Cecil Andrus wins his last Idaho governorship election.
2018: Brad Little is first elected governor.
2022: Terri Pickens runs as the Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial nominee.
November 3, 2026: Idaho voters decide the gubernatorial race; polls close at 10 p.m. EST.

Political Context

Idaho has not elected a Democratic governor since Cecil Andrus won in 1990, a streak of 36 years that this race extends. Little's bid for a third term also tests the state's lack of gubernatorial term limits, one of the rare structures among the 13 states without them.

Voters in Idaho will choose between an incumbent, a Democratic challenger and an independent candidate for governor. The outcome sets who holds the state's top executive office for the next term.

The takeaway

Idaho's gubernatorial race is decided by a statewide vote, so voters across the state have a direct say in who leads the executive branch next. Checking candidate positions before polls open at 10 p.m. EST can help readers make an informed choice.