United States Senate election in Idaho, 2020
- Election date: Nov. 3
- Registration deadline(s): Nov. 3 (in person); Oct. 8 (by mail); Oct. 9 (online)
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: Yes
- Recount laws
- Early voting starts: Oct. 19
- Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): Nov. 3 (received)
- Processing, counting, and challenging absentee/mail-in ballots
- Voter ID: Photo ID
- Poll times: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
2022 →
← 2016
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| U.S. Senate, Idaho |
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| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: March 13, 2020 |
| Primary: June 2, 2020 General: November 3, 2020 Pre-election incumbent: Jim Risch (Republican) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Idaho |
| Race ratings |
Inside Elections: Solid Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd Idaho elections, 2020 U.S. Congress elections, 2020 U.S. Senate elections, 2020 U.S. House elections, 2020 |
Voters in Idaho elected one member to the U.S. Senate in the election on November 3, 2020.
Incumbent Jim Risch won election in the general election for U.S. Senate Idaho.
| Candidate filing deadline | Primary election | General election |
|---|---|---|
The election filled the Class II Senate seat held by Jim Risch (R). Risch was first elected in 2008.
Election procedure changes in 2020
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
Idaho did not modify any procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Candidates and election results
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Idaho
Incumbent Jim Risch defeated Paulette Jordan, Natalie Fleming, and Ray Writz in the general election for U.S. Senate Idaho on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jim Risch (R) | 62.6 | 538,446 |
 | Paulette Jordan (D) | 33.2 | 285,864 | |
 | Natalie Fleming (Independent)  | 2.9 | 25,329 | |
 | Ray Writz (Constitution Party) | 1.2 | 10,188 | |
| Total votes: 859,827 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Idaho
Paulette Jordan defeated James Vandermaas in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Idaho on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Paulette Jordan | 85.7 | 72,778 |
 | James Vandermaas | 14.3 | 12,145 | |
| Total votes: 84,923 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Travis Oler (D)
- Nancy Harris (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Idaho
Incumbent Jim Risch advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Idaho on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jim Risch | 100.0 | 200,184 |
| Total votes: 200,184 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Ballot access requirements
The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in Idaho in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Idaho, click here.
| Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2020 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| Idaho | U.S. Senate | Qualified party | N/A | N/A | $500.00 | Fixed number | 3/13/2020 | Source |
| Idaho | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 1,000 | Fixed number | N/A | N/A | 3/13/2020 | Source |
Campaign finance
This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election.[1] It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees.[2]
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Risch | Republican Party | $3,333,897 | $2,284,606 | $2,187,545 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Paulette Jordan | Democratic Party | $1,124,857 | $1,109,704 | $15,153 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Ray Writz | Constitution Party | $7,460 | $6,456 | $1,009 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Natalie Fleming | Independent | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
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Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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Race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[3]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[4][5][6]
| Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in Idaho, 2020 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| November 3, 2020 | October 27, 2020 | October 20, 2020 | October 13, 2020 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season. | |||||||||
Election history
2016
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Mike Crapo Incumbent |
66.1% | 449,017 | |
| Democratic | Jerry Sturgill | 27.7% | 188,249 | |
| Constitution | Ray Writz | 6.1% | 41,677 | |
| Total Votes | 678,943 | |||
| Source: Idaho Secretary of State | ||||
2014
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jim Risch Incumbent |
65.3% | 285,596 | |
| Democratic | Nels Mitchell | 34.7% | 151,574 | |
| Total Votes | 437,170 | |||
| Source: Idaho Secretary of State | ||||
2010
On November 2, 2010, Crapo (R) won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated P. Tom Sullivan (D), Randy Lynn Bergquist (I) and Frederick R. Reinisch, Jr (I) in the general election.[7]
| U.S. Senate, Idaho General Election, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Mike Crapo Incumbent |
71.2% | 319,953 | |
| Democratic | P. Tom Sullivan | 24.9% | 112,057 | |
| Constitution Party | Randy Lynn Bergquist | 3.9% | 17,429 | |
| Independent | Frederick R. Reinisch, Jr | 0% | 91 | |
| Total Votes | 449,530 | |||
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Idaho, 2020
- United States Senate elections, 2020
Footnotes
- ↑ Fundraising by primary candidates can be found on the race's respective primary election page. Fundraising by general election candidates can be found on the race's general election page.
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2022 Quarterly Reports," accessed March 2, 2022
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
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