James Risch

WASHINGTON – Democrat David Roth said Tuesday he will withdraw from the race to represent Idaho in the U.S. Senate, clearing a path for independent candidate Todd Achilles to challenge Sen. Jim Risch, a three-term Republican.

The announcement comes three weeks after Democrats in Idaho’s most populous county gave Roth an ultimatum, saying they would consider endorsing another candidate if he didn’t raise $50,000 and produce a campaign plan within a month. In a statement announcing his decision, Roth didn’t endorse Achilles but said he hopes “everyone who supported this campaign will stay involved, volunteer with their local Democrats, and help build a brighter future for our state.”

“I have concluded that I can make the greatest difference by focusing my time and energy on helping Democrats win up and down the ballot and in communities across Idaho,” Roth said, adding that “Idaho needs leaders at every level who will stand up for ordinary people and defend our democracy.”

Roth previously came up short in campaigns for state House of Representatives in 2020, U.S. House in 2022 and U.S. Senate in 2024. He faced steep odds in Idaho, a state where registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats more than five-to-one, but after raising more than $104,000 in his 2024 campaign, he had raised less than $9,000 and had more than $10,000 in debt by the end of April, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

In his announcement, Roth said he will work with his team in the coming weeks “to meet our remaining financial obligations and complete the formal withdrawal process.” As of Wednesday, Roth hadn’t filed the campaign finance report that was due two weeks earlier, so it was unclear how much debt his campaign owed.

In contrast, at the end of June, Risch had more than $3.5 million on hand and Achilles had raised over $692,000. The Ada County Democrats cited that financial reality in their July 8 letter, telling Roth they were “seriously concerned your campaign isn’t positioned to meet the moment” when they see an opening to oust a sitting Republican senator in “the best political environment Idaho has seen in decades.”

Jared DeLoof, chair of the Ada County Democrats, said in an interview Wednesday he was surprised by the announcement the previous evening, because he hadn’t heard from Roth since the candidate initially rejected the county party’s ultimatum.

“I think there’s a really strong possibility that we can defeat Risch,” DeLoof said, adding that the news of Roth’s withdrawal “was greeted with a sigh of relief from a lot of the Dems here in Ada County.”

DeLoof said the party’s central committee may not vote to endorse a candidate at their next meeting, now scheduled for Aug. 19, in light of Roth dropping out.

In a text message, Roth declined to comment beyond his statement, saying he didn’t want to distract from other Democratic candidates across the state. A spokesman for Risch’s campaign didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Reached by phone, Achilles said Roth’s decision “fundamentally” changes the landscape of the campaign, which he sees as “now one of the most competitive Senate races in the country.”

After winning his first Senate race in 2008 with nearly 58% of votes, Risch was re-elected with more than 65% in 2014 and over 62% in 2020. Achilles hopes more Idahoans are open to backing an independent, even if they wouldn’t vote for a Democrat.

“It takes a lot of courage to run, and it takes a lot of courage to decide that this isn’t the race,” Achilles said Wednesday. “I appreciate David’s commitment to the Democratic process.”

CNN reported that Achilles was one of several candidates who gathered July 23 in West Virginia, where former Sen. Joe Manchin, who represented that state as a Democrat for 14 years before becoming an independent in 2024, announced the launch of a new effort to recruit and support independent candidates.

Achilles, a former registered Republican, represented a Boise district in the Idaho House as a Democrat after Gov. Brad Little, a Republican, appointed him to fill a vacant seat in February 2024. He resigned in July 2025 to launch his independent campaign for Senate, saying he didn’t align with either party, and he argues that having a senator who represents a true “swing” vote would give Idaho greater influence in the Senate.

An Army veteran from Oregon who moved to Idaho full-time about a decade before entering the race, Achilles said he supports the Trump administration’s approach to consolidation in the meat packing industry, capping pay for defense contractor executives and securing the U.S.-Mexico border. But he opposes the current administration’s approach to immigration enforcement within the country and criticized Republicans for supporting the Iran war, increasing the national debt and turning a blind eye while President Donald Trump and his family have used government power to enrich themselves.

“I think the problem with most Dems is that it’s a binary conversation with the White House,” Achilles said. “You’re just against everything, and that’s not helpful for the country and that’s not how our system of government is designed to work.”

Risch’s campaign has sought to paint the independent as a typical Democrat, with a July 23 post on X citing Achilles’ opposition to an Idaho state law banning transgender children from participating in girls’ sports. With Roth leaving the race, the remaining campaigns will test what issues are most salient with Idaho voters.

Roth will need to formally withdraw by Sept. 4 to keep his name from appearing on the ballot in November. Libertarian candidate Matt Loesby, who won about 2% of votes in the 2024 race to represent Idaho’s 1st Congressional District, and independent Natalie Fleming, who won nearly 3% of votes when she challenged Risch in 2020, are also in the race.