Brendan J. Gomez
U.S. House District 1
Brendan J. Gomez, Constitution Party candidate for U.S. House, Idaho District 1
Brendan J. Gomez, a member of the Constitution Party from Boise, is a candidate for Idaho's 1st Congressional District in the November 3, 2026 general election. He filed on February 27, 2026, and the Idaho Secretary of State lists the filing as approved. He had no primary contest. His opponents are Republican incumbent Russ Fulcher, Democrat Kaylee Peterson and independent Sarah Zabel.
The Idaho Capital Sun reported on September 17, 2026 that Gomez entered a plea deal on Monday and pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of sexually exploitative materials. KTVB reported the date of the plea as Monday, September 14. According to court records cited by the Sun, his sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 16, 2026. KMVT reported that his name remains on the November ballot.
The criminal case
CBS2 reported on July 2, 2026 that Gomez, 27, was arrested that day by Ada County Sheriff's Office deputies and detectives and booked into the Ada County Jail on 10 felony counts of possession of child sexually exploitative material.
KTVB reported that Gomez pleaded guilty on Monday, September 14 to two counts of possessing child sexually exploitative material as part of a deal with prosecutors, after originally facing ten felony counts. The Spokesman-Review, reprinting a story by the Idaho Statesman, reported that the other eight charges were dropped, according to court records the Statesman obtained. The Idaho Capital Sun reported that the state recommended Gomez serve a fixed term of three years in prison, with 12 years indeterminate. A recommendation is not a sentence, and sentencing is set for November 16, 2026.
The Idaho Capital Sun reported: "Under the Idaho Constitution, convicted felons are ineligible for state or local office until they fulfill their sentence, but there are no such restrictions for federal elected officials." KMVT and KTVB also reported that he remains eligible for the federal race.
Election history
According to the Idaho Secretary of State's election database, Gomez ran as the Constitution Party candidate for Idaho Senate District 22 in the November 8, 2022 general election and received 694 of 19,355 votes cast (3.6%), behind Republican Lori Den Hartog with 12,337 and Democrat Pat Soulliere with 6,324. In the November 5, 2024 general election for the 1st Congressional District he received 6,933 votes (1.49% of the votes cast), behind Fulcher with 331,049, Peterson with 118,656 and Libertarian Matt Loesby with 9,594.
Positions
In the Idaho Statesman's 2024 voter guide, Gomez, then 25, listed his occupation as "Movie theater employee" and answered a question about working with the other party: "Honestly, our parties are by design incapable of serving the country." On the Lower Snake River dams he wrote: "We need nuclear energy, period."
In a pinned post on X dated February 27, 2026, Gomez wrote that he was running for Congress "to Dismantle the Illegitimate Epstein Regime and to Prevent a Third Term for the Traitor-in-Chief."
The Idaho Capital Sun's 2026 voter guide lists "This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire" beneath Gomez's name.
Campaign finance
According to his Federal Election Commission filings for the committee Brendan J. Gomez for Congress, he reported $0.00 in receipts, $0.00 in disbursements and $0.00 in cash on hand for the 2025-2026 cycle through March 31, 2026.
Sources
- Idaho Capital Sun, September 17, 2026, the guilty plea
- CBS2, July 2, 2026, the arrest
- KTVB, September 2026, the guilty plea
- Spokesman-Review, September 18, 2026, reprint of an Idaho Statesman story
- KMVT, September 18, 2026, his eligibility for the race
- Idaho Secretary of State, 2022 Senate District 22 results
- Idaho Secretary of State, 2024 general election results, 1st Congressional District
- Idaho Statesman, 2024 voter guide, his answers
- Idaho Capital Sun, 2026 voter guide for the 1st Congressional District
- Brendan J. Gomez on X, February 27, 2026, his post
- Federal Election Commission, Brendan J. Gomez, campaign finance filings
Profile published by IdahoVoters.com. Last updated October 2, 2026. This profile will be updated as additional information becomes available.
Frequently asked questions
- What office is Brendan J. Gomez running for?
- He is the Constitution Party candidate for Idaho's 1st Congressional District in the November 3, 2026 general election. His opponents are Russ Fulcher, Kaylee Peterson and Sarah Zabel.
- Did Brendan J. Gomez plead guilty to a crime?
- Yes. The Idaho Capital Sun, KTVB, KMVT and the Idaho Statesman reported that he pleaded guilty on Monday, September 14, 2026 to two counts of possession of child sexually exploitative material, and KMVT and the Statesman cited court records. Sentencing is scheduled for November 16, 2026.
- Is Brendan J. Gomez still on the ballot?
- Yes. KMVT reported that his name remains on the November 3, 2026 ballot, and the Idaho Capital Sun and KTVB reported that the U.S. Constitution does not bar him from the federal race.
- Has Brendan J. Gomez run for office before?
- Yes. He ran for Idaho Senate District 22 in 2022 and for the 1st Congressional District in 2024, receiving 1.49% of the vote in 2024, according to the Idaho Secretary of State's election database.
- What are Brendan J. Gomez's positions?
- He did not respond to the Idaho Capital Sun's 2026 questionnaire. In the Idaho Statesman's 2024 voter guide he wrote, "We need nuclear energy, period," and that the parties are by design incapable of serving the country.
- How much money has Brendan J. Gomez raised?
- His Federal Election Commission filings show $0.00 in receipts for the 2025-2026 cycle through March 31, 2026.