Casey Swensen

Casey Swensen: Idaho Republican Candidate for Senate District 25

Casey Swensen is a Republican candidate challenging incumbent Sen. Josh Kohl in the Idaho Senate District 25 Republican primary on May 19, 2026. District 25 covers Twin Falls County, the commercial and population hub of the Magic Valley. Swensen is a Twin Falls attorney and former public defender and prosecutor. He has not previously held elected office. The Republican primary winner will face Democrat W. Lane Startin in the November 3, 2026 general election.

Background

Swensen is a Twin Falls native and graduated as valedictorian of Twin Falls High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Brigham Young University and graduated cum laude from Thomas Jefferson School of Law. He is an active member of the Idaho State Bar. Swensen grew up in his family's grocery business. Swensen's Markets, a locally owned Magic Valley grocery chain, was founded in Twin Falls in the early 1960s by Sherm Swensen and has been operated by multiple generations of the family. After law school, Swensen returned to Idaho to practice. He served as a Public Defender in Canyon and Gem counties representing clients who could not afford private counsel, and later as Chief Deputy Criminal Prosecutor in Gem County. He subsequently transitioned to private business, helping grow a pest control company from a single shop to a multi-state operation. Swensen and his wife Kacey returned to Idaho in 2022 to raise their three children.

Political Career

Swensen has not previously held elected office. The 2026 Senate race is his first campaign for public office.

Policy Positions

Swensen has organized his campaign platform around three priorities: the economy, public safety, and taxes and affordability. On the economy, Swensen has emphasized support for small businesses, housing affordability, and rural economic development. He has stated that families in Twin Falls "are feeling the squeeze" and has framed his approach as focused on jobs that "keep our rural way of life strong." On public safety, Swensen draws on his legal background. He has pledged to support law enforcement and border security, citing drug trafficking as a specific concern. His prior experience as both a public defender and a county prosecutor gives him courtroom perspective from both sides of the criminal justice system. On taxes and affordability, Swensen has emphasized lowering taxes, easing cost of living pressures, and ensuring state spending is directed toward effective priorities. As of April 2026, Swensen has not released detailed public positions on education funding, Medicaid, public lands, water policy, or election law. This section will be updated as additional information becomes available.

Political Alignment

Casey Swensen is a Traditional Conservative Republican. His campaign messaging emphasizes bread-and-butter conservative economic and public safety concerns without activist-wing rhetoric. His campaign website frames his candidacy around ensuring that "families — not special interests — come first." His challenge to Kohl, a Gang of Eight member endorsed by the Idaho Freedom PAC, positions him in contrast with the activist conservative wing of the Idaho Senate. His prior public service as both a public defender and a prosecutor reflects institutional engagement with Idaho's criminal justice system rather than ideological activism.

Campaign and Endorsements

As of April 2026, Swensen's campaign website lists endorsements as "coming soon." No major organizational endorsements have been publicly reported. Swensen has held campaign meet-and-greet events at venues across Twin Falls including Idaho Joe's, the Depot Grill, and the Twin Falls Senior Center.