Casey Swensen

Casey Swensen: Idaho Senate District 25, Republican Nominee

Casey Swensen unseated a sitting state senator in his own party's primary in May 2026, winning 57.87 percent of the vote against first-term incumbent Josh Kohl. He now faces Democrat W. Lane Startin in the November 3 general election for Senate District 25, which covers the Twin Falls area.

Background and career

Swensen grew up working in his family's grocery business, which his campaign site describes as "a business that's supported Idaho families for nearly a century." He graduated as valedictorian from Twin Falls High School, earned a philosophy degree from Brigham Young University, and graduated cum laude from Thomas Jefferson School of Law, according to his campaign site.

After law school, he returned to Idaho and worked as a public defender in Canyon and Gem counties, then as chief deputy criminal prosecutor in Gem County. His campaign describes the work as an effort "to keep families safe while ensuring justice was applied fairly." He later moved into private business, where he says he helped grow a pest control company from a single shop into "a multi-million-dollar enterprise with branches across the country."

In 2022, Swensen and his wife, Kacey, moved back to Idaho to raise their three children.

The primary

Swensen won the May 19, 2026 Republican primary with 3,429 votes (57.87 percent) to Kohl's 2,496 votes (42.13 percent), per certified Idaho Secretary of State results. Defeating an incumbent in a Republican primary is uncommon in Idaho legislative races, and it was the central story of this contest.

Kohl, a first-term senator per the Idaho State Legislature, is a member of a group of conservative legislators who publicly call themselves the "Gang of Eight," according to the group's own Substack post naming him. That group's April 2026 recap of the legislative session described Senate moderates as having "blocked real reform" and urged readers to "elect more conservatives." The primary outcome in District 25 removed one of its Senate members.

Platform

Swensen's campaign organizes its platform around three priorities: economy, public safety, and taxes and affordability. On the economy, his site states: "Families in Twin Falls are feeling the squeeze. I'll fight to support our small businesses, make housing affordable, and bring in good-paying jobs that keep our rural way of life strong."

On public safety, it reads: "Safe communities come first. I'll back our law enforcement, secure our borders to keep drugs out, and make sure families can feel safe at home, at school, and at work."

On taxes and affordability: "Families are already stretched thin. I'll work to lower taxes, ease the cost of living, and make sure our tax dollars are spent wisely, right here in our community."

Party affiliation and positions

Swensen is the Republican nominee. He signed the Idaho GOP's "Integrity in Affiliation" pledge, which asks candidates to support the party platform, with four exceptions he stated in his own words on the party's candidate page.

He called the platform's gold and silver standard position "likely impractical and too expensive." On federal money, he supports returning federal tax dollars to Idaho as federal funding "while working to have a balanced budget requirement." He opposes requiring candidates to pledge loyalty to any group or PAC other than the Republican Party itself, arguing such pledges let outside groups "control" how they vote. On education, he supports funding mechanisms for secondary and technical education paths that lead to higher earning capacity.

His biography and top-three-issues fields on that party page are blank. The page lists his endorsements section as "Coming Soon."

Campaign finance

Through his last filed report, Swensen's campaign received $47,201.00 in contributions and $5,000.00 in loans, spent $9,509.39, and held $42,691.61 in cash on hand, with $5,050.00 in outstanding debt, per his Idaho Sunshine financial disclosure. Most of the money, $44,351.00, came from in-state donors.

His top contributors, at $1,000 each, include Twin Falls donors Donald Hall, Title Fact, Valley Food Service Inc., and Cedar Ridge Dairy, along with Korry Holden, Idaho Dairy Industry PAC, SRSGA Inc., Idaho Power Company, and Idaho Land Fund, all of Boise, and Idaho Forest Group of Coeur d'Alene.

The general election

Swensen faces Democrat W. Lane Startin, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, on November 3, 2026. Idaho's Senate is currently split 29 Republicans to 6 Democrats.

Sources

• Casey Swensen for Idaho, campaign website
• Idaho State Legislature, Senate Membership
• Idaho Sunshine financial disclosure, candidate profile for Casey Hunter Swensen
• Idaho Gang of Eight, "2026 Session Recap: Wins, Roadblocks, and the Road Ahead"
• Idaho Secretary of State, certified May 19, 2026 primary results
• Idaho Republican Party, Casey Swensen candidate page