Colton Bennett

Colton Bennett is a Republican candidate for the Idaho House of Representatives seeking District 6 Seat A, which covers Latah County, Lewis County, and a portion of Nez Perce County in north-central Idaho. Bennett previously sought the same seat in the 2024 Republican primary and lost to incumbent Rep. Lori McCann 2,614 votes to 2,814, with a third candidate drawing 1,022. He is running again in the May 19, 2026 Republican primary in an open-seat race after McCann left the seat to challenge Sen. Dan Foreman for the District 6 Senate seat. The general election is November 3, 2026.

Background

Bennett, 27, was born April 1999 in Indianapolis, Indiana and resides in Troy, Idaho. He grew up homeschooled on a small family farm with seven siblings; his grandfather was a municipal judge in southern Ohio. He earned an Associate's Degree in Health Sciences from Purdue University Global in 2021 and currently works as a Medical Assistant at Gritman Medical Center in Moscow, as described on his campaign website. He is a U.S. Army veteran who served approximately six years on active duty and in the reserves, reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant (E-6) with the 1st Infantry Division, including a 2022 deployment to Eastern Europe as a combat medic. He is married to Sydney Bennett and they have two daughters, Hadassah and Felicity.

Political Career

Bennett has not held elected office. He served as a legislative intern for Utah Eagle Forum and helped manage a local Ted Cruz presidential campaign in 2016 while in high school. He currently serves as a Precinct Committeeman for the Latah County Republican Party. In the 2024 District 6A Republican primary he placed second to incumbent Rep. Lori McCann by approximately 200 votes, per Ballotpedia. Idaho EdNews reported the 2024 District 6A primary was among Idaho's costliest legislative primaries. The 2026 contest is an open-seat race; McCann was previously censured by the Latah, Nez Perce, and Lewis County Republican parties over five votes — HB 314, HB 265, HB 155, HB 259, and HB 273 — per the Lewiston Tribune.

Policy Positions

Bennett's 2026 platform describes him as "the only 100% Right-to-Life Candidate in the race." His Idaho GOP candidate page states: "Colton is committed to defending every single child from the violence of abortion. As a Christian, Colton believes that life begins at conception... preborn babies are human beings made in the image of God." He supports requiring child support before birth, opposes taxpayer funding for abortion, and has stated he would push legislation to abolish abortion and "repeal every word" of a citizen initiative aimed at restoring abortion access. On X, Bennett has called on society to "abolish abortion" and described its continued legality as creating a "blood soaked society." He has also pushed the Idaho Young Republicans to adopt a resolution opposing in vitro fertilization and expressed support for overturning Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court ruling establishing a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. DNews coverage reports he has called for abolishing the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, repealing many existing gun laws, and limiting emergency powers. He has stated he has not supported Donald Trump in Republican presidential primaries and called the Idaho Young Republicans a "cesspool of moderates, pro-abortion advocates, and even liberals."

Political Alignment

Bennett is endorsed by Stop Idaho RINOs PAC, Think Liberty Idaho PAC, state Rep. Mike Kingsley, and the District 6 Republican Central Committee. He has appeared on the Freedom Bros podcast, co-hosted by Idaho Second Amendment Alliance president Greg Pruett and former Idaho Freedom Foundation vice president Dustin Hurst.

Campaign and Endorsements

Bennett is running in the May 19, 2026 Republican primary against former state Rep. Cindy Agidius (Moscow realtor, served 2012-2014) in a District 6A open-seat race. Independent expenditure filings on the Idaho Sunshine portal show 2026 backing from Idaho Summit PAC totaling approximately $486. The general election is November 3, 2026.