Colton Bennett

Colton Bennett: Idaho Republican Candidate for House District 6A

Colton Bennett is a Republican candidate running for the Idaho House of Representatives in District 6A. Bennett lives in Troy, Idaho, and is seeking election in the May 19, 2026, Republican primary. He is a non-incumbent challenger running for the open seat in Legislative District 6A in north central Idaho, a race that also includes Republican candidate Cindy Agidius. The general election is scheduled for November 3, 2026.

Background

Colton Bennett was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and later relocated to Idaho. He resides in Troy, a small community in Latah County. He earned an associate degree in health sciences from Purdue University Global in 2021. Bennett enlisted in the United States Army in 2019 and served on both active duty and reserve status, attaining the rank of staff sergeant as a combat medic. He completed a deployment to Eastern Europe in 2022. Bennett and his wife Sydney live in Troy with their two daughters. He works as a medical assistant at Gritman Medical Center in Moscow, Idaho. He also serves as a precinct committeeman with the Latah County Republican Party.

Earlier in life, Bennett participated in 4-H, raising livestock including sheep, hogs, and poultry. During high school, he competed in national-level speech and debate competitions. He also interned with the Utah Eagle Forum and helped manage a local Ted Cruz presidential campaign in 2016.

Political Career

Colton Bennett has not previously held elected public office. His first campaign for the Idaho Legislature came in 2024, when he challenged incumbent Representative Lori McCann in the District 6A Republican primary. Bennett entered that race following McCann’s censure by the Latah, Nez Perce, and Lewis County Republican parties. The censure was over her voting record on issues including libraries, vaccine prohibitions, and property taxes. Bennett received 2,614 votes to McCann’s 2,814, with a third candidate drawing 1,022 votes. McCann subsequently announced she would not seek re-election in 2026, making the District 6A seat open. Bennett filed again for the 2026 cycle shortly after the filing period opened in February.

Policy Positions

Property tax reduction is a central theme of Bennett’s campaign. He has called for limiting the annual rate at which local governments and taxing districts can increase property tax revenue. He has also proposed expanding the homeowner’s exemption and freezing property tax rates for retired residents, as outlined in his Ballotpedia candidate survey. He has described fiscal dependence on federal dollars as a structural problem and advocated for reducing Idaho’s reliance on federal funding.

Opposition to abortion is another stated priority. Bennett supports complete abolition of abortion. He has written on X that society should “abolish abortion” and characterized the continued legal availability of abortion as creating a “blood soaked society.” He has called on the Idaho Young Republicans to adopt a resolution opposing in vitro fertilization. He has also expressed support for overturning Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court decision establishing a constitutional right to same-sex marriage.

Bennett has expressed opposition to gender-transition-related medical treatments for minors. He has made this a recurring campaign theme. On immigration, he has criticized policies he characterizes as providing public benefits to people in the country without legal authorization. On energy policy, Bennett opposes proposals to breach dams on the lower Snake River system. He argues in his Ballotpedia survey that Idaho’s dams provide approximately 60 percent of the state’s energy and that the state should work to preserve and expand the hydroelectric sector.

Bennett has publicly stated that he has not supported Donald Trump in Republican presidential primaries. He does not consider himself part of the pro-Trump wing of the party. He has also referred to the Idaho Young Republicans as a “cesspool of moderates, pro-abortion advocates, and even liberals.”

Political Alignment

Colton Bennett appears aligned with the conservative activist wing of the Idaho Republican Party. Several documented indicators support this assessment.

Bennett confirmed in his Ballotpedia survey that his endorsers include Stop Idaho RINOs PAC and Think Liberty Idaho PAC. Stop Idaho RINOs is operated by John Heida, described by former Idaho Attorney General Jim Jones as among the “unsavory groups” active in Idaho Republican primary politics, and reported on for aggressive campaign tactics against incumbent Republican legislators including the use of manipulated imagery. Think Liberty Idaho PAC is run by the same operator as Stop Idaho RINOs. Bennett has also 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.

Bennett’s campaign messaging has consistently criticized the incumbent he challenged in 2024 as insufficiently conservative from a rightward position. This pattern is documented across multiple news accounts and candidate materials. He told the Lewiston Tribune that his values “align incredibly well with the platform of my party.” That statement was made independently to a reporter. His abortion position, which extends to opposition to IVF and support for overturning same-sex marriage precedent, is documented across his social media activity and campaign materials.

Campaign and Endorsements

Bennett’s endorsements include Think Liberty Idaho PAC, Stop Idaho RINOs PAC, and Idaho State Representative Mike Kingsley, as listed in his Ballotpedia candidate survey. He has also received the endorsement of the District 6 Republican Central Committee, reflecting support from precinct committeemen across Latah, Nez Perce, and Lewis counties. Campaign finance records filed with the Idaho Secretary of State show contributions from individual donors including Dan McKnight of Eagle, Idaho.

FAQ

Who is Colton Bennett Idaho? Colton Bennett is a Republican candidate running for the Idaho House of Representatives in Legislative District 6A. He lives in Troy, Idaho, works as a medical assistant at Gritman Medical Center, and served in the U.S. Army as a combat medic, attaining the rank of staff sergeant.

What district is Colton Bennett running in? Colton Bennett is running for the Idaho House of Representatives in District 6A, which includes parts of Latah County in north central Idaho.

Is Colton Bennett an incumbent? No. Colton Bennett has not previously held elected office. He is running as a challenger for the open Idaho House District 6A seat following the retirement of incumbent Representative Lori McCann.

What party is Colton Bennett affiliated with? Colton Bennett is a member of the Republican Party and is running in the May 19, 2026, Republican primary for Idaho House District 6A.

What are Colton Bennett’s political positions? Bennett has emphasized property tax reduction, complete opposition to abortion, opposition to gender-transition medical treatments for minors, stricter immigration enforcement, and support for maintaining hydroelectric dam infrastructure on the Snake River system. He has also expressed support for overturning the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage ruling.

2024 Primary Election Results McCann 2,814 votes / Bennett 2,614 votes / Dalby 1,022 votes

Profile published by IdahoVoters.com. Last updated April 2026. This profile will be updated as additional information becomes available.