Idaho General Election · November 3, 2026Find polling place
Democrat

Kaylee Peterson

Kaylee Peterson

U.S. House District 1

Kaylee Peterson, Democratic candidate for U.S. House, Idaho District 1

Kaylee Peterson, a Democrat from Eagle, is a candidate for Idaho's 1st Congressional District in the November 3, 2026 general election. She filed on February 24, 2026, and the Idaho Secretary of State lists the filing as approved. She won the May 19, 2026 Democratic primary with 18,907 votes (87.09%), ahead of Kenneth Brungardt with 2,803, according to the Idaho Secretary of State's certified results. Her opponents are Republican incumbent Russ Fulcher, independent Sarah Zabel and Constitution Party candidate Brendan J. Gomez.

Background

The Idaho Capital Sun described Peterson, 36, as a political strategist from Eagle who previously ran for the same congressional seat in 2022 and 2024. The Idaho Capital Sun reported in August 2026 that she worked in political advocacy before stepping back to raise her kids, she said, and is pursuing associate degrees in criminal justice and political science at the College of Western Idaho.

Election history

According to the Idaho Secretary of State's election database, Fulcher defeated Peterson in the November 8, 2022 general election, 222,901 votes to her 82,261. Peterson was unopposed in the 2024 Democratic primary, with 13,982 votes, according to the Secretary of State's archive. In the November 5, 2024 general election Fulcher received 331,049 votes (71.01%) and Peterson 118,656 (25.45%).

Positions

Her campaign platform page says: "I am a labor-first, union-first candidate always." It lists as goals to "REPEAL 'RIGHT TO WORK'" and to "Increase corporate tax rates, remove corporate tax breaks/subsidies, and protect Idaho's labor and resources from monopolized industries." On health care it says: "Taking health insurance companies completely out of the equation and moving to a universal single-payer system is the best, most transparent, and cheapest way forward for families." The Idaho Capital Sun reported in August 2026 that she would support a single-payer program for baseline coverage with private insurance options, and quoted her: "I think single-payer options right now would seem like the most affordable. While allowing the private market to do its thing, we bring some competition back into our healthcare market."

On education the platform page says: "Not a single cent of taxpayer funds should ever be diverted to private education. Not a single penny." On immigration it says: "It's time to shut down private for-profit detainment facilities, stop cruel mass deportations, and dismantle the current immigration enforcement bureaucracies so that we can rebuild real trust and safety with local communities." On data centers it says: "Allowing massive tech conglomerates and AI server farms to build giant data centers in our state is a total betrayal of the people."

In the Idaho Capital Sun's 2026 primary voter guide she wrote: "I adamantly oppose the SAVE Act and any efforts to impair a citizen's right to vote." On public lands she wrote: "our public lands are sacred, and they are not for sale."

Her platform page lists term limits of "At most 6 terms in the House, 2 terms in the Senate." In a CBS2/KBOI survey in August 2026 she wrote: "I believe in term limits, and have pledged to support three terms in the House and two in the Senate, because public service should be exactly that, service, not a career."

Debates

The Coeur d'Alene Press reported in March 2026 that Peterson shared a debate stage the previous year with a life-sized cardboard cutout of Fulcher, who had skipped the event. The Idaho Capital Sun reported on August 24, 2026 that her campaign announced a debate for October 17 and that she said: "My invitation to Congressman Fulcher stands, just as it has for four years." Fulcher could not be reached for comment.

Endorsements and supporters

The Idaho Statesman editorial board endorsed Peterson in the May 2026 Democratic primary, writing: "Peterson is more eloquent and knowledgeable about the issues. She acknowledges the district's deep red conservatism and distances herself from her party where necessary." The Idaho Education Association's political action committee lists her among its official endorsements for the 2026 general election.

Campaign finance

According to her Federal Election Commission filings for the committee Kaylee for Congress, she had raised $181,023.63, including a $3,000.00 loan from herself that the campaign repaid in May 2026, and spent $171,798.65 from January 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. She had $14,616.30 in cash on hand and no debts. Individuals gave $165,973.63. Political action committees and other non-party committees gave $11,000.00, including $5,000.00 each from the United Association of Journeymen Plumbers and Pipefitters PAC and the Machinists Non Partisan Political League.

Sources

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 Kaylee Peterson running for?
She is the Democratic candidate for Idaho's 1st Congressional District in the November 3, 2026 general election. Her opponents are Republican incumbent Russ Fulcher, independent Sarah Zabel and Constitution Party candidate Brendan J. Gomez.
Has Kaylee Peterson run for Congress before?
Yes. She ran in 2022 and 2024 and received 118,656 votes, or 25.45%, in 2024, according to the Idaho Secretary of State.
Where does Kaylee Peterson stand on health care?
Her platform page calls for a universal single-payer system, and she told the Idaho Capital Sun she would support single-payer coverage as a baseline alongside private insurance options.
Where does Kaylee Peterson stand on immigration?
Her platform page calls for shutting down private for-profit detention facilities, stopping mass deportations and dismantling the current immigration enforcement bureaucracies.
Where does Kaylee Peterson stand on public lands?
She wrote in the Idaho Capital Sun's voter guide that Idaho's public lands are sacred and not for sale.
Who has endorsed Kaylee Peterson?
The Idaho Statesman editorial board endorsed her in the 2026 primary, and the Idaho Education Association's political action committee lists her among its endorsed candidates.
How much money has Kaylee Peterson raised?
Her FEC filings show $181,023.63 raised from January 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, with $14,616.30 in cash on hand.