What was Rakesh Mohan's career before running?

He directed the Idaho Legislature's Office of Performance Evaluations for 21 years and retired in June 2024. He says he has nearly 36 years of auditing and evaluation experience in four states.

What is the Office of Performance Evaluations?

The Idaho Capital Sun describes it as an independent agency that conducts watchdog work ordered by state lawmakers and has spurred legislative and policy reform.

What does Rakesh Mohan say about transparency?

He wrote in the Idaho Capital Sun's voter guide that true transparency does not exist in Idaho and that the Transparent Idaho website is difficult for citizens to navigate.

Who has praised Rakesh Mohan's work?

At his 2024 retirement, Gov. Brad Little and Sens. Chuck Winder and Melissa Wintrow praised his office's work. His campaign website displays statements from Jim Jones, Molly O'Leary and Wendy Jaquet.

How much money has Rakesh Mohan raised?

Idaho Sunshine showed $8,738.07 in contributions for the 2026 cycle through the August report, with $4,758.76 spent and $5,479.31 in cash on hand.

Democrat

Rakesh Mohan

State Controller

Boise

Rakesh Mohan, Democratic candidate for Idaho State Controller

Rakesh Mohan, a Democrat, is a retired director of the Idaho Legislature's Office of Performance Evaluations and a candidate for Idaho State Controller in the November 3, 2026 general election. He filed on February 23, 2026, and the Idaho Secretary of State lists the filing as approved. He won the May 19, 2026 Democratic primary unopposed, with 42,933 votes, according to the Idaho Secretary of State's certified results. His opponent is Republican incumbent Brandon Woolf.

Background

The Idaho Capital Sun reported in June 2024: "For 21 years, longer than he lived in India, he has directed the Idaho Office of Performance Evaluations, an independent agency that conducts critical state government watchdog work." It reported that he received a master's degree in public administration at the University of Kansas and that in 1988 he began a career as an evaluator for state legislatures in Kansas, Louisiana, Washington and eventually Idaho.

His campaign website says: "I have nearly 36 years of auditing and evaluation experience, working for state legislatures in Idaho, Washington, Louisiana, and Kansas." It says he "served seven years on the US Comptroller General's Advisory Council for Government Auditing Standards." The Idaho Legislature's Office of Performance Evaluations page says he is a recipient of the Council of State Governments' Henry Toll Fellowship and of the 2016 Donald and Alice Stone Outstanding Practitioner Award from the American Society for Public Administration.

In the Idaho Capital Sun's 2026 voter guide he lists his age as 70, his hometown as Boise and his most recent job as a full-time visiting professor of public policy and administration in Boise State University's School of Public Service from 2024 to 2026.

The Idaho Capital Sun reported in February 2026 that he "retired from leading the Office of Performance Evaluations in June 2024."

Positions

In the Capital Sun's voter guide he wrote: "True transparency does not exist in our state today. The Transparent Idaho website is difficult for everyday citizens to navigate, making it nearly impossible to retrieve meaningful information." He wrote: "The role of AI must be to better our community at large, not just benefit a select few."

On the Land Board, on which the Controller sits, he wrote: "Recent media reports suggest that Idaho currently lacks a transparent decision-making process for our public lands." He wrote that if elected he would ensure that "public input is not only sought but seriously considered in every single policy decision regarding our public lands."

Supporters

His campaign website displays statements from former Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice Jim Jones, former Idaho State Bar President Molly O'Leary and former House Minority Leader Wendy Jaquet. Jones's statement says: "Rakesh Mohan distinguished himself as a dedicated public servant during his 21 years as Director of the Idaho Legislature's Office of Performance Evaluations." Jaquet's says: "The studies were well done and created policy changes by the Legislature. Balanced and data driven."

In June 2024, when he retired, Gov. Brad Little told the Capital Sun: "Rakesh and his team have set a high standard for providing impartial analysis of complex issues and evidence-based recommendations." Sen. Chuck Winder, a Republican, called him "disciplined" and "professional." Sen. Melissa Wintrow, a Democrat, said: "The state should be eternally grateful for (Mohan's) work."

The 2023 oversight bill

The Idaho Capital Sun reported in February 2023 that House Speaker Mike Moyle, a Republican, said the intent of House Bill 68, which would have changed how the Legislature oversees the Office of Performance Evaluations, was to try to "unweaponize" the office. Mohan, who was still the office's director, told the House State Affairs Committee: "Politics will always be there. Let no one tell you that politics is not there when policymaking happens, or that politics is not in this building."

Campaign finance

The Idaho Secretary of State's Sunshine campaign finance system showed contributions of $8,738.07 and expenditures of $4,758.76 for the 2026 cycle through the report filed for August. It showed $5,479.31 in cash on hand and $1,500.00 in outstanding debt, listed as loans received. Contributions from persons were $8,538.07, and Sunshine classified $5,090.00 as in-state and $3,648.07 as out-of-state.

Sunshine's top-contributor list showed Kamalesh Johri of Millington, New Jersey at $2,500, Jim Jones of Boise and Steve Berch of Boise at $500 each, and several donors at $250. Sunshine lists names and cities and does not say whether donors are the same people as public figures with the same names.

The Idaho Capital Sun listed him at $8,738 and Woolf at $210,284 as of September 30, 2026.

Sources

Idaho Secretary of State, May 2026 certified results, the Democratic primary vote
Idaho Capital Sun, June 25, 2024, his career and the praise at his retirement
Rakesh Mohan campaign website, About, his experience and service
Idaho Legislature, Office of Performance Evaluations, his fellowship and award
Idaho Capital Sun, 2026 voter guide for State Controller, his answers
Idaho Capital Sun, February 27, 2026, his filing
Idaho Capital Sun, February 7, 2023, House Bill 68
Idaho Sunshine, 2026 campaign finance totals
Idaho Capital Sun, October 2, 2026, statewide fundraising totals

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 Rakesh Mohan running for?: He is the Democratic candidate for Idaho State Controller in the November 3, 2026 general election. His opponent is Republican incumbent Brandon Woolf.
What was Rakesh Mohan's career before running?: He directed the Idaho Legislature's Office of Performance Evaluations for 21 years and retired in June 2024. He says he has nearly 36 years of auditing and evaluation experience in four states.
What is the Office of Performance Evaluations?: The Idaho Capital Sun describes it as an independent agency that conducts watchdog work ordered by state lawmakers and has spurred legislative and policy reform.
What does Rakesh Mohan say about transparency?: He wrote in the Idaho Capital Sun's voter guide that true transparency does not exist in Idaho and that the Transparent Idaho website is difficult for citizens to navigate.
Who has praised Rakesh Mohan's work?: At his 2024 retirement, Gov. Brad Little and Sens. Chuck Winder and Melissa Wintrow praised his office's work. His campaign website displays statements from Jim Jones, Molly O'Leary and Wendy Jaquet.
How much money has Rakesh Mohan raised?: Idaho Sunshine showed $8,738.07 in contributions for the 2026 cycle through the August report, with $4,758.76 spent and $5,479.31 in cash on hand.