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

Russ Fulcher

Russ Fulcher

U.S. House District 1

Russ Fulcher, Republican incumbent and candidate for U.S. House, Idaho District 1

Russ Fulcher, a Republican, represents Idaho's 1st Congressional District and is a candidate for re-election 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 Republican primary with 100,104 votes (78.24%), according to the Idaho Secretary of State's certified results. His opponents are Democrat Kaylee Peterson, independent Sarah Zabel and Constitution Party candidate Brendan J. Gomez.

Background

His official House biography says Fulcher is a fourth-generation Idahoan who grew up on a dairy farm in Meridian and earned bachelor's and master's degrees in business from Boise State University. It says he spent 24 years in the high-technology industry, working for Micron Technology and Preco Electronics, and served 10 years in the Idaho Senate, six of them as Majority Caucus Chair. Congress.gov lists him in the U.S. House from 2019 to the present.

The committee page on his House website lists his assignments as the Energy and Commerce Committee, where he is vice chair of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, and the Natural Resources Committee.

Election history

According to the Idaho Secretary of State's election database, Fulcher, listed there as Russell M. Fulcher, lost the May 20, 2014 Republican primary for governor to Gov. Butch Otter, receiving 67,694 votes (43.6%) to Otter's 79,779 (51.4%). He won the May 15, 2018 Republican primary for the 1st District seat with 42,790 votes (43.1%) out of 99,233 cast, and the November 2018 general election with 197,719 votes (62.8%).

He won re-election in 2020 with 67.8%, in 2022 with 71.3%, and in the November 2024 general election with 331,049 votes (71.0%) to Peterson's 118,656.

Votes

The House Clerk's records show Fulcher voted yea on the objections to the Arizona and Pennsylvania electors on January 6, 2021 and January 7, 2021. Both objections failed. Fulcher told the Spokesman-Review on January 5, 2021: "It is the state legislative branch that has the sole responsibility for setting the parameters on elections." PBS NewsHour reported that the Arizona objection failed 303-121.

He voted yea on the July 3, 2025 vote to concur in the Senate's version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which passed 218-214.

Public lands

In a May 6, 2025 House Natural Resources Committee markup, Fulcher voted yea on Recorded Vote 78, an amendment that would have sold or conveyed federal land in Nevada and Utah. It passed the committee 24-19. The Idaho Capital Sun reported in August 2026 that the amendment passed the committee but was not included in the final budget package. Fulcher told the Sun: "The popular perception out there is, 'Fulcher wants to sell lands.' I do not. That's not it."

In the Idaho Capital Sun's 2026 voter guide he wrote: "I do not advocate for the sale of federal public land, nor do I advocate for a complete turnover of such land to the state." In a December 8, 2025 letter to Idaho officials he wrote: "Our public lands need to stay public, but they need to be controlled locally."

Alexis Pickering of Conservation Voters for Idaho told the Lewiston Tribune, in a story reprinted by the Spokesman-Review: "He is trying to do a bait and switch just with a word salad, but ultimately it tastes the same. He is pro transfer which is pro selloff."

Debates and criticism

U.S. Term Limits said in a September 1, 2025 press release that Fulcher pledged to support its term limits amendment and "broke his pledge." KTVB reported in 2020 that he declined an invitation to a live debate. In an October 2024 column by Chuck Malloy, published by Yahoo News, Fulcher said: "I'm not afraid to debate, but I'm not stupid either." The Idaho Capital Sun reported in August 2026 that Peterson challenged him and Zabel to a debate and that Fulcher could not be reached for comment.

Endorsements and supporters

President Donald Trump posted on May 18, 2026, as archived on trumpstruth.org: "Russ Fulcher has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election." The U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorsed him on August 10, 2026. In that release Alex LaBeau, president of the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry, said: "Congressman Fulcher supports IACI's position nearly 90 percent of the time."

Campaign finance

According to his Federal Election Commission filings for the committee Russ Fulcher for Idaho, he had raised $662,615.45 and spent $597,924.46 from January 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, with $244,699.71 in cash on hand and no debts. Individuals gave $353,594.66 and other committees, mostly political action committees, gave $301,350.00.

The committees that gave the most in total, according to the filings, were Freedom Fund at $10,000, Verizon Communications Inc. PAC at $9,000 and Hecla Mining Company PAC, Cambia Health Solutions Inc. PAC and Electing Majority Making Effective Republicans at $7,500 each. The FEC's independent expenditure records show the Freedom Caucus Fund reported 37 independent expenditures supporting Fulcher in the 2026 cycle, totaling $6,339.07.

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 Russ Fulcher running for?
He is the Republican incumbent seeking re-election to the U.S. House from Idaho's 1st Congressional District in the November 3, 2026 general election. His opponents are Kaylee Peterson, Sarah Zabel and Brendan J. Gomez.
What is Russ Fulcher's background?
His official biography says he grew up on a dairy farm in Meridian, earned business degrees from Boise State University, worked 24 years in the technology industry and served 10 years in the Idaho Senate.
How did Russ Fulcher vote on the 2021 objections to the electoral count?
The House Clerk's records show he voted yea on the objections to the Arizona and Pennsylvania electors, and both objections failed.
Does Russ Fulcher support selling public lands?
He told the Idaho Capital Sun, "I do not," and wrote that he does not advocate selling federal public land or a complete turnover to the state. He voted for a 2025 committee amendment to sell or convey federal land in Nevada and Utah, which was not in the final package.
Has Russ Fulcher debated his opponents?
KTVB reported in 2020 that he declined an invitation to debate. The Idaho Capital Sun reported in August 2026 that Peterson challenged him to a debate and that he could not be reached for comment.
Who has endorsed Russ Fulcher?
President Donald Trump posted an endorsement on May 18, 2026, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorsed him on August 10, 2026.
How much money has Russ Fulcher raised?
His FEC filings show $662,615.45 raised from January 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, with $244,699.71 in cash on hand.