W. Lane Startin

W. Lane Startin: Idaho Senate District 25, Democratic Nominee

W. Lane Startin won the May 2026 Democratic primary for Idaho Senate District 25 with 716 votes, running unopposed. He now heads to the November 3 general election against Republican Casey Swensen, who beat first-term incumbent Sen. Josh Kohl in the Republican primary, 57.87 percent to 42.13 percent. The matchup puts a three-time Democratic candidate with a small campaign budget against a Republican nominee who just knocked off an incumbent senator.

Background and electoral history

Startin holds a BA from Idaho State University and works as a lead medical equipment technician, according to his statement in the Twin Falls County 2026 primary voter pamphlet. The pamphlet is the only public record listing his education and occupation, and his campaign website offers little more beyond a one-page layout with the tagline "A senator for Twin Falls."

The 2026 race is his third run for public office. In 2014, he ran in the Democratic primary for state treasurer and lost to Deborah Silver, taking 3,803 votes (16.0 percent) to her 19,987 (84.0 percent), per the Idaho Secretary of State's elections database. In 2024, he ran for Idaho House District 25, Seat A. He won his primary unopposed with 380 votes, then lost the general election to Republican incumbent Rep. Lance Clow, 27.9 percent to Clow's 72.1 percent. The database also shows a 2016 run for precinct committeeman in Ada County, a party office, in which he finished last in a three-way primary with 6.8 percent of 88 votes cast.

The 2026 primary

Startin faced no opposition in the May 19 Democratic primary and received 716 votes, or 100 percent of ballots cast in the race. The result advanced him automatically to the general election.

Platform and message

His statement in the official Twin Falls County primary pamphlet reads: "As your next Idaho state senator, I will work to restore balance to state government, promote individual choice, and strive for fairer taxation." That sentence carries most of what voters can learn about his platform from public records. His campaign site describes District 25 as one of Idaho's smallest legislative districts and repeats the "A senator for Twin Falls" framing, but it lists no specific policy proposals beyond the themes in his pamphlet statement.

Campaign finance

Through the August 2026 reporting period on Idaho's Sunshine financial disclosure portal, Startin's committee reported $3,457.84 in contributions for the cycle, $1,368.13 in expenditures, and $2,457.03 cash on hand, with no debt. Most of the money came from individuals, at $2,847.77. Out-of-state donors gave $1,402.77, led by Alexander Sinclair of Redmond, Washington, at $1,000 and Matthew Erickson of Washington, D.C., at $277.77. In-state giving totaled $1,995.00, with James Ricks of Twin Falls at $350 and the Twin Falls County Democratic Central Committee at $300. Startin gave his own campaign $250. Other donors included Twin Falls residents Etha Carruthers ($250), LeRoy Hayes of Sun Valley ($250), and Marla Palmer ($135), the Democratic candidate for House District 25, Seat A, on the same ballot.

The general election

Swensen enters as the favorite on paper. He won the Republican primary outright against Kohl, a first-term senator, which means district voters have already shown willingness to replace a sitting senator this cycle. Startin's recent results suggest an uphill climb: his 2024 House run drew 27.9 percent in the general, and his 2014 statewide primary run drew 16.0 percent.

Startin's campaign finance picture is modest against those odds. His $2,457.03 cash on hand as of the August report gives him limited room for advertising or direct mail in a district that spans Twin Falls and surrounding communities.

What the race does offer Startin is a fresh matchup. With Kohl out and Swensen new to the general ballot, neither candidate carries an incumbent's record into November. Startin's pamphlet message of "fairer taxation" and balance in state government will be tested against whatever platform Swensen brings to the district's voters.

Sources

• Idaho Secretary of State elections database, W. Lane Startin candidate record and past contest results
• Idaho Sunshine financial disclosure portal, Startin candidate finance profile through the August 2026 report
• Idaho Secretary of State, certified May 19, 2026 primary results