Little has been a good governor, but competition is welcome

Gov. Brad Little on Tuesday announced he is seeking re-election. This is not a surprise. Pretty much everyone has been waiting for the governor to state his intentions to pursue a third term. He is popular and well-liked.

We believe Little has been a good governor. He understands Idaho is a state where people do not like too much government regulation, but at the same time, it is necessary there be government regulation. He has been a strong advocate for businesses, reducing red tape and recognizes what fuels this state's financial engines. Little is strong, sensible and reasonable.

In his filing announcement, Little highlighted themes of economic growth, tax relief, regulatory reduction, and investments in education, public safety, and infrastructure. His campaign notes broad support from Idahoans across all 44 counties and reports a campaign balance of nearly $1.5 million heading into the election.

He also emphasized his “Enduring Idaho” plan, which focuses on fiscal responsibility, government efficiency, strong schools, and long‑term economic stability.

But Little will face competition. Good competition, which marks the beginning of what is expected to be a closely watched statewide contest. Consider who has also declared:

Republicans: Mark Fitzpatrick, Justin R. Plante, and Sean Calvert Crystal, Paul Sand, Ethan Giles

Democrat: Terri Pickens, Maxine Durand

Libertarians: Paul Sand and Melissa-Sue Robinson

Independent: Former Idaho Supreme Court Justice John Stegner plans to run as an independent.

Their participation signals broad interest in the state’s top office and ensures voters will have choices reflecting a range of political perspectives, which is good. The better the competition for the governor's office, for any elected office, the better for the people they represent. Competition forces everyone to raise their game.

While it's early in the election season, what happens now matters.

Idaho faces decisions about growth management, education funding, workforce needs, and long‑term economic planning. With all 105 legislative seats and every statewide constitutional office also on the ballot this year, the 2026 election will help shape Idaho’s direction for years to come. According to the Idaho Capital Sun, as of Tuesday morning, 183 candidates have filed to run for office, underscoring the significance of this cycle.

Finally, a reminder:

Statewide and legislative candidates now have a one-week filing period, running from 8 a.m. local time Feb. 23 through 5 p.m. local time Feb. 27. 

A filing period for county and local offices, as well as precinct committeemen, will also be hosted at VoteIdaho.gov. The county filing period runs from 8 a.m. local time March 2 through 5 p.m. local time March 13. 

In Kootenai County, most county-level positions are up for election this year. Partisan ballots for the May primary election will include candidates for assessor, clerk, coroner and treasurer, as well as county commissioner seats for District 1 and District 2.