Democrats
Terri Pickens
DEMOCRATIC
Attorney
Idaho state flag

Idaho 2026 GOVERNOR FORECAST

Brad Little
Brad Little*
REPUBLICAN

2026 Idaho Governor Forecast:

The Pollsmax 2026 Idaho Governor forecast currently gives Republican Brad Little a 99.8% chance of defeating Democrat Terri Pickens. Pollsmax projects Little to receive 66.2% of the vote compared with 33.9% for Pickens, a projected Republican margin of 32.3 percentage points. The model currently rates the race as Solid Republican. The forecast is updated using 100,000 simulations incorporating polling and race fundamentals. See the Pollsmax forecast methodology.

The 2026 Idaho governor election features Democrat Terri Pickens and Republican Brad Little. Incumbent governor Brad Little is seeking reelection to a third term, having served in the governor's mansion since 2019. In 2024, Donald Trump won Idaho by 36.0%, and Republicans are expected to easily retain the state's governorship in 2026. Idaho voters will decide whether to extend the incumbent party's control of the governor's mansion or move the state in a new direction.

Year
2026
Race
Governor
State
Idaho
Democratic candidate
Terri Pickens
Republican candidate
Brad Little
Incumbent / open seat
Brad Little
Forecast rating
Solid R
Projected vote
33.9% D / 66.2% R
Projected margin
R +32.3
Forecast odds
0.2% D / 99.8% R
Forecast last updated
12:00 AM on September 30, 2026
Polling average
26.9% D / 40.1% R
Polling average margin
R +13.2
Polling last updated
12:00 AM on September 16, 2026
Polls included
2
Latest poll
Advanced Targeting Research — September 16, 2026