BOISE, Idaho — Paulette Jordan, the Democratic nominee for Idaho governor in 2018, announced Friday that she is running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Sen. Jim Risch.
The former state representative from Plummer, Idaho, hinted at a run for Congress during a Jan. 14th interview with KTVB. At that time her focus was on the Women’s March and the fight for women’s rights. She told us women are seeking out opportunities to do more for our state.
“Over the past several years, I’ve had the opportunity to listen to thousands of Idahoans throughout this great state, and what I’ve learned is that Idaho is in need of new leadership,” said Jordan. “Idahoans are fed up. People from all walks of life are frustrated with the partisan gridlock in Congress and they are calling for a leader who represents them. Nothing will change until there is new leadership in Idaho. I have decided to answer the call to serve and represent Idaho as our next U.S. Senator.”
Jordan faces an uphill battle but she is no stranger to a difficult challenge, having beaten Boise businessman A.J. Balukoff to win the Democratic nomination for Idaho governor in 2018. She then lost by more than 130,000 votes in the general election to Republican Brad Little.
Risch, 76, will be seeking his third term in the U.S. Senate. He is currently the chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
“I’m running because we need a Senator who will work to re-engineer our government to prioritize American prosperity, protect our precious land and resources, fight for affordable, quality healthcare, and ensure a world-class education for our children,” said Jordan.
She'll face a difficult task in red-state Idaho, where the entire Congressional delegation is Republican and all five statewide elected offices are held by Republicans.
Sen. Risch released this statement to the media late Friday afternoon:
"There are now four candidates running to become the Democrat nominee in this race. All of them have a clear desire to advance the liberal socialist agenda. I look forward to putting my record of fiscal conservatism, common sense solutions and proven leadership against any one of these individuals. Idahoans will have a clear choice at the ballot box this November."
Jordan's first major campaign event will take place in Boise later this month.
More about the event and Jordan’s positions on policy issues can be found online.
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