U.S. Senator
James E. Risch
Idaho
RepublicanConservative
Contact
Voting Profile
Legislative Record
Most Active Policy Areas
#1 healthcare#2 other#3 defense#4 environment energy#5 social security
266
Votes Analyzed
Data sources: voteview, congress.gov
Political Position
Ideology Spectrum
0.55Conservative
Senator Risch holds conservative positions that place him slightly to the right of the average Republican senator. His voting record reflects traditional conservative priorities including fiscal restraint, limited government intervention, and strong support for agricultural interests important to his home state of Idaho.
LiberalModerateConservative
Republican avg
Near the average for Republicans (0.52)
Data source: VoteView NOMINATE scores (UCLA/UC San Diego)
Policy Positions
Category Breakdown
266
total votes analyzed
Overview
James E. Risch has served as a U.S. Senator from Idaho since 2009, bringing a consistently conservative voting approach to the chamber. His record shows strong support for agricultural legislation, reflecting Idaho's significant farming and ranching economy, with 78% support in that category. Senator Risch's voting patterns show more cautious approaches to healthcare legislation, where he has supported about half of measures that came before him, and social security measures, where his 30% support rate suggests preference for limited expansion of these programs. His budget and taxation votes show 100% support, though the sample size is small. His environmental and energy votes show 61% support, indicating some flexibility in this policy area. On defense matters, his voting is evenly split, suggesting case-by-case evaluation of military and national security legislation rather than a blanket approach.
Key Positions
- •Strong supporter of agricultural legislation beneficial to farming states
- •Conservative approach to social security program expansion
- •Selective support for healthcare legislation
- •Consistent support for budget and taxation measures aligned with conservative fiscal principles
- •Moderate engagement on environmental and energy policy
By Policy Area
Healthcare156
49% yea51% nay
Other28
57% yea43% nay
Defense24
50% yea50% nay
Environment & Energy23
61% yea39% nay
Social Security10
30% yea70% nay
Agriculture9
78% yea22% nay
Banking & Finance6
17% yea83% nay
Analysis updated: January 9, 2026
Campaign Finance
Follow the Money
Includes all authorized campaign committees (principal committee, joint fundraising, and other authorized committees). Outside spending by Super PACs and independent groups is shown separately below. Verify on FEC.gov →
Career: $14.3M
Fundraising Over Time
Raised per election cycleSpent
Contribution Sources
Individual$2.6M
66%
PAC / Committees$1.3M
32%
Party Committee$62K
2%
Individual Breakdown
Itemized (>$200)
$2.4M
Small Dollar (<$200)
$216K
Donation Sizes
Under $200
$161K · 7%
$200 – 499
$43K · 2%
$500 – 999
$169K · 8%
$1,000 – 1,999
$444K · 20%
$2,000+
$1.4M · 62%
Share of individual contribution dollars by donation size, current election cycle.
Where the Money Comes From
In-state (ID)$280K · 14%
Out-of-state$1.7M · 86%
Itemized individual contributions only (donations over $200 report the donor's state). Small-dollar donations are not included because the FEC does not itemize them.
NY
$354K
ID
$280K
FL
$214K
CA
$189K
TX
$138K
VA
$110K
NJ
$104K
DC
$83K
Top Contributors
Top Contributing Industries
Top Donor Employers
RETIRED$333K
SELF$198K
SELF EMPLOYED$45K
NOT EMPLOYED$37K
NULL$36K
BGR GROUP$15K
ACCESS INDUSTRIES$14K
ALLIANTGROUP$14K
APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT$13K
WILMERHALE$13K
HUNTER ENGINEERING$12K
THE INVUS GROUP LLC$11K
Employer as self-reported by itemized donors. “Not Employed” and “Self-Employed” typically rank highest for small-dollar campaigns and include retirees.
Where the Money Goes
Spending by Purpose
Other / Uncategorized
$1.4M
Administrative
$316K
Advertising
$308K
Materials
$128K
Refunds
$51K
Fundraising
$14K
Travel
$260.28
Purpose categories are self-reported on FEC filings; large “Other” totals are common.
Top Payees
1.$367K
RMC LLC
2.$339K
THE ENDICOTT GROUP
3.$280K
CHASE CARD SERVICES
4.$221K
GEN2 SOLUTIONS, LLC
5.$146K
AUTOSORT
6.$118K
RESPONSE AMERICA LLC
7.$83K
POLITICAL ADMINISTRATIVE SVCS.
8.$69K
CAXTON
Detailed Breakdown
Expenditures
Operating Costs
$3.0M
Operating Offsets
$697.6
Net Operating
$3.0M
Refunds
Individual Refunds
$91K
Committee Refunds
$44K
Outside Spending (Super PACs)
Supporting
$54K
Opposing
$2K
Total Outside Spending
$56K
Top Outside Spenders
01
$40KIDAHO REPUBLICAN PARTY
+$40K
02
$12KNATIONAL RIGHT TO LIFE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE
+$12K
03
$861.86EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY ACTION FUND
-$861.86
04
$760VOTE LOCAL VOTE BLUE
-$760
05
$719.62NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND
+$719.62
06
$506.5HUNTER ACTION FUND (HAF)
+$506.5
07
$150CONSERVATIVES OF
+$150
08
$141.42THE 60 PLUS ASSOCIATION
+$141.42
Independent expenditures are made without coordination with the candidate. Source: FEC Schedule E filings.
Coverage: 1/1/2021 – 6/30/2026FEC: S8ID00092Updated: 8/12/2026Source: FEC.gov (all authorized committees)
Voting Record
Congressional Votes
179 votes across 12 categories