Why It Matters
Idaho voters could soon see a restored presidential primary election on the calendar after the state legislature takes up competing proposals to fix a gap created when the presidential primary was unintentionally eliminated in 2023. The decision will directly affect how millions of Idaho residents participate in selecting presidential nominees and could reshape campaign season timelines for candidates running in down-ticket state and local races.
Without a presidential primary, Idaho Republicans relied on a caucus system in 2024 that drew historically low participation — underscoring the urgency legislators feel to restore a more accessible voting option ahead of the next presidential election cycle.
What Happened
The Idaho Senate approved Senate Bill 1398 on Wednesday, March 25, sending it to the House for further consideration. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Jim Guthrie, a Republican from McCammon, and would consolidate the presidential nomination primary with down-ticket state and local races on the Tuesday following the first Monday in May.
Under Guthrie’s proposal, political parties would retain the flexibility to opt out of the presidential primary and use the caucus process instead. Presidential primary candidates would be required to pay a $1,000 filing fee to appear on the ballot.
Guthrie argued that a May presidential primary would support higher voter turnout while still allowing Idaho to weigh in on presidential nominees before the summer national party conventions. He pointed to the struggles of the 2024 GOP presidential caucus as evidence that the current system is falling short of connecting Idaho voters to the nomination process.
Not all senators were on board. Twin Falls Republican Sen. Josh Kohl voted against the bill, expressing concern that moving non-presidential races earlier into a consolidated May primary would unnecessarily compress the campaign season for legislative and local candidates.
“I don’t think that helps our constituents get the best conversations out of the campaign,” Kohl said during floor debate.
The Senate passed the bill 23-10, with two senators absent.
Competing Bill in the House
The Senate bill faces a significant complication: the Idaho House already passed its own competing version earlier this month. House Bill 638, which cleared the House on March 9 in a 45-23 vote, would restore the presidential primary to March — its original position on the calendar before the 2023 elimination — rather than consolidating it with the May primary.
The key difference between the two proposals goes beyond timing. The House bill would hold the presidential primary as a standalone election in March, which carries an estimated cost of $2.5 million to the state. To offset those expenses, House Bill 638 would require presidential primary candidates to pay a $50,000 filing fee — a figure dramatically higher than the $1,000 fee included in the Senate version.
The sharp difference in filing fees reflects a fundamental disagreement in the legislature about whether the presidential primary should be a separate, standalone election or folded into the existing May primary structure.
By the Numbers
- 23-10: Senate vote approving SB 1398 to create a May presidential primary
- 45-23: House vote approving HB 638 to restore a March presidential primary
- 7%: Approximate turnout of registered Idaho Republicans during the 2024 GOP presidential caucus
- $1,000: Candidate filing fee under the Senate’s May primary proposal
- $50,000: Candidate filing fee under the House’s March primary proposal, intended to offset $2.5 million in estimated election costs
Zoom Out
Idaho is not alone in wrestling with presidential primary logistics. Several states across the Mountain West have revisited their primary election structures in recent cycles, balancing the costs of standalone elections against the civic value of accessible voter participation. The 2024 cycle exposed weaknesses in caucus-based systems nationwide, with low turnout and logistical difficulties prompting states to consider more straightforward primary models.
In Idaho, the unintentional elimination of the presidential primary in 2023 left the state scrambling to find a workable solution before the next presidential election. The competing bills reflect broader tensions between fiscal responsibility and maximizing voter access — values that Idaho Republicans on both sides of the debate say they are trying to balance.
What’s Next
Senate Bill 1398 now moves to the Idaho House, where lawmakers will need to decide whether to advance it, amend it, or allow it to compete directly with the already-passed House Bill 638. If both chambers cannot agree on a unified approach, legislative leaders may need to negotiate a compromise bill or send one version to a conference committee before the session ends. Idahoans should watch for further action in the House as the 2026 legislative session moves toward adjournment.
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