Former Democratic Representative Todd Achilles announced on Tuesday that he plans to challenge U.S. Senator Jim Risch in the 2026 U.S. Senate race, not as a Democrat, but as an independent. “We’re failing in America,

The effort to collect signatures for the proposed ballot initiative comes nearly three years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. That reversal lifted federal court protections for abortions, letting states regulate abortion — which activated trigger abortion bans in several states, including Idaho.

Former Boise Democratic Rep. Todd Achilles announced Tuesday he will challenge longtime U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, a Republican.

Achilles can’t stand both major parties, which means he believes there’s a yearning for someone to come along and catch a wave of public discontent.