The state’s role in immigration enforcement was a dividing issue among many Republican primary opponents in several legislative races for Idaho’s May 19 primary election. And after a slate of bills dealing with immigration enforcement stalled during the 2026 legislative session, some results might be key for future proposals.
“In some areas of the state we saw more hardline conservatives, especially on issues of immigration enforcement, be successful,” said Jaclyn Kettler, a Boise State University political science professor who researches state politics. “And then in other areas of the state, we saw them be defeated, but across the board it does seem like perhaps this issue was one of the key ones that a lot of, at the very least, candidates were thinking about and talking about.”
The make-up of the 105-member Legislature has the potential to change frequently, with every seat up for election every two years. This year, nine incumbents lost to their primary challengers, five of whom were in a group of hardline conservatives who referred to themselves as the “Gang of Eight.”
In North Idaho, two incumbent Republicans who are considered more moderate lost their races to farther right-wing challengers.
The issue is likely to return next year, with some new legislators weighing in.
Coeur d’Alene Republican Rep. Jordan Redman, who has tried the last three years to pass legislation requiring employers to use a federal program to verify legal status of employees, said he thinks legislation may go farther next year.
“I think as far as the primaries went, I think I am hopeful that we’ll be able to get more of this immigration legislation through this upcoming year,” Redman said.
The majority of legislative districts vote reliably red in the general election, which can make the Republican primary contests some of the most impactful. However, the results deciding who will serve in what seat are not final until the general election on Nov. 3.
Zuiderveld’s race, her stance on immigration, garnered national attention
The Idaho Dairymen’s Association has opposed several attempts to penalize employers who hire undocumented workers and other state-level enforcement efforts. The association’s CEO Rick Naerebout said members carefully watched Republican legislative district races in “dairy country” — especially around the Magic Valley.
“(In the) Magic Valley, we saw the Republicans that got elected are more ag friendly and business friendly for the most part, so you’re seeing a moderation, at least in the southern part of the state, in which Republicans are being sent to Boise to represent the different districts,” Naerebout said. “And to me and to our dairy producers, that’s a good thing. That you’re having a more open-minded, moderate Republican represent the state, and somebody for us to work with, that’s not going to just take a hard-line stance and not be somebody that we can work with.”
The dairy industry doesn’t have access to workers through the seasonal agricultural worker H-2A visa program and leaders have said its workforce largely depends on foreign-born labor. Naerebout joined other Idaho industry leaders representing construction, hospitality and farming this year to denounce some immigration enforcement proposals, saying they would be harmful to the state’s economy.
One high-profile Senate primary race occurred in District 24, with incumbent Twin Falls senator and Gang of Eight member Glenneda Zuiderveld facing Brent Reinke. Zuiderveld garnered some national attention after the Idaho Statesman and Washington Post reported on dairies that cut ties with Zuiderveld’s husband over her stance on agricultural issues, including her hard-line stance on immigration enforcement.
She lost to her challenger Reinke, who is a former Twin Falls County commissioner and former director of the Idaho Department of Correction.
Naerebout noted that Zuiderveld, who sat on the state budget committee, voted against funding water infrastructure projects and invasive quagga mussel abatement, and it wasn’t a “one-issue” race.
Guthrie, a key chairman, survived survived challenge from hard-line conservative opponent
Naerebout said he also carefully followed the District 28 races. The area covers portions of southeast Idaho and doesn’t necessarily have a large dairy presence.
“But we had some good supporters over there,” he said. “First and foremost, Sen. Jim Guthrie, Senate State Affairs Chairman. That was an important race to us, but then his housemates are also great supporters of agriculture, (Reps.) Rick Cheatum and Dan Garner.”
Guthrie won his primary race, as did Cheatum. Garner ran unopposed.
Guthrie’s opponent David Worley listed as a top priority on his campaign website to “uphold immigration law,” including “strong consequences for illegal entry and repeat violations.”
As chairman of the Senate State Affairs Committee, which typically hears immigration-related bills, Guthrie has had the ability to decide not to bring up bills passed from the House for a hearing, which can effectively kill the legislation.
Nampa Republican Sen. Brian Lenney, a strong supporter of increased immigration enforcement, told the Idaho Capital Sun for a previous story that he believes some lawmakers publicly support immigration legislation, knowing that the bills may go to die in Guthrie’s drawer.
“A lot of the people, I don’t think they’re doing it because it’s something they really believe in, per se,” Lenney said. “They’re like, ‘Oh we got to do something, people are pissed, let’s give these bills a hearing.’… Sometimes there will be, ‘Hey let’s push this through the House, it’ll pass, get to the Senate, and Guthrie’s going to put it in his drawer.’ So then it won’t matter because they know they’re going to die on the Senate side.’”
Northern Idaho results favored candidates with hardline immigration focus
North Idaho incumbent Republican Rep. Mark Sauter of Sandpoint lost his primary contest to challenger Jane Sauter, who is not related.
Mark Sauter this year voted against House Bill 700, which would have made it a misdemeanor for employers to knowingly hire an undocumented worker, and against HB 659, which would’ve mandated all law enforcement to enter formal contracts with federal immigration authorities.
He voted in favor of HB 704, which would’ve required employers to use the federal work authorization verification program E-Verify, and he named immigration reform as a top issue in his campaign.
House Bills 700 and 704 did not have public hearings in Senate State Affairs.
Jane Sauter has named cracking down on illegal immigration as one of her top issues, saying there’s “no justification” for allowing any undocumented immigrants to remain.
“I will not compromise when it comes to guaranteeing the timely removal of illegal aliens,” she wrote on her campaign website.
Lewiston Republican Rep. Lori McCann, who voted against a number of the immigration enforcement bills, such as HB 700 and 704, didn’t run for reelection to her seat, but instead entered the District 6 Senate race. She lost to incumbent Moscow Republican Sen. Dan Foreman.
Candidate Colton Bennett, who won the Republican primary for McCann’s vacated seat, has also named fighting illegal immigration as a top issue in his campaign, according to his website.
“If you came here to this country illegally then you need to be deported. It’s just that simple,” his website says. “Colton supports further cooperation between state and federal law enforcement to ensure timely removal of illegal immigrants as well as stronger penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.”
Small number of turnover can shift results on contentious issues like immigration
Votes on a number of the proposed immigration proposals during the 2026 legislative session were often narrow. The House approved HB 700, which would’ve made it a misdemeanor crime to hire undocumented employees, in a 36-33 vote.
Senate State Affairs Committee members voted 5-4 to kill a bill that would’ve required law enforcement to enter contracts with immigration authorities with some narrow exceptions. That bill had previously cleared the House easily in a 41-27 vote.
“Not as many incumbents lost in this primary election compared to 2022 or 2024, but … just a few seats changing could have meaningful impacts given some of the close votes we see in the Legislature,” said Kettler, the political science professor.
This also means that results in the handful of historically competitive general election races around the state may have an impact.
“We’re not thinking like huge fluctuations in terms of the numbers of Republicans and Democrats,” Kettler said, “But a couple seats here and there could make a difference in terms of how many Democrats are on some of these committees or on some of these tight floor votes, what is the outcome?”
As for Redman, the North Idaho representative, he plans to bring back his bill to require employers to use E-Verify in the 2027 legislative session.
“Fourth year’s the charm,” he said.
Idaho Capital Sun is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Idaho Capital Sun maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Christina Lords for questions: info@idahocapitalsun.com.