Vice President JD Vance sent a fundraising appeal to Idaho residents on Thursday afternoon, urging support for Sen. Jim Risch’s reelection campaign. The letter, timestamped at 3:29 p.m., warned that Democratic operatives are preparing to invest millions of dollars into the state in an effort to unseat the Republican incumbent.
Vance framed the contest as a critical national battle, asserting that Democrats believe they can exploit Idaho’s conservative reputation by catching Republicans off guard. He noted that Idaho has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1974 and argued that flipping the seat would deliver a significant setback to President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda.
Risch, who serves as chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, faces independent candidate Todd Achilles in the Nov. 3 general election. Achilles previously served as a Democratic state legislator in Idaho and donated to Democratic candidates before launching his independent bid for the Senate seat.
In the appeal, Vance pointed to recent independent candidate campaigns in Montana and Nebraska as cautionary tales for Idaho voters. He highlighted Dan Osborn’s 2024 run for U.S. Senate in Nebraska, which was backed by a Democratic super PAC and finished within seven points of Republican incumbent Sen. Deb Fischer. Osborn is running again this year.
Vance urged recipients to contribute specific amounts to the campaign, listing suggested donations of $3,500, $2,000, $1,000, $500, $250, or $100. The letter emphasized the urgency of the race and the need for financial support to counter anticipated Democratic spending.
Crispin Gravatt, communications director for Achilles’ campaign, confirmed seeing the letter on Wednesday. Gravatt criticized Risch’s engagement with constituents, stating that the senator has not held a town hall in 18 years during his Senate tenure. He claimed that Risch avoids debating issues directly and instead relies on online attack advertisements.
Marc Kilmer, campaign manager for Risch, described senior officials sending fundraising appeals as common practice in federal elections. Vance’s office could not immediately be reached for comment regarding the specific strategy behind the Idaho appeal.
Federal Election Commission data provides a snapshot of current financial standing, though comprehensive fundraising reports for federal candidates will not be available until Oct. 16. The most recent FEC filings cover activity through June 30, with the next quarterly report due on Oct. 15.
According to the latest available figures, Achilles’ campaign has raised nearly $700,000 and spent approximately $500,000. In contrast, Risch’s campaign has collected more than $3.3 million for the 2025-2026 election cycle.