Can a Democrat change his spots?
Todd Achilles used to be a Democrat. In early 2024, his was one of three names submitted by the Legislative District 16 Democratic Central Committee to fill the vacancy created when Colin Nash stepped down to focus full time on his role as a Boise City Council member. At the time, Achilles was a precinct committeeman for the Ada County Democrats in District 16. Gov. Brad Little selected him for the seat, and he won reelection in his own right later that year.
In the 2025 legislative session, Achilles served as minority caucus chair, coordinating and corralling Idaho’s nine Democratic representatives. This is considered the third-highest position in the party hierarchy in the Legislature, behind the minority leader and assistant minority leader. Achilles was clearly going places in Democratic Party politics. His scores on the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry scorecard were 86 and 82, respectively, while he earned very low marks from conservative scorecards such as the Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF), Club for Growth, and the American Conservative Union.
Heading into a contested Democratic primary in May 2024, Achilles was one of only two candidates to receive the endorsement of Everytown for Gun Safety, a national gun-control organization. Along with Loree Peery, a House candidate in District 2, Achilles was called a “Moms Demand Action volunteer” in the ensuing press release. Moms Demand Action is another organization that has advocated for gun-control measures at the state and federal levels.
In the summer of 2025, however, Achilles resigned from the Legislature and from the Democratic Party to launch an independent campaign for U.S. Senate against incumbent Republican Sen. Jim Risch. Throughout his campaign, Achilles has tried to portray himself as much more conservative than his legislative record and previous endorsements would indicate. Earlier this summer, I examined Achilles’ attempt to campaign as everything to everyone:
In the years I watched him in the Legislature, I found Todd Achilles to be intelligent and well-spoken, though a bit hot-headed at times. He’s come across as friendly and personable in the handful of direct interactions we’ve had. His campaign is attempting to speak the language of conservatism—his most recent Substack post calls out “corporate socialism”—yet his record is what it is. It’s that record—not any slick campaign branding—that offers the clearest indication of how he would serve in the U.S. Senate.
Just a few weeks after I wrote that article, Democratic Senate nominee David Roth dropped out of the race. That announcement followed weeks of pressure from Idaho Democratic officials, including the Ada County Democratic Central Committee:
Had Todd Achilles remained in the Legislature and filed to run as a Democrat, I think it likely that he would have won the primary, and the overall situation would have been much the same as it is now: Achilles versus Sen. Jim Risch on the November 2026 ballot. However, that little letter “I” next to his name does a lot of work. Achilles has based his entire campaign on the narrative that he is an independent voice speaking truth to power rather than a rank-and-file progressive Democrat.
Last month, I wrote about how Democrats were attempting the same strategy in several red states, not just Idaho:
It makes a certain amount of sense. In states like these, “Democrat” is usually a losing brand in statewide races, regardless of a candidate’s actual positions. An independent can absorb anti-incumbent energy and deep-red dissatisfaction with national Republicans in ways a Democratic nominee simply cannot, no matter how moderate that nominee might be.
Despite essentially being the Democratic candidate for the Senate in this election, Achilles continues to appeal to conservative Republicans who might be dissatisfied with Sen. Risch. Last week, he posted a short video on social media touting his military service and appreciation for firearms, while throwing shade at Risch by claiming that the recoil of anything larger than a .45 would “knock him on his 83-year-old butt.” Later in the video, Achilles pledged to “protect the gun rights of every law-abiding Idahoan.”
Yet Achilles cannot run from his record. You might say it’s his Achilles’ heel.
Idaho Second Amendment Alliance president Greg Pruett recently examined Todd Achilles’ voting record in the Idaho Legislature on bills related to gun rights and was not impressed:
The 2025 legislative session had no bill of any major substance for gun owners that Achilles could have voted on. None of the major bills got public hearings or votes.
During the 2024 session, however, the legislature passed a law (SB 1275) that protects employers who allow their employees to exercise their right of self-defense. Achilles joined his fellow Democrats in voting AGAINST the bill.
Additionally, Achilles voted against SB 1374 (also became law) during the 2024 session. That bill helped protect the right of Idahoans to carry firearms on public property.
So, ask yourself: if Achilles voted against public carry and protecting employers from lawsuits if they allow employees to protect themselves, do you think he is going to stop bans on your rifles, magazines, and all the other items mentioned above? No. He will, without a doubt, do what he told Moms Demand Action he wanted to do, and decimate the Second Amendment with “common-sense gun measures.”
The National Rifle Association (NRA) also weighed in on the race, giving Sen. Risch its endorsement and an A+ rating. Achilles received an F.
How does the NRA characterize an F grade?
True enemy of gun owners’ rights. A consistent anti-gun candidate who always opposes gun owners’ rights and/or actively leads anti-gun legislative efforts, or sponsors anti-gun legislation.
To sum up: in 2024, Todd Achilles was the Idaho House Democratic minority caucus chair and voted against legislation that would protect employees’ right to self-defense, as well as a bill expanding protections for carrying firearms on public property. That year, he was one of only two Idaho candidates endorsed by Everytown and Moms Demand Action. Now, in 2026, he wants you to believe that he is the pro-gun candidate in this race, despite his NRA F grade and Sen. Risch’s A+ rating.
What do you think? Can a leopard—or a Democrat—change his spots that quickly?
Feature image created with ChatGPT.
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Todd Achilles is a Democrat. Period. He’s playing games. I pray that voters see through him.