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Bill —
This week, the disruption in Idaho’s Senate race opened up a new viable path for our independent to win. The Democratic nominee dropped out of the race, narrowing the field and leaving it a one-on-one race between Todd Achilles, an independent Army veteran, and Jim Risch, the 83-year-old Republican incumbent. In a state President Trump won by 36 points, this is a real opportunity to compete in a deep-red state, and most notably, Achilles has been consistently polling ahead with voters informed about him.
Until this week, the conventional wisdom said that no matter how strong an independent candidate might be, a Democrat on the ballot in a deep-red state would split the non-Republican vote and hand the incumbent an easy win. That math just changed.
David Roth, the Democratic nominee, had raised less than $10,000 before stepping aside. Achilles has raised almost 100 times more than that!
Todd Achilles served his country as an Army officer and tank commander and then came home and built a career as a telecom executive, college professor, and state legislator. He ran for Senate as an independent because he saw the dissatisfaction happening in Idaho that stemmed from Washington leaders.
Farmers being hit with tariffs and veterans exhausted from partisan dysfunction are growing more and more disenchanted by the day in Idaho–all while their incumbent, Jim Risch, has not held a town hall in 18 years.
This ballot change matters not just for Idaho but for the entire country and for everything the Forward Party has been building toward.
The strategy at play here is something we have pushed for years. The Senate today operates with margins so narrow that a small number of members not beholden to either party could determine the balance of power on every vote. They would not be a majority but a bloc that neither party could control or ignore.
This is where we have a game of numbers. You don’t need 51 independent senators to change the Senate. You only need 3 or 4. In a chamber that regularly deadlocks on party lines, 3 or 4 members who answer only to their constituents would be the most powerful voting bloc in Washington.
This is a golden opportunity to show that we can improve American politics from outside the two-party system rather than waiting for the system to fix itself. No one in American politics thought that Idaho’s Senate seat would be contested, but here we are.
That is what we are trying to build. And as of Tuesday, the map just became more realistic than it has ever been.
That map includes polls now showing Independent Seth Bodnar ahead of the Republican in Montana if it’s one-on-one and Independent Brian Bengs ahead of the Republican in South Dakota. Each of them has raised 4 times more than the Democrat in the race. The map could spread further than anyone had imagined.
The Lineup for Change in the Senate
Idaho
Todd Achilles – U.S. Senate
One-on-one as of Tuesday. Democrat dropped out. Achilles leads Risch in polling on informed ballot.
Montana
Seth Bodnar – U.S. Senate
Polling ahead of the Republican one-on-one. Raised 4x more than the Democrat in the race. Approximately 30,000 petition signatures submitted across 52 of 56 counties. We are watching for a similar development in Idaho.
South Dakota
Brian Bengs – U.S. Senate
Polling ahead of the Republican one-on-one. Raised 4x more than the Democrat. A Navy and Air Force veteran and law professor. The Democrat remains on the ballot, but the race has a similar dynamic to Montana.
Colorado
Bob Chew – U.S. Senate
Running on the Forward Party ballot line against Sen. Hickenlooper. A large ad buy is running statewide. He has over $1m cash on hand to compete with.
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The Forward Party has been building the infrastructure for this moment. The results are starting to show up where it counts: on the ballot, in the polls, and now in a one-on-one race that nobody thought was possible six months ago.
Earlier this month, we declared our independence from the two parties and invite you to share with friends and neighbors so we can stand together in working towards a better democracy.
We also restocked our 250th shirt on our store, get yours before they are gone forever!
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Continuing with our Idaho Showdown, we have Todd Achilles on a brand new podcast episode this week with Bob Chew from Colorado! They will be talking with our hosts about what drew them to the Forward Party, why they are running, and what a few good Forwardists in the Senate means for the country.
Click the image below to watch.
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— August 01, 2026 at 5:00pm Eastern Time
Join members of the Young Forwardists as they introduce you to the Forward Party and how you can get involved in our pivotal movement to make politics better.
— August 02, 2026 at 8:00pm Eastern Time
The Women’s Committee has been growing, and we want to learn more about our new members. Join us and get to know each other better.
— August 06, 2026 at 5:30pm Arizona Time
Join us for the first of a series of virtual discussions with fellow Forward Party supporters. Each discussion will dive into ideas for strengthening our political system, reducing partisan division, and creating a culture of problem-solving and consensus-building.
Our first book discussion will be on “Reawakening the Spirit of Philadelphia” by Chris Gibson
If you’re tired of waiting for the system to fix itself — this is your moment.
👥 Volunteer | 🗳️ Run for Office | 💸 Donate | 🌐 forwardparty.com
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Forward Party Co-founder Andrew Yang breaks down the Idaho race and highlights his conversation with Todd Achilles
The administration argues the order prevents non-citizen voting, while opposing state officials say it unconstitutionally overrides state authority before the midterms. Featuring CEO Lindsey Drath speaking on redistricting
In Washington’s 5th Congressional District, Forward-endorsed candidate Nate Powell is running for the U.S. House in a highly contested field.
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