- Mr. James E. Risch
- Current Republican Senator
- Idaho
- Official Website
Voting record, 119th Congress
How these are counted
Attendance is the share of roll calls held while the member was in office on which they voted Yea, Nay or Present. A party-line vote is a roll call on which a majority of Republicans voted against a majority of Democrats. Voting with the Republican majority is the share of the member’s cast votes on those roll calls that matched that majority. The roll calls come from Voteview, which compiles each vote from the official record; Votewiser does the counting. Citation: Lewis, Jeffrey B., Keith Poole, Howard Rosenthal, Adam Boche, Aaron Rudkin, and Luke Sonnet (2026). Voteview: Congressional Roll-Call Votes Database. https://voteview.com/
Last 10 votes cast
| Date | Measure | Question | Vote | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 30, 2026 | NominationKeith Sonderling, of Florida, to be Secretary of Labor | On the Nomination | Yea | Nomination Confirmed |
| Sep 30, 2026 | NominationKeith Sonderling, of Florida, to be Secretary of Labor | On the Cloture Motion | Yea | Cloture Motion Agreed to |
| Sep 30, 2026 | H.R. 9340A bill to amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to establish a Federal standard relating to the recovery of the full, incremental costs of upgrades that serve large-load customers, and for other purposes. | On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed | Yea | Cloture on the Motion to Proceed Rejected |
| Sep 30, 2026 | H.R. 7008A bill to amend chapter 131 of title 5 to require certain restrictions on stocks for Members of Congress and their spouses and dependents, and for other purposes. | On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed | Yea | Cloture on the Motion to Proceed Rejected |
| Sep 29, 2026 | S.Res. 852A resolution requesting information on Israel's human rights practices pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. | On the Motion to Discharge | Nay | Motion to Discharge Rejected |
| Sep 29, 2026 | S.J.Res. 197A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of the Department of Health and Human Services relating to "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, HHS Notice of Bene… | On the Motion to Proceed | Nay | Motion to Proceed Rejected |
| Sep 28, 2026 | S. 4668A bill to protect the name, image, and likeness rights of, and provide protections for, student athletes and to promote fair competition among intercollegiate athletics, and for other purposes. | On Passage of the Bill | Yea | Bill Passed |
| Sep 28, 2026 | S. 4668To establish certain standards with respect to coaches of varsity sports teams. | On the Amendment | Nay | Amendment Rejected |
| Sep 28, 2026 | S. 4668To increase the limitation on funding for post-eligibility insurance and catastrophic injury for student athletes. | On the Amendment | Nay | Amendment Rejected |
| Sep 28, 2026 | S. 4668To limit price increases for college athletics tickets. | On the Amendment | Nay | Amendment Rejected |
Source: Voteview · votes through Sep 30, 2026, the latest in Voteview’s data · Senate roll calls
Bills, 119th Congress
How these are counted
Sponsored counts every bill and resolution the member introduced; cosponsored excludes withdrawn cosponsorships. A cross-party cosponsorship is cosponsoring a measure whose sponsor belongs to another party. The last figure is the share of the member’s H.R. or S. bills with at least one cosponsor from another party.
Policy areas of the bills sponsored or cosponsored
| Policy area | Bills | |
|---|---|---|
| Crime and Law Enforcement | 40 | |
| International Affairs | 39 | |
| Health | 35 | |
| Government Operations and Politics | 26 | |
| Armed Forces and National Security | 24 |
Policy areas are assigned by the Congressional Research Service, one per bill. Top five shown.
Source: GovInfo BILLSTATUS · as of Oct 27, 2026
Sponsored legislation, newest first
Includes earlier Congresses; the figures above cover the current one.
-
S.5484 - 2026-09-23
Affordable HOMES Act of 2026 -
S.5374 - 2026-08-07
A bill to facilitate the conveyance of certain land in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, platted under section 2387 of the Revised Statutes, and for other purposes. -
S.5254 - 2026-08-05
Civil Nuclear Export Act of 2026 -
S.5266 - 2026-08-05
Veterans’ Earned Benefits Access Act of 2026 -
SRES.827 - 2026-07-30
A resolution recognizing the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute, Inc. (SAAMI) and commending its work establishing industry standards that ensure the safe interoperability of firearms and ammunition. -
SRES.826 - 2026-07-30
A resolution honoring the contributions of small manufacturers of firearms to the economy, culture, and recreational heritage of the United States and recognizing the month of August 2026 as "National Shooting Sports Month". -
S.4960 - 2026-07-14
CLEAN Act -
S.4726 - 2026-06-09
PEACE in Sudan Act -
S.4621 - 2026-05-21
SILVER Act -
SRES.719 - 2026-04-30
A resolution celebrating the 154th anniversary of Arbor Day. -
SRES.697 - 2026-04-28
A resolution welcoming Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom to the United States on the occasion of His Majesty's address to a joint meeting of Congress, and recognizing the historic global significance of the United States-United Kingdom relationship. -
S.4108 - 2026-03-17
Veteran Burial Benefit Correction Act
Votes by issue, 119th Congress
This is not a left–right score. A vote against the party can come from either side of it; the list below shows who else voted the same way.
| Issue | Votes | With the Republican majority | Against both parties | With the Democratic majority | Rank among Republicans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominations | 439 | 100.0% | 0 | 0 | Tied for 1st (47) |
| Economics and Public Finance | 199 | 98.5% | 3 | 0 | 9th of 54 |
| Immigration | 37 | 100.0% | 0 | 0 | Tied for 1st (39) |
| International Affairs | 36 | 100.0% | 0 | 0 | Tied for 1st (47) |
| Finance and Financial Sector | 19 | 100.0% | 0 | 0 | Tied for 1st (46) |
| Armed Forces and National Security | 18 | 100.0% | 0 | 0 | Tied for 1st (34) |
| Congress | 18 | 100.0% | 0 | 0 | Tied for 1st (52) |
| Environmental Protection | 18 | 100.0% | 0 | 0 | Tied for 1st (31) |
| Public Lands and Natural Resources | 15 | 100.0% | 0 | 0 | Tied for 1st (51) |
| Government Operations and Politics | 13 | 100.0% | 0 | 0 | Tied for 1st (48) |
| Energy | 12 | 100.0% | 0 | 0 | Tied for 1st (52) |
| Sports and Recreation | 12 | 100.0% | 0 | 0 | Tied for 1st (36) |
| Transportation and Public Works | 11 | 100.0% | 0 | 0 | Tied for 1st (51) |
| Other issues (9)Fewer than 10 votes each: Housing and Community Development, Taxation, Foreign Trade and International Finance, Crime and Law Enforcement, Health, Emergency Management, Education, Families, Science, Technology, Communications | 34 | 100.0% | 0 | 0 | — |
Rank: 1st = voted with the Republican majority most often on that issue, among Senate Republicans who cast at least 10 votes on it.
Votes against the Republican majority, by issue
Economics and Public Finance · 3
- Aug 1, 2025 · Amendment to H.R. 3944 · To limit disclosures regarding earmarks.
Voted Yea; most of both parties voted Nay. Also voting Yea: 20 other Republicans. - Jul 1, 2025 · Amendment to H.R. 1 · To terminate wind and solar credits.
Voted Yea; most of both parties voted Nay. Also voting Yea: 20 other Republicans. - Feb 21, 2025 · Amendment to S.Con.Res. 7 · To require an adequate amount of deficit reduction as part of reconciliation.
Voted Yea; most of both parties voted Nay. Also voting Yea: 23 other Republicans.
How these are counted
Each roll call takes the policy area the Library of Congress gave the bill it is about; a vote on an amendment counts under its bill. 907 of the Senate’s 915 roll calls this Congress have an issue. Left out as procedural (8): votes on House rules and the previous question, motions to recommit or adjourn, quorum calls and the Speaker election. Nominations are their own issue. “With the Republican majority” counts every issue vote on which most Republicans voted the same way, Yea or Nay. “Against both parties” = most Republicans and most Democrats voted one way and this member the other. “With the Democratic majority” = a party-line vote (most of each party on opposite sides) on which this member sided with the Democrats. Independents count with the party they caucus with. The Senate roll calls come from Voteview; Votewiser does the counting. Citation: Lewis, Jeffrey B., Keith Poole, Howard Rosenthal, Adam Boche, Aaron Rudkin, and Luke Sonnet (2026). Voteview: Congressional Roll-Call Votes Database. https://voteview.com/
Source: votes: Voteview · issue areas: Library of Congress policy areas · votes through Sep 30, 2026
Committee assignments
| Committee | Role | Side | Seniority rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources | Member | Majority | 3 |
| Energy | Member | Majority | 3 |
| Public Lands, Forests, and Mining | Member | Majority | 2 |
| Water and Power | Member | Majority | 2 |
| Senate Committee on Foreign Relations | Chairman | Majority | 1 |
| Africa and Global Health Policy | Ex Officio | Majority | 6 |
| East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy | Ex Officio | Majority | 6 |
| Europe and Regional Security Cooperation | Ex Officio | Majority | 6 |
| Multilateral International Development, Multilateral Institutions, and International Economic, Energy, and Environmental Policy | Ex Officio | Majority | 6 |
| Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism | Ex Officio | Majority | 6 |
| State Department and USAID Management, International Operations, and Bilateral International Development | Ex Officio | Majority | 6 |
| Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues | Ex Officio | Majority | 6 |
| Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship | Member | Majority | 2 |
| Senate Select Committee on Ethics | Member | Majority | 2 |
| Senate Select Committee on Intelligence | Member | Majority | 2 |
| United States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control | Member | Majority | 3 |
Seniority rank is the member’s order among their own party’s members on that committee; 1 is the most senior.
Source: congress-legislators (CC0) · as of Oct 27, 2026
Floor remarks, 119th Congress
A day can hold several Record items, so the item counts can exceed the days.
Source: GovInfo Congressional Record · Record issues through Oct 22, 2026
Loading their remarks from the Congressional Record…
| Congress | Years | Chamber | Role | State | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 119th Congress | 2025–present | Senate | Senator | Idaho (ID) | — |
| 118th Congress | 2023–2025 | Senate | Senator | Idaho (ID) | — |
| 117th Congress | 2021–2023 | Senate | Senator | Idaho (ID) | — |
| 116th Congress | 2019–2021 | Senate | Senator | Idaho (ID) | — |
| 115th Congress | 2017–2019 | Senate | Senator | Idaho (ID) | — |
| 114th Congress | 2015–2017 | Senate | Senator | Idaho (ID) | — |
| 113th Congress | 2013–2015 | Senate | Senator | Idaho (ID) | — |
| 112th Congress | 2011–2013 | Senate | Senator | Idaho (ID) | — |
| 111th Congress | 2009–2011 | Senate | Senator | Idaho (ID) | — |
Elections
Elected to the U.S. Senate on November 4, 2008; reelected to each succeeding Senate term.1
The election history as listed in the Congressional Directory.
Sources
- Official Congressional Directory, 119th Congress (February 20, 2026 edition). U.S. Government Publishing Office for the Joint Committee on Printing.
Researched Oct 28, 2026. Each fact was checked against a saved copy of its source.
Campaign money, 2025–26 election cycle
Where the money came from
| Source | Amount | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individuals, itemizeddonors giving more than $200 in the cycle, named in filings | $2,218,295 | 56.4% | |
| Individuals, unitemized$200 or less in the cycle, not named | $186,382 | 4.7% | |
| PACs and other committees | $1,158,031 | 29.4% | |
| Party committees | $62,000 | 1.6% | |
| All other receiptstransfers, loans, refunds and offsets | $310,804 | 7.9% |
Outside spending
Independent expenditures reported by groups not tied to the campaign: $0 supporting this candidate, $0 opposing. Details on FEC.gov
More on this campaign’s money
Source: Federal Election Commission, openFEC API · filings through Oct 14, 2026
Who gave, 2025–26 election cycle
Individual contributions by size
| Contribution size | Amount | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200 and under | $0.30M | 11.0% | |
| $200.01 to $499.99 | $0.05M | 1.7% | |
| $500 to $999.99 | $0.20M | 7.5% | |
| $1,000 to $1,999.99 | $0.56M | 20.6% | |
| $2,000 and over | $1.60M | 59.2% |
From the FEC’s contribution-size summary, which is compiled separately from the campaign’s totals, so these rows need not add up to the individual receipts on the Overview.
Top 10 states, itemized contributions
| State | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| NY | $377,649 | |
| ID (home state) | $341,441 | |
| CA | $242,071 | |
| FL | $229,243 | |
| TX | $164,489 | |
| VA | $151,683 | |
| DC | $117,601 | |
| NJ | $107,320 | |
| IL | $89,661 | |
| MO | $88,633 |
Top employers of individual donors
| Employer named by donors | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| NULL | $35,500 | |
| BGR GROUP | $15,000 | |
| ACCESS INDUSTRIES | $14,000 | |
| ALLIANTGROUP | $13,500 | |
| WILMERHALE | $12,500 | |
| APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT | $12,500 | |
| HUNTER ENGINEERING | $12,000 | |
| RIVERBEND INDUSTRIES | $10,500 | |
| THE INVUS GROUP LLC | $10,500 | |
| LAGOS LAGOS, PLL | $8,616 |
Contributions from individuals who listed that employer, itemized only. Companies themselves cannot give to a federal candidate’s campaign.
Entries that name no employer, as written on the filings: RETIRED $332,802 · SELF $198,920 · SELF EMPLOYED $37,400 · NOT EMPLOYED $37,350 · NONE $10,010 · SELF-EMPLOYED $7,899.
Source: Federal Election Commission, openFEC API · filings through Oct 14, 2026
Profile
Facts from official records. The small numbers open each fact’s source.
At a glance
Education
- B.S., forestry, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 1965
- J.D., University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 1968
As listed in the Congressional Directory.1
Professional history
- Prosecuting attorney, Ada County, 1970-74
- President, Idaho Prosecuting Attorneys Association, 1973
- Idaho State Senate, 1974-88, 1995-2003 (Assistant Majority Leader, 1996 / Majority Leader, 1976-82, 1997-2002
- President Pro Tempore, 1983-88)
- Lieutenant governor, Idaho, 2003-06, 2007-09
- Governor, Idaho, 2006-07
- Small business owner
- Rancher / farmer
- Former partner, Risch, Goss, Insinger, Gustavel law firm
As the member’s office lists it in the Congressional Directory, in that order.1
Offices
Washington, DC
483 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
202-224-2752
Local offices
| City | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Boise, ID | 350 N. 9th St., Suite 302 | 208-342-7985 |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | 610 Hubbard, Suite 213 | 208-667-6130 |
| Idaho Falls, ID | 901 Pier View Dr., Suite 202A | 208-523-5541 |
| Lewiston, ID | 313 D St., Suite 106 | 208-743-0792 |
| Twin Falls, ID | 1411 Falls Avenue East, Suite 201 | 208-734-6780 |
| Pocatello, ID | 275 South 5th Avenue, Suite 144 | 208-236-6817 |
Office list: congress-legislators (CC0), as of Oct 27, 2026.
Sources
- Official Congressional Directory, 119th Congress (February 20, 2026 edition). U.S. Government Publishing Office for the Joint Committee on Printing.
Researched Oct 28, 2026. Each fact was checked against a saved copy of its source.
