Former Democratic Representative Todd Achilles announced on Tuesday that he plans to challenge U.S. Senator Jim Risch in the 2026 U.S. Senate race, not as a Democrat, but as an independent. “We’re failing in America,

The effort to collect signatures for the proposed ballot initiative comes nearly three years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. That reversal lifted federal court protections for abortions, letting states regulate abortion — which activated trigger abortion bans in several states, including Idaho.

That's false. There is nothing in the legislation that would allow Trump, or any future president, to stop an election from going forward.

Achilles can’t stand both major parties, which means he believes there’s a yearning for someone to come along and catch a wave of public discontent.

Before Tillis made his announcement, Trump criticized him on social media, writing, "Tillis is a talker and complainer, NOT A DOER!" North Carolina's status as a battleground state, combined with the near-even split in the Senate, will make the 2026 race for Tillis' seat highly competitive for both Democrats and Republicans.