Senator · ID · Republican · since Jan 2009

James E. Risch

Bills authored 29Missed votes 7 of 214Party unity 72% derived

Counted from 214 roll calls and 175 sponsorship records on file.

Provisionalunreviewed: stated positions

Stray indexpending review

Who they are · every sentence carries its source

Before the votes, a life.

James E. Risch was born in 1943 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and moved to Idaho in the early 1960s.^{Source 3: Wikipedia: Jim Risch} He earned a bachelor's degree in forestry in 1965 and a law degree in 1968 from the University of Idaho.^{Source 3: Wikipedia: Jim Risch} Before entering politics, he taught criminal justice classes at Boise State College and worked as a trial lawyer.^{Source 3: Wikipedia: Jim Risch}

Risch began his political career as the Ada County prosecuting attorney in 1970 and later served in the Idaho Senate, as lieutenant governor, and briefly as the state's governor.^{Source 3: Wikipedia: Jim Risch} He was first elected to the United States Senate in 2008 and won reelection in 2014 and 2020.^{Source 3: Wikipedia: Jim Risch}

In their own words

“Along with many provisions in this final bill, I have worked to secure language that will target Russia's illicit shadow fleet ships that are used to prop up its energy sector and fund its war against Ukraine.”

Congressional Record · Jul 28, 2026 · Source

One rule for every member: their most recent dated, linkable statement about themselves.

The path here

1968
Earned a law degree from the University of Idaho.^{Source 3: Wikipedia: Jim Risch}
1970
Elected as the Ada County prosecuting attorney.^{Source 3: Wikipedia: Jim Risch}
1974-2002
Served in the Idaho Senate from 1974 to 1988, and again from 1995 to 2002.^{Source 3: Wikipedia: Jim Risch}
2003-2009
Served as lieutenant governor of Idaho, including a seven-month period as governor in 2006 and 2007.^{Source 3: Wikipedia: Jim Risch}
2009-Present
Serves as a United States senator from Idaho.^{Source 1: James E. Risch — Biographical Directory of the United States Congress}^{Source 3: Wikipedia: Jim Risch}

Next election: Nov 3, 2026general

96.73% attendance · all roll calls we have ingested

2 sources

1James E. Risch — Biographical Directory of the United States Congressbioguideopen source
3Wikipedia: Jim Rischwikipediaopen source archived copy

Full record card

The record card · sourced from Bioguide, the Clerk and the FEC

17.8YRS

In office · 3rd term · since Jan 2009

We hold certified results for U.S. House seats only.

96.73%

Attendance

senate median 98.13% (100 members)

NOV'26

Next election · general

Figures cover all roll calls we have ingested.

See this race →

Before Congress

1968 Earned a law degree from the University of Idaho.
1970 Elected as the Ada County prosecuting attorney.
1974-2002 Served in the Idaho Senate from 1974 to 1988, and again from 1995 to 2002.
2003-2009 Served as lieutenant governor of Idaho, including a seven-month period as governor in 2006 and 2007.
2009-Present Serves as a United States senator from Idaho.

Senate Committee on Foreign Relations chairSenate Committee on Energy and Natural ResourcesSenate Committee on Small Business and EntrepreneurshipSenate Select Committee on EthicsSenate Select Committee on IntelligenceUnited States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics ControlSenate Committee on Foreign Relations · Africa and Global Health Policy subcommittee ex officioSenate Committee on Foreign Relations · East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy subcommittee ex officioSenate Committee on Foreign Relations · Europe and Regional Security Cooperation subcommittee ex officioSenate Committee on Foreign Relations · Multilateral International Development, Multilateral Institutions, and International Economic, Energy, and Environmental Policy subcommittee ex officioSenate Committee on Foreign Relations · Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism subcommittee ex officioSenate Committee on Foreign Relations · State Department and USAID Management, International Operations, and Bilateral International Development subcommittee ex officioSenate Committee on Foreign Relations · Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues subcommittee ex officioSenate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources · Energy subcommitteeSenate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources · Public Lands, Forests, and Mining subcommitteeSenate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources · Water and Power subcommittee29 bills authored · 0 enacted

Says vs. does · 72 issues in 6 clusters

Stated position vs. voting record.

○ marks what they campaigned on; ▪ marks how they voted

The dashed shape is what they campaigned on. The solid shape is how they voted. Where the shapes separate, the record differs from the platform. The distance is measured. What it means is up to you.

SaysDoes

Rim = strongest position on each cluster’s named pole · Same scale for every member · How we score ▸

pending review

The stats, cluster by cluster

6 clusters · 72 issues · sorted by gap size

Each rail runs between two positions real bills take. Select a cluster to open its issues.

StatedRecordGapSorted by gap size · How we score ▸

Chips place the record relative to the middle. The number is the distance to the stated position, in points.

Issue pages

Votes by issue.

72 issues · 12 with both halves · 35 with one · 25 with neither

Sort

Regulation (cross-sector)3 statements17 counted votesAnalysis Market protectionsNo statements10 counted votesNot yet stated Military budget1 statement9 counted votesAnalysis Spending vs. restraint1 statement8 counted votesAnalysis Government role in coverageNo statements7 counted votesNot yet stated SNAP & nutritionNo statements7 counted votesNot yet stated Aid & alliancesNo statements6 counted votesNot yet stated Banking/financial rulesNo statements6 counted votesNot yet stated Farm policy & subsidiesNo statements6 counted votesNot yet stated Trade & tariffsNo statements6 counted votesNot yet stated

The number is the distance to the stated position, in points.

Receipts · recent votes on passage

How James E. Risch voted.

Money & ties

Who funds James E. Risch.

How complete is this money picture?

46%of the money categories we track are publicly disclosed for this member, counting those that lawfully lag.

Campaign financeThrough Jun 30, 2026Lagged · 34%
Corporate-PAC shareNot yet derived · 22%
Disclosed tradesLagged · 12%
Lobbyist meetingsNot disclosed · 32%

Quarterly FEC filings; totals cover the period ending on the date shown.

Disclosed by the FEC; we have not built the honest derivation — same for every member.

Members must disclose trades within 45 days; this picture is always at least that far behind.

A gap in the disclosure system, not a statement about this member — lobbyist meetings are not federally disclosed for any member of Congress.

Weights are fixed product-wide and disclosed, so this percentage is comparable across members.

Who funds them · 2026 cycle · FEC through Jun 30, 2026

$3.4MTotal raised · 1 ▪ = $100.0K · 34 units, rounded up

PAC contributions$897.3K · 26.7%
Itemized individual$1.9M · 58.0%
Small-dollar (≤$200)$139.9K · 4.2%
All other$372.8K · 11.1%

FEC filing totals ↗

Disclosed trades

We hold no disclosed-trade filings for this member. That is a gap in what we have loaded; it does not mean none were filed.

FEC OpenFEC · disclosed trades: House Clerk / Senate filings.

Ideology placement

Economic (dim 1)0.551

Social (dim 2)0.383

Voteview DW-NOMINATE · retrieved Sep 7, 2026 — an external attributed reference, shown as context.

Cite this page

Civic Herald. “James E. Risch: voting record, stated positions, funding.” https://civicherald.app/politicians/james-e-risch-R000584.

Biographical Directory of the United States Congressofficial record →

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