The 2026 Republican primary is still more than seven months away, but some contested races are beginning to come into focus.

Two races will pit hardline conservatives against moderates.

On Friday, Branden Durst announced he will challenge Sen. Camille Blaylock, R-Caldwell, in the May GOP primary.

“Caldwellites deserve a senator who will fight for their pocketbooks, their families and their conservative values, not one who repeatedly sides with the big spenders, lobbyists and the liberal agenda,” Durst said in a news release.

Running as a Democrat, Durst represented Southeast Boise in the House from 2007 to 2010 and the Senate in 2013, before resigning in November 2013. More recently, Durst ran unsuccessfully for state superintendent in 2022 and Ada County commissioner in 2024.

Durst is also the founder of Brabeion Academy, a proposed sports-focused charter school. The Idaho Public Charter School Commission approved the proposal in August, with a long list of conditions.

Blaylock was elected in 2024. In her first year in the Legislature, she was lead sponsor of a bill to repeal the Empowering Parents education microgrant program. The repeal passed.

In the Magic Valley, attorney Alexandra Caval will challenge Rep. Clint Hostetler in the GOP primary. The Twin Falls Times-News reported on her announcement last week.

“Idaho moms and dads work hard every day — housing and groceries shouldn’t break the family budget,” she said. “I will always put Idaho families first.”

Caval is a former Twin Falls City Council member. She ran unsuccessfully for state Senate in 2024, losing to incumbent Glenneda Zuiderveld in one of the year’s most spendy legislative races.

Hostetler, R-Twin Falls, was elected to the Legislature in 2024. Like Zuiderveld, Hostetler is a member of the self-named “Gang of Eight,” a group of hardline Statehouse conservatives. In his first year, Hostetler proposed a $250 million private school tax credit. It was introduced as a “personal bill,” and it did not get a hearing.