Anti-government activist Ammon Bundy running for governor in Idaho


Ammon Bundy, the anti-government rancher who led the occupation of Oregon's Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 2016, wants to be Idaho's next governor.
Bundy announced his campaign on Saturday, declaring in a video that he's "running for governor because I'm sick and tired of all of this political garbage just like you are. I'm tired of our freedoms being taken from us and I'm tired of the corruption that is rampant in our state government."
Bundy is running as a Republican. Idaho's gubernatorial primary will take place in 2022, and several Republicans have already filed the paperwork necessary to enter the race, including the state's current Gov. Brad Little and Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Last year, Bundy was charged with trespassing and resisting arrest after he refused to leave the Idaho Statehouse during a protest against coronavirus precautions. He was ordered to stay away from the statehouse, and he missed his trial date in March because he would not wear a mask inside the courthouse. In 2016, a federal grand jury indicted Bundy and 15 others for their roles in the armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge; he was acquitted of the charges.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Doom: The Dark Ages – an 'exhilarating' prequel
The Week Recommends Legendary shooter adds new combat options from timed parries to melee attacks and a 'particularly satisfying' shield charge
-
7 US cities to explore on a microtrip
The Week Recommends Not enough vacation days? No problem.
-
Crossword: May 14, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
Kurdish PKK militia to disband for Turkey talks
speed read The Kurdistan Workers' Party will disarm after four decades of armed conflict with Turkey, putting an end to 'one of the longest insurgencies in the Middle East'
-
US, China agree to lower tariffs for 90 days
speed read US tariffs will fall to 30% from 145%, while China will cut its tax on US imports to 10% from 125%
-
India strikes Pakistan as tensions mount in Kashmir
speed read Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called it an 'act of war'
-
Israel approves plan to take over Gaza indefinitely
speed read Benjamin Netanyahu says the country is 'on the eve of a forceful entry'
-
Putin talks nukes as Kyiv slated for US air defenses
speed read 'I hope they will not be required,' Putin said of nuclear weapons on Russian state TV
-
US, Ukraine sign joint minerals deal
speed read The Trump administration signed a deal with Ukraine giving the US access to its mineral wealth
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Israel launches air strike on Beirut suburbs
Speed Read The attack targeting Hezbollah was Israel's third on the Lebanese capital since November's ceasefire