Connection research · Research date 2026-09-15
2026 Idaho PAC network extends Way Back funding into Defend/Protect, Hometown Heroes and Idaho First
Recorded status: Verified reported/FEC-derived 2026 financial network. No direct Reclaim-to-2026-PAC connection established.
This is a dated research record. Its qualifications and open questions are part of the account. Association alone does not establish wrongdoing or control.
2026 reporting from Idaho campaign-finance and FEC data shows Defend and Protect Idaho as the largest-spending Idaho PAC in the May legislative primaries, with more than $752,800 in independent expenditures. Its major contributors included Way Back PAC, Article IV and Unite America PAC. Hometown Heroes contributed more than $65,000 to Defend and Protect Idaho; Hometown Heroes also received contributions from Take Back Idaho and other PACs. Idaho First received $45,000 from Hometown Heroes and $6,000 from Take Back Idaho. FEC-derived Way Back PAC disbursement records for Apr. 1-June 3, 2026 list $350,000 to Defend and Protect Idaho, $100,000 to Hometown Heroes PAC and $100,000 to Idaho First. These flows establish a dense 2026 Idaho PAC network. Together with Bruce Newcomb's Take Back Idaho/Open Primaries roles and Article IV's 2024 payments, this is relevant to the broader graph, but no direct Reclaim Idaho-to-2026-PAC transfer or coordination has been established.
Source references
- Idaho PACs spent more than $4.2M on primary election races — Defend and Protect Idaho and PAC-network sections
- Way Back PAC payees, 2026 FEC-derived report — Apr. 1-June 3, 2026 disbursements