Former Idaho Democrat lawmaker Todd Achilles is still trying to sell voters on his “I’m an Independent” rebrand. But his latest exposed deception goes straight to your right to keep and bear arms.

On his campaign website, Achilles offers the usual “I support the Second Amendment” platitudes. He highlights his military service, clearly hoping voters will assume that means he’s pro-gun. As an Iraq veteran myself, I can tell you firsthand: plenty of people in uniform oppose the Second Amendment. Military service doesn’t automatically make someone pro-gun.

What Achilles doesn’t mention on his website is far more telling.

Achilles Was Endorsed by Moms Demand Action

Achilles previously earned an endorsement from Moms Demand Action, one of the most aggressively anti-Second Amendment organizations in the country. And that endorsement is not handed out lightly.

To receive it, candidates must complete MDA’s lengthy questionnaire and provide answers that satisfy the group’s strict gun-control criteria. In 2024, Achilles not only applied, but he was also one of only two candidates in Idaho who met their standards. That’s not an accident. That’s alignment.

So why does this matter?

What Moms Demand Action Actually Supports

From years of lobbying at the Idaho Capitol, I’ve watched Moms Demand Action oppose every single pro-gun bill we’ve introduced. Every. Single. One. And not just ISAA bills — all solid pro-gun legislation.

Here’s a sample of what the group actively pushes for:

• Constitutional Carry bans (they opposed it in Idaho)
• Open carry bans
• “Assault weapon” bans
• Standard‑capacity magazine bans
• Red Flag gun‑confiscation orders
• Mandatory waiting periods
• Repealing Stand Your Ground
• Banning guns anywhere children gather
• Campus carry bans (they opposed campus carry in Idaho)
• Banning firearms at rallies
• Government‑mandated firearm storage rules
• Expanding lawsuits against gun manufacturers
• More regulations on suppressors

And now, the group openly brags about launching lawsuits targeting gun manufacturers and gun shops.

This is not “common-sense.” Look at Oregon, Washington, Colorado, California, or Virginia. After two decades of nonstop gun-control campaigns, they still claim they haven’t reached the end of “common-sense.” Their real goal is obvious: erode the Second Amendment until nothing remains.

This is the organization Achilles aligned himself with. This is the endorsement he pursued and received.

What About His Voting Record in Idaho on Guns?

Achilles did not serve long in the Idaho legislature. He was appointed to replace Rep. Colin Nash in February of 2024, and he served part of that legislative session. He then served during the 2025 legislative session and then resigned that summer to run for U.S. Senate.

The 2025 legislative session had no bill of any major substance for gun owners that Achilles could have voted on. None of the major bills got public hearings or votes.

During the 2024 session, however, the legislature passed a law (SB 1275) that protects employers who allow their employees to exercise their right of self-defense. Achilles joined his fellow Democrats in voting AGAINST the bill.

Additionally, Achilles voted against SB 1374 (also became law) during the 2024 session. That bill helped protect the right of Idahoans to carry firearms on public property.

So, ask yourself: if Achilles voted against public carry and protecting employers from lawsuits if they allow employees to protect themselves, do you think he is going to stop bans on your rifles, magazines, and all the other items mentioned above? No. He will, without a doubt, do what he told Moms Demand Action he wanted to do, and decimate the Second Amendment with “common-sense gun measures.”

Does that sound like someone who intends to uphold the Second Amendment? Does that sound like a “moderate independent” tired of both parties?

Moms Demand Action does not post candidate survey answers as the Idaho Second Amendment Alliance does. I presume Achilles has answers to his past questionnaire or can request his answers. Perhaps he will post the answers for everyone to see.

Achilles’ Moms Demand Action endorsement and his voting record in Idaho may end up being his political Achilles’ heel. Idaho voters will decide.

Note: Greg Pruett has been a gun rights activist in Idaho since 2012, when he founded the Idaho Second Amendment Alliance.