BALLOT BEAT

After an election year where Idahoans shot down every school bond measure, Kimberly School District is mulling a multi-million dollar ask to build a fine arts center and field house.

Trustees on Thursday night agreed to schedule a special meeting on March 3 to vote on resolutions to place a $500,000 plant facility levy and $57.8 million bond on the May 19 ballot. Districts have until March 13 to submit ballot language for bonds and levies to qualify for the May election.

Kimberly, a small town about five miles east of Twin Falls, is one of the fastest growing cities in Idaho. But Superintendent Luke Schroeder told EdNews on Friday that not many families with young children are moving in.

The city is instead attracting empty nesters and professionals, such as doctors, bankers, accountants, business owners and entrepreneurs, he said. Some move in from out of state and work remotely.

“They’re discovering, ‘Hey, the reputation is Kimberly’s a nice place to live,’” Schroeder said. “And so we’re very sought after.”

While these folks might not have school-aged kids, Schroeder said the community as a whole would benefit from new facilities.

The bond would not pay for a new school but would build a fine arts center for student performances and a field house with community recreational space where the public can come by in the mornings or evenings to play pick-up basketball, pickleball or walk on the track.

“I think it would be very well utilized,” Schroeder said.

The fine arts center would include an auditorium for drama and musical performances, he said. The space would include dedicated band rooms, choir rooms and musical theatre rooms.

Historically, the district has been forced to use bonds to build classrooms. Schroeder said he sees this bond as an opportunity to instead focus on enhancing programs.

“This is a great opportunity for us as a community to make our community even better than it is,” he said.

Trustees are weighing the financial impacts of 20-year and 30-year measures. The district will share details surrounding those impacts on property owners at a future meeting.

Kimberly voters last approved a bond in May 2016. The $14 million, 20-year bond narrowly passed with 67.56%. Bond measures in Idaho require a supermajority, or 66.6%.

We’ll know by the end of next week who is running for the 105 seats in the Legislature and seven statewide offices.

The filing period is open from 8 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 23, to 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27. In a new change this year, candidates can file online at VoteIdaho.gov. There’s no need to travel to Boise. Filings will show up in real time throughout the week on the site’s candidate filing page.

“Every computer in this building will be clicking refresh on that list, so if you see them distracted in a committee hearing, now you know why,” Secretary of State Phil McGrane said Monday at the Capitol.

EdNews will provide daily filing updates on our Elections page.

Meanwhile, we’ve tracked everyone who has declared a campaign treasurer and has an active account in Idaho Sunshine for the 2026 elections. Prospective candidates must file a form with McGrane’s office to declare a treasurer before they can accept contributions.

After removing duplicate names and folks who said they won’t run, there are 194 Idahoans with declared campaign treasurers for the Legislature: 139 Republicans, 47 Democrats, six unaffiliated and two Constitution Party members.

Based on who has a treasurer, there could be at least 33 Republican and five Democratic primary races. There are six districts with no apparent challengers. Only the incumbents have declared campaign treasurers in districts 2, 5, 10, 12, 19 and 27.

On the other end of the spectrum, five districts have more than seven individuals with campaign treasurers: 1, 6, 8, 16 and 26.

Click here for our spreadsheet of everyone who has declared a campaign treasurer, excluding duplicate names and folks who said they aren’t running.

The primary election is May 19 and the general election is Nov. 3. The following information and data are preliminary and unofficial, based on those who declared a treasurer, to let readers preview filing week.

Swing districts

Savvy election watchers have their eyes on four key swing districts. Here’s what to expect, based on who has declared a treasurer:

District 6 (Latah, Nez Perce, Lewis counties)

District 6 has 11 individuals with campaign treasurers, the most in the state. There are four potential primary races. Three Republicans represent District 6. Rep. Lori McCann, R-Lewiston, announced she is running for Senate, leaving her seat open. Former Sen. David Nelsen was the last Democrat to hold office in District 6. He lost the 2022 general election to Sen. Dan Foreman by a 2.1-point margin.

• Senate – Republican and Democratic primaries
  • Republicans
    • Incumbent Dan Foreman
    • Lori McCann (Incumbent representative running for Senate)
    • Robert Blair
  • Democrats
    • Richard Gayler
    • Robin Weldy
• House Seat A – Republican and Democratic primaries
  • Republicans
    • Colton Bennett
    • Ryan Augusta
  • Democrats
    • Trish Carter-Goodheart
    • Bryce Blankenship

District 15 (West Boise)

The district is one of three with mixed-party representation. There are two Republicans and one Democrat in office. As things stand, there might not be any primaries here. One Republican and one Democrat have declared campaign treasurers for each race. Long-time Boise School District trustee Nancy Gregory, a Democrat, is challenging Republican Sen. Codi Galloway, R-Boise. 

District 26 (Blaine, Lincoln, Jerome counties)

This is another mixed-representation district, with two Republicans and one Democrat. There might be just one primary here. Rep. Jack Nelsen, R-Jerome, will likely face Magic Valley Liberty Alliance candidate Lyle Johnstone and Sun Valley resident Jeffrey Emerick. Two independent candidates might complicate the November general election.

District 29 (Pocatello)

Like districts 6 and 15, there are two Republicans and one Democrat. Sen. James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, ran unopposed in the 2024 general election. This time, Republican John Crowder has raised $14,837 for the Senate seat. Rep. Tanya Burgoyne, R-Pocatello, will likely face a rematch against Democrat Nate Roberts, who has announced his plan to run. Burgoyne won in the 2024 general by 5.2-point margin.

Top legislative fundraisers

1. Rep. Steve Berch, D-Boise: $140,859.
2. Rep. John Shirts, R-Weiser: $77,530.
3. Sen. Kelly Anthon, R-Rupert: $72,022.
4. Sen. Scott Grow, R-Eagle: $57,600.
5. Rep. Mike Moyle, R-Star: $56,300.
6. Sen. Treg Bernt, R-Meridian: $54,411.
7. Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise: $44,816.
8. Rep. Jason Monks, R-Meridian: $44,100.
9. Sen. Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian: $43,700.
10. Sen. Camille Blaylock, R-Caldwell: $42,010.

Statewide races

Don’t get too excited about the seven statewide races this year.

Based on who has declared a campaign treasurer, the race for governor may be the only office that has primary challengers. No Republicans have stepped up yet to challenge the attorney general, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, controller, treasurer or superintendent of public instruction.

Here’s what to expect in the race for governor, in order of campaign contributions:

Republican primary

• Gov. Brad Little: $1.43 million
• Mark Fitzpatrick: $19,500
• Justin Plante: $1,432
• Scott Hert: $0
• Jill Kirkham: $0 (This is not the College of Eastern Idaho professor with the same name)
• Lisa Marie: $0

Democratic primary

• Terri Pickens: $68,251
• Maxine Durand: $3,283 (She filed as an independent but has announced she plans to run as a Democrat)
• Chanelle Torrez: $0

Third party and unaffiliated

• Pro-Life Pro-Life, Constitution Party: $0 (Note: He is the person formerly known as Marvin Richardson)
• Melissa Robinson, Libertarian Party: $0
• John Stegner, unaffiliated: $9,000
• Tanner Basye, unaffiliated, Idaho Pirate Party: $0

Republican Branden Durst says he no longer plans to run for Idaho Senate in District 11.

Durst is a former Idaho lawmaker and superintendent of West Bonner School District. He founded Brabeion Academy, a charter school expected to open this fall in Nampa. West Bonner recently paid Durst $67,000 to settle a lawsuit he filed in 2024 after trustees terminated his contract.

In a Facebook post Monday, Durst wrote that he “decided to realign” his focus and step away from the Senate race. He announced in October that he planned to run against Sen. Camille Blaylock, R-Caldwell.

He wrote that he is busy opening his charter school and realized that “many in the Senate are more interested in maintaining the status quo than in the structural changes needed to save our Republic.”

“I am not quitting,” Durst wrote. “I have never been a quitter and I don’t intend to start now. I am a fighter, and I will always be in the arena fighting for a Christian populist worldview.”

Durst encouraged former Sen. Chris Trakel to “take up the challenge.” Trakel was elected to the Senate in District 11 in 2022 but lost the primary election to Blaylock in 2024. The former senator has an active account in Idaho Sunshine for the 2026 election, but races won’t officially be set until Idaho’s Feb. 23-27 filing period ends.

Blaylock’s campaign raised $42,010 as of Tuesday.

Check our Ballot Beat blog for breaking news and updates on this year’s elections.

Idaho’s Secretary of State is kicking off his reelection bid with a campaign staple: free tacos.

But there’s a twist (and possible abomination). Phil McGrane’s taco-laced launch will happen Wednesday, Feb. 25, not on a culturally ordained Taco Tuesday.

The secretary announced his run for reelection this week with an invite and suggested $10 donation.

Despite the party vibe, this is (so far) a low-drama race. McGrane currently runs unopposed.

But he enters the race with more than lunch money. As of Friday, his campaign contributions stand at $320,763.79.

The campaign season is young, but the guac is flowing. And things will ramp up soon with Idaho’s campaign filing week happening Feb. 23-27.

We’ll have coverage, including daily updates on all filings.

We just can’t promise tacos.

Happy Taco Wednesday, Idaho! 

UPDATED 4:45 p.m. Feb. 13: U.S. District Court Judge David Nye on Thursday dismissed Worley’s lawsuit.

An Idaho Army National Guard officer who claims he faced religious discrimination announced he is running for Idaho Senate against Sen. Jim Guthrie.

David Worley, a Republican, writes on his campaign website that he believes the government should protect children and not normalize “radical sexual ideology” that undermines family life. He commits to protecting parental rights in education.

“Our schools, libraries, and public institutions should be places that reinforce what is good, true, and beautiful, not places where innocence is targeted and boundaries are erased,” Worley wrote.

He is challenging Guthrie, R-McCammon, in the May 19 primary in District 28. Guthrie voted against House Bill 93 last year, which created the $50 million Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit.

At a Save Our Schools event last summer in American Falls, Guthrie said the tax credits are “contrary to the Constitution.”

“I don’t think there’s any doubt about that,” said Guthrie, a rancher and business owner.

As of Tuesday, Worley’s campaign has raised $3,000 to Guthrie’s $24,825.

Worley in 2022 ran for Idaho Senate in District 29. He lost the general election to Sen. James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, by an 8-point margin.

Federal lawsuit

Worley in January 2025 filed a federal district court lawsuit against three defendants in their capacities with the Idaho National Guard:

• Gov. Brad Little, commander-in-chief of the Idaho National Guard
• Maj. Gen. Timothy Donnellan
• Brig. Gen. James Packwood

Worley, a major in the Army National Guard, claims he faced discrimination, retaliation and punishment for exercising his First Amendment right to “exercise his sincerely held religious beliefs.”

According to court documents, a guardsman under Worley’s command in July 2023 filed a hostile work environment complaint against him. The guardsman, who identified as homosexual, wrote in the complaint that he felt Worley had discriminated against him due to his sexual orientation.

The officer who investigated the guardsman’s complaint in February 2024 substantiated the hostile work environment claim and recommended Worley’s permanent removal from command. 

In September 2024, however, Brig. Gen. James Packwood wrote in a memo that Worley’s behavior did not rise to the level of discrimination, harassment or hostile work environment. But, Packwood wrote, Worley demonstrated counterproductive leadership that reduced morale, eroded trust and showed “little respect for others.”

Packwood directed that Worley be relieved of command.

The Idaho State Journal reported in February 2023 that Worley and local church members staged a peaceful sit-in during a “Reading Time with the Queens” event at the Marshall Public Library in Pocatello.

The Journal reported that some usual attendees of the event — parents and young children — were turned away because the church members filled the room up to its maximum capacity of 40 people.

The sit-in event was to “protect children from being exposed to sexual deviancy,” Worley said, according to the Idaho State Journal.

Worley has served over 22 years in the Army National Guard. The complaint against him led to “the derailment of his career,” according to the lawsuit. 

Worley’s attorneys wrote in court documents that he believes a failure to speak out against things he knows are wrong would result in the “eternal condemnation of his soul.”

The lawsuit asks the U.S. District Court of Idaho to require the defendants to cease all investigations and restore Worley to his position. The last filing in the case was in September.

Daniel Schmid, a lawyer with Florida-based Liberty Counsel representing Worley, told EdNews on Tuesday that they are waiting on the judge to take action in the case.

“I’ve never seen a judge sit on a temporary restraining order for over a year,” Schmid said.

According to its website, Liberty Counsel is “a Christian ministry that proclaims, advocates, supports, advances, and defends the good news that God in the person of Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins and offers forgiveness and eternal life to all who accept him as Lord and Savior.”

READ: Worley’s 138-page complaint

Sen. Ali Rabe announced Friday that she is not seeking re-election and is endorsing Rep. Soñia Galaviz to fill her seat.

Rabe, a Boise Democrat in District 16, said she wants to change how she serves. She has two young boys and needs to work more behind the scenes rather than in elected office.

“I’ve stood up for public education, fair tax policy, and affordable child and health care, and I’ve worked alongside colleagues from both sides of the aisle to pass good legislation,” Rabe wrote. “That work takes persistence, collaboration, and trust, and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished.”

Rabe describes herself as an attorney, mom and a longtime community leader with deep roots in public service. She earned an undergraduate degree from The College of Idaho and graduated from Willam and Mary Law School, according to the announcement.

She was first elected in 2020 and easily won re-election in 2022 and 2024. District 16 is one of Idaho’s few safe districts for the Democratic Party.

Rabe endorsed Galaviz and said she will do everything to support a smooth transition.

Just before Rabe sent out her announcement on Friday afternoon, Galaviz posted on social media that she plans to run for Senate in District 16. She thanked Rabe for the endorsement.

“She has set a high bar and I look forward to working equally hard for D16 as your state senator,” Galaviz wrote.

In a phone call Friday, Galaviz said running for Senate feels like a natural next step.

“I see moving to the Senate as just an extension of the political experience and opportunity down here, and I want to continue to learn and grow,” Galaviz told EdNews.

Galaviz could face Republican Leland Lay, who has named a campaign treasurer, in a race for the Senate seat in November, according to information on Idaho’s Sunshine reports.

Republican Jacquelyn Davidson, who has also named a campaign treasurer, appears poised to run for the district’s House Seat B, which Galaviz will vacate.

Updated at 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 9 with a statement from Christine Ivie, who says she is not planning on running at this time.

Two independent conservative Christian candidates have taken steps to run for Senate and House seats in a notable Idaho swing district.

District 26 — covering Blaine, Lincoln and Jerome counties — had a close three-way race for the Senate in 2024 that led to the re-election of Sen. Ron Taylor, D-Hailey, by a 1.7% margin.

Independent candidate Kala Tate received 10.5% of the vote and told the Twin Falls Times-News days after the election that she achieved her campaign’s goal and “stole several thousand votes” from Republican Laurie Lickley in order to elect Taylor.

God told her to run, Tate added.

Tate said Lickley is a very powerful politician and wanted to keep her out of the Idaho Legislature.

“That was ultimately all we were supposed to do and it worked, so praise God,” Tate told the Twin Falls newspaper.

Tate is now the campaign treasurer for two family members with active accounts in Idaho Sunshine for the 2026 election. Naming a campaign treasurer is typically a precursor to running.

For the Senate, Shaila Joanne Tate, a board member at Heritage Academy Charter School in Jerome, named Kala Tate as her campaign treasurer on Jan. 27.

Republican Christine Ivie, the superintendent of Heritage Academy, has also named a campaign treasurer for the seat. Ivie in 2019 filed a $500,000 defamation claim against the Idaho Public Charter School Commission after commissioners in leaked audio of an executive session made offensive comments about Ivie.

But Ivie told EdNews on Monday, Feb. 9, that at this time she is not planning on running.

“Our school is working on a campus expansion plan that will require a great deal of fundraising,” Ivie wrote in an email. “I think it would be challenging to run for office or serve in the Legislature while we are working on that project.”

For House Seat A, Isabella Grace Schiffler, a Jerome County Republican precinct committee person elected in 2024, also named Kala Tate as her campaign treasurer on Jan. 27.

On Schiffler’s Substack blog, she wrote last month that the government has too much power and “we need to take it back.”

“They decide what our children are being taught in school and unfortunately, it’s wokism,” Schiffler wrote. “The government is beyond corrupt. They reap the reward of our labor, rob us, cheat us, brainwash us, feed us propaganda, poison us with the processed foods we eat, and so much more. We need to start paying attention.”

District 26 is solidly purple.

In 2020, Democrats held all three legislative seats, elected by wide margins. After redistricting in 2021, the margins became very tight. Two Democrats and one Republican controlled the district after the 2022 election:

• Senate: Taylor beat Lickley by a 3.6% margin.
• House Seat A: Democrat Ned Burns defeated Republican Mike Pohanka by just 37 votes, or 0.24%.
• House Seat B: Republican Jack Nelsen defeated Democrat Karma Fitzgerald by 84 votes, or 0.54%.

In 2024, Republicans picked up another seat, leaving Taylor as the only Democrat in District 26 today, thanks in part to Kala Tate’s independent campaign that siphoned votes from Lickley. The House results:

• House Seat A: In a rematch, Pohanka flipped the seat away from Burns by 535 votes, or 2.4%.
• House Seat B: Nelsen won re-election over Democrat challenger Chris Hansen by 683 votes, or 3%.

With a history of tight margins and two independent candidates potentially on the ballot in District 26, there’s no telling what might happen in November.

The filing period to run in Idaho is Feb. 23 to 27.

School choice supporter James Lamborn announced Thursday he is running for the Idaho House, seeking to unseat Rep. Rick Cheatum, R-Pocatello, for District 28 Seat A.

Cheatum opposed House Bill 93 last year, which created the $50 million Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit. Parents can apply for $5,000 to pay for private school tuition.

Lamborn, a Republican, on his campaign website states the “one-size-fits-all” approach to education has left too many students behind. He supports empowering parents to make the best choices for their children’s education.

“It is now time that we as free Idahoans, virtuous conservatives, and autonomous adults correct our prior oversight … and take back, with all righteous authority bestowed unto us by nature and nature’s God, total subjugation over that which belongs to us solely: the type and amount of education to which we allow our children’s adherence,” Lamborn writes on his website (his ellipses).

Lamborn ran against Cheatum in the 2024 primary and lost in a three-way race. Cheatum received 40% of the vote, Lamborn received 33.2% and Mike Saville received 26.9%. Saville has again declared a campaign treasurer for the 2026 election.

Lamborn surpasses Cheatum on fundraising. Cheatum has raised $10,370 for the 2026 election cycle and Lamborn has raised $16,071.

Cheatum lists several education priorities on his campaign website. He supports expanding vocational, technical and career training programs and wants to end the dependence on local bond levies for school facilities.

“Every Idaho student deserves fair and adequate funding to succeed, regardless of whether they live in a rural or urban area — I’m focused on preparing our kids for real-world success beyond high school,” Cheatum writes.

In his announcement Thursday, Lamborn said District 28 deserves a “true conservative.”

“As conservatives, we need representatives who will stand firm for school choice, parental rights, fiscal responsibility, the Second Amendment, and the sanctity of life,” Lamborn wrote. “Idaho must never become the kind of state families feel they have to flee.”

The primary election is May 19.

A former Idaho Supreme Court justice and the owner of the Old State Saloon in Eagle have named campaign treasurers in the race for Idaho governor.

Ex-Supreme Court Justice John Robert Stegner and Old State Saloon owner Mark David Fitzpatrick both declared campaign treasurers in the last week.

The race is getting crowded, but the fundraising game hasn’t changed. Twelve people have declared campaign treasurers as of Thursday. One month ago there were seven. Naming a campaign treasurer is typically a precursor to filing to run. The filing period is Feb. 23 to 27.

Of the 12, seven are Republicans, three are Democrats, one is Libertarian and one is unaffiliated.

All fall short of Gov. Brad Little’s war chest. He has raised $1.21 million for the 2026 election, started with $188,000 from the previous cycle and has spent $174,000. His campaign has $1.22 million in the bank.

Only two other candidates have reported campaign contributions in Idaho Sunshine, Idaho’s campaign finance data website. Democrat Terri Pickens of Pocatello has raised $57,000, and Twin Falls democratic socialist candidate Maxine Durand has raised $3,208. Durand was an unaffiliated candidate but released a video on Jan. 30 stating she is running as a Democrat.

Some updates from the two new possible contenders:

• Stegner declared a campaign treasurer on Jan. 29. He is unaffiliated.
  • Stegner retired from the state’s highest court in October 2023.
  • In his resignation letter, he cited the pay disparity between Idaho Supreme Court justices and private practice. “The job requires extraordinary hours to do it well. In sum, the state is asking judges to do too much for too little,” he wrote.
  • Stegner confirmed to the Lewiston Tribune Tuesday that he plans to run for governor.
• Fitzpatrick declared a campaign treasurer on Wednesday. He is a Republican.
  • Fitzpatrick hosted the “Hetero Awesome Festival” in June to celebrate traditional family values and provide an alternative to the Boise Pride Festival.
  • KTVB reported that far-right podcaster David Reilly said at the event that Boise was a clean city and whispered, “There’s not a lot of Black people.” Fitzpatrick distanced himself from the remark.
  • Boise police provided extra security to Mayor Lauren McLean in December after Fitzpatrick offered a bounty for incriminating information on the mayor, the Idaho Statesman reported.
  • On Thursday, Fitzpatrick posted on X: “It is TIME for righteousness and truth to take back this NATION! After tomorrow… massive amounts of money will be thrown at defaming me. I wonder why?”
  • In a text message on Thursday afternoon, Fitzpatrick told EdNews there will be “an announcement of some sort” at 7 p.m. Friday at the Old State Saloon.

Sen. Brian Lenney wants to repeal a part of state law that lets registered voters sign an affidavit to prove their identity in order to vote.

The Nampa Republican proposed the bill Wednesday to the Senate State Affairs Committee, the Idaho Capital Sun reports. Current law allows registered voters to present a signed affidavit as an alternative to photo identification at the polls. 

“I would submit that there’s no valid excuse to show up last minute at the polls without an ID,” said Lenney, who called the affidavit process a “loophole.”

“You can’t go to a bar without an ID and sign a piece of paper saying, ‘I swear I’m 21,’ and get served drinks,” Lenney said, according to the Sun.

Lenney referenced the 2023 Legislature’s elimination of student IDs as a valid form of voter identification and lawmakers’ creation of a no-fee ID issued by the Department of Transportation that voters may use.

Still, not that many voters use the affidavit method, according to numbers Lenney highlighted before the committee. Of the 255,197 ballots cast in the 2025 election, the sate recorded .23% as using an affidavit.

A similar bill Lenney introduced last year never received a hearing. The House of Representatives voted down a bill that would have done the same thing in 2023. 

County election offices review affidavits to confirm the voter’s personal information and signature, said Chelsea Bishop, communications director for the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office.