Rep. Jack Nelsen, R-Jerome, announced he will not seek re-election.
Nelsen is a House Education Committee member, former teacher and former board member for the College of Southern Idaho.
“Education is what makes America,” Nelsen told EdNews on Friday afternoon.
He previously served 20 years as a planning and zoning commissioner in Jerome County, was chair of the Jerome County Republicans and president of the Jerome Rotary Club. A conference room is named after him at the Jerome County Courthouse. He was elected to the Idaho Legislature in 2022 and won re-election in 2024. He represents District 26 House Seat B for Jerome, Lincoln and Blaine counties.
Nelsen has faced criticism from his own party. He voted against House Bill 93 last year, which created the $50 million Parental Choice Tax Credit. He supports the separation of church and state and opposes sending tax dollars to private schools, he said Friday.
For that vote and several others, the far-right Magic Valley Liberty Alliance named Nelsen the 2025 “RINO of the Year,” meaning Republican In Name Only. Republican central committees in Lincoln and Blaine counties censured Nelsen last year for voting against the Republican party platform.
He said Friday that he ran for the Legislature to represent his constituents, not to follow the party platform or seek high ratings from political groups.
“I take issue with the Republican platform that says no job training after high school,” he said. “I think for our state’s economy and individually — for each of our citizens — job training is one of the most important things.”
Nelsen, 70, said he won’t seek re-election for personal reasons.
“It’s possible if I ran again, I might have to hire a marriage counselor,” Nelsen said. “I have a severe fishing habit, and I’ve got some grandkids in Kansas. So it’s not political at all. It’s absolutely a personal decision.”
Nelsen made the announcement days before the filing period opens for the 2026 election cycle. Candidates can file to run next week, Feb. 23-27.
He thanked his family and constituents for supporting him over the years.
“I’d like to thank my family and my lovely wife for supporting me,” Nelsen said. “When you make a decision to get into politics, it’s something that your family has to be part of too.”
District 26 is a swing district. Four individuals have named campaign treasurers for the seat:
- Republican Lyle Johnstone
- Republican Jeffrey Emerick
- Democrat Kevin Marsh
- Democrat Anita Janis
