In the two trustee races in Idaho’s largest school district, incumbents Lori Frasure and Angie Redford have raised significantly more money than their challengers — benefiting from a combined $6,773 in outside spending from a PAC that received a large donation from an out-of-state group.
In West Ada School District’s Zone 1, Frasure has raised $8,850 while her competitor Dara Ezzell-Pebworth, a social worker, has raised $757.
In Zone 3, the money race is somewhat tighter. Redford has raised $7,125 and her competitor, teacher Meghan Brown, has raised $1,725.
The campaign finance data comes from Idaho Sunshine reports as of Wednesday. Election Day is Nov. 4.
Idaho requires candidates to submit monthly campaign finance reports on the 10th day of each month, for the previous month. That means we won’t know exactly how much money candidates have raised and spent in October until Nov. 10, the Monday after the election. Any donations of $1,000 or more, however, require 48 hours notice.
According to data currently available on Idaho Sunshine, Frasure spent $425 on photography in September. An Oct. 18 post on her Facebook page shows she now has yard signs. Ezzell-Pebworth in September spent $60 on events and refreshments. She has since raised about $1,000, purchased 500 palm cards and is working on printing yard signs, Ezzell-Pebworth wrote in a Thursday email.
In a phone call Wednesday, Frasure said she doesn’t have an invoice yet for yard sign expenses. She would like to remind everyone to vote in this off-year election.
“It’s important,” Frasure said. “Polls open at 8. I tell people, ‘Just jump over there and get ‘er done.'”
In the Zone 3 race, Redford last month spent $1,779 on advertising while Brown spent $1,140 on advertising, postage and other expenses. In an email to EdNews, Brown said she has 100 yard signs and has spent most of her money this month on door hangers and palm cards.
Redford has spent most of her money on voter outreach, she wrote in an email, and has felt encouraged by positive feedback from community members.
“I’ve had great conversations with parents, teachers, and community members who care deeply about our students’ success,” Redford stated.
PAC spending
Frasure and Redford have benefited from independent expenditures from Idaho Majority Club PAC, while Ezzell-Pebworth and Brown have no outside spending support.
The PAC last week spent $3,993 in literature supporting Frasure and $2,779 in literature to support Redford.
Idaho Majority Club supports a constitutionally grounded worldview, limited government and a focus on families, according to the group’s website.
The PAC this year raised $177,000, including an $85,000 contribution from Make Highways Great Again LLC, based in Cheyenne, Wyo.
Blackrock Homes, based in Meridian, chipped in $35,000 to the PAC’s war chest.
This year, Idaho Majority Club made $62,700 in independent expenditures to support candidates for highway commissions, city councils, a mayor and three school board trustees. The PAC has $100,000 in the bank.
Several Republican state legislators have contributed to Idaho Majority Club since 2024.
Rep. John Vander Woude, R-Nampa, donated $5,000; Sen. Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian, donated $750; former Sen. Chuck Winder, R-Boise, donated $500; and Rep. Shawn Dygert, R-Melba, donated $206.
Correction to Idaho Sunshine data
While looking at campaign finance reports, EdNews noticed that Idaho Majority Club received a $35,000 donation from Blackrock Homes out of Meridian, Calif.
But the address included in the report contained an address linked to Blackrock Homes in Meridian, Idaho. EdNews reached out to the Idaho’s secretary of state’s Office for clarification.
Peggy Caraway, campaign finance coordinator for the secretary’s office, confirmed that this was an “unintended mistake.”
“The treasurer would like to thank you for bringing that to his and our attention,” Caraway wrote in a Wednesday email to EdNews. “I am working with him right now to get that changed in Sunshine.
“The contribution was from Blackrock Homes in Idaho.”
Endorsements
The West Ada Education Association, the district’s teachers’ union, interviewed all four candidates in the West Ada races and endorsed Meghan Brown in Zone 3, but did not make an endorsement in Zone 1.
President Shelly Johnson told EdNews that the panel of educators appreciated that Brown has classroom experience and is focused on students.
“We felt really confident that she would would fight for what’s best for kids and teachers,” Johnson said.
In addition to support from the Idaho Majority Club, Frasure and Redford have secured endorsements from the ConservativesOf: Idaho PAC. The group’s voter guide recommends voting down all levies, bonds and new taxes.
“We define ‘Conservatism’ as the propagation, adherence and preservation of Constitutional Judeo-Christian principles upon which our nation is established, and opposition to authoritarianism and ideological collectivism, of which Progressivism, Socialism, Communism and Fascism are a part,” the ConservativesOf: PAC website states.
