Christensen withdraws from House challenge

Kevin Richert | 04/03/2024

One former legislator is putting a Statehouse run on hold, for now.

Former state Rep. Chad Christensen of Ammon has withdrawn from a House race in Eastern Idaho’s District 35.

Christensen had filed to challenge Rep. Kevin Andrus, R-Lava Hot Springs.

“Kevin’s always been a decent conservative,” Christensen told David Pace of EastIdahoNews.com. “We served together four years. … He’s usually on the right side of things in my opinion, so that’s why I withdrew and am not going to challenge him. People asked me to stay in, but it’s too late in the game to get a real campaign going and raise money.”

Christensen served in the House from 2018 to 2022, and unsuccessfully pushed for legislation to make it easier for school employees to carry firearms on campus.

Christensen told Pace that he plans to run for state Senate in 2026. District 35’s current senator, Mark Harris of Soda Springs, is the GOP’s caucus chair, the No. 4 spot in Republican leadership.

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevinRichert. He can be reached at [email protected]