Idaho GOP Platform Responses

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Survey and Interview Responses

How long have you lived in Ada County?

A decade. Moved from Buford, Georgia.

How long have you been a Republican? Any prior party affiliation?

All my life.

Have you been involved with any political organizations? (IACI, Idaho Majority Club, IFF, etc.)

Endorsed by all of those except IACI.

Have you supported candidates from another party?

No.

Why are you running for this office?

The work is not yet complete. Being on JFAC opened my eyes to how much the state actually spends. We need to make sure the taxpayer keeps money in his pocket.

Have you held elected office before?

Yes. Kuna City Council President and current State Representative District 23a

What makes you qualified for this role?

I am a banker by trade. I have served on local committees – Economic development, future land use, superintendent advisory committee. At the state level – Joint Appropriations and Finance committee (JFAC), Revenue and Taxation, Commerce, and Environment, Energy, and Technology.

If elected, what 2-3 actions do you intend to pursue in your first year?

Tackle the health and welfare budget. Currently 5.7 billion, Revise or remove tax exemptions data centers get. Public school funding formula.

How have you served your community (boards, nonprofits, etc.)?

Kuna Chamber of Commerce board.

Do you consider yourself fiscally conservative?

Yes. I believe the money we spend needs to be constitutional and to protect our God-given rights.

Do you consider yourself socially conservative?

Yes. I believe being conservative is a way of life. It’s morality, faith and family.

Give us your one-minute elevator speech for the campaign.

I’m Chris Bruce, State Representative for District 23 Seat A. My family and I have called Kuna home for over a decade, and I ran for office because too many questions and concerns from everyday Idahoans were going unanswered. I’m a proven conservative committed to protecting our God-given rights and standing firm when those rights are threatened. In the Legislature, I’ve served on the Joint Finance, Revenue and Taxation, Commerce and Human Resources, and Environment, Energy and Technology committees. I believe elected officials should be accessible and accountable, and I’m proud to be one of the most reachable legislators at the Capitol.

What are your top three priorities, and what would you act on first?

Continue to work on legislation to update the sales tax exemptions that data centers and technology companies receive. Continue to investigate the health and welfare budget. This is our biggest budget of almost 6 billion dollars. Work to cut fraud, waste and abuse. I want to also continue my work on government transparency when it comes to public comment and live streaming of public meetings.

The party calls for reducing non-core state spending. Which programs would you cut or sunset, and what principles guide your budget decisions?

Idaho does not have a revenue problem.Idaho has a spending problem. Medicaid expansion has been paying for 89,00 able-bodied people. That prevents funding for those who really are in need and not able to get help. We need to have more oversight in the amount of grants applied for from the federal government. Being on JFAC has opened my eyes to the amount of our state spends. We need to get back to what is constitutionally required spending and send the other money back to the taxpayer.

Do you support education dollars following students to the school their parents choose, including private schools?

Yes, I believe the money should follow the student and parents should have ultimate authority
over their children’s education no matter if it’s public, private, charter, home, or virtual.

Housing costs and property taxes are major concerns. What state actions would you support, and what tradeoffs are you willing—or not willing—to make?

The state can cut regulations and costs that go with it. I would like to find a way to update the sales tax split and reduce property taxes. The government should stay out of the free market.

What is your position on holding employers accountable for knowingly hiring undocumented workers in Idaho?

I voted in favor of every illegal immigration bill that came to the house floor. I would not support giving illegal immigrants drivers licenses. We need to start collecting data on the undocumented people we have in the state. So we can see what the true cost of illegal immigration is.

Medicaid costs are rising, and access remains a concern. What long-term reforms would you support to control costs, improve access, and protect taxpayers?

We need to look at the various programs. Do these programs do what the policy passed intended?
Possibly cap or limit some of these programs back to the intention. This may create a waiting list, but the current program is not sustainable. The federal government has changed the funding splits for SNAP this year. If the split was changed for medicaid expansion this would put a heavy
strain on the state budget. The expansion budget in 2026 was around 1.2 billion dollars. The
health and welfare budget was close to 6 billion.

Would you oppose multi-subject bills—even if you support part of them?

I’d oppose multi-subject legislation. Because legislation needs to be clear on the subject.

What is your stance on the legalization of marijuana?

I do not support the legalization of marijuana.

With gold & silver being legal tender in Idaho, would you consider passing a resolution encouraging businesses to accept them as everyday currency, same as cash?

Yes.

In general, do you think that farmers & ranchers are over regulated, under regulated, or about right? If either over or under, what would you change?

Support de-regulation across the board. We need to have the free market. I have worked on legislation to make it easier for food grown or raised in Idaho to be sold in Idaho.

The fear of losing your home as a senior for not paying your property tax is very real given the ever-increasing cost of living. What would you think of exempting seniors 60 and older from property taxes if their gross income was under $50,000.00.

Yes I would support modifying the circuit breaker exemption.

Are you familiar with speaker Moyle’s bill that would raise the current cap of 8% to 15% for smaller cities to collect property taxes on new growth? If so, what is your opinion?

Yes I do believe growth should pay for itself. But I would not like to see property taxes go up.