Idaho GOP Platform Responses

✓+  Strongly Agree ✓  Somewhat Agree O  Somewhat Disagree X  Strongly Disagree

Survey and Interview Responses

How long have you lived in Idaho?

I’ve lived in Idaho all my life except for the nine years I served in the Marines.

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

I wasn’t registered to vote until 2025.

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

No.

Have you supported candidates from another party?

I’m volunteering for Todd Achilles because he’s focused on putting people first. His platform prioritizes everyday Idahoans over special interests, and I believe in that mission. We need representatives who actually listen and Todd’s campaign is about making government accountable to the people.

Why are you running for this office?

I’m frustrated with how Washington operates. Too much taxpayer money is sent overseas, and too many policies favor large corporations over everyday Idaho families. I’ve witnessed firsthand these decisions negatively impact our communities. As someone who has never felt truly heard by our current representatives, I am committed to making Congress accountable, ensuring that Idaho voices are finally prioritized.

Have you held elected office before?

No.

What makes you qualified for this role?

Real-world experience, conservative convictions, and an accountability mindset.

What are your top priorities in your first year?

I’ll focus on cutting red tape for small businesses, auditing and restricting non-essential foreign aid, and ending corporate welfare. We need to prioritize Americans, protect taxpayers, and restore fiscal discipline.

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

I have been volunteering at Idaho food bank, but nothing where I am serving on a board.

What is your stance on the legalization of marijuana?

N/A

Do you consider yourself fiscally conservative?

Yes. I believe in living within our means, reducing debt, stopping wasteful spending, and keeping government disciplined, transparent, and focused on core responsibilities.

Do you consider yourself socially conservative?

I’m personally pro-life, but I believe those decisions should be made at the state level. I am also in favor of letting the voice of the people be heard, ballot initiatives shouldn’t be constrainted or pushed to be harder, we need to let the people speak. I strongly support parental authority in education, but don’t believe taxpayer money should be diverted to private institutions. I believe in religious freedom – government should protect, but not control it. My approach is simple – limit federal power and let communities govern themselves.

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

I’m Joseph, and I grew up in Little Valley, Idaho. Coming from a working-class background, I’ve seen firsthand how the decisions made in Washington affect families like mine. What motivated me to run for office are the endless foreign wars, unchecked foreign aid, and the influence of big money in politics. I believe Congress should put the American people first — not corporate interests or overseas priorities. I’m not afraid to speak plainly or stand my ground, and I want to bring accountability, honesty, and genuine representation back to Congress.

What is your plan to advocate for your top priorities?

A lot of times Congress doesn’t vote on war powers anymore—it hasn’t happened formally since 1945. One of my biggest priorities is fixing that. Congress has an obligation to represent the people and actually do its job, even on kinetic warfare. I would push to bring back congressional war powers and back up any other members who do the same. With being a voice to stop wars, we can then move on the removing as many of our servicemembers overseas and bring them back home, create more manufacturing for those people to work for something better for our futre.

Where do you see harmful federal overreach in Idaho, and how would you return authority to states and local communities?

Idaho has done a decent job of holding onto state sovereignty, but we’ve felt real pressure from federal overreach — especially during the COVID mandates. That period showed how damaging federal mandates can be for people’s livelihoods. I support Idaho continuing to reduce its dependence on federal dollars, particularly in areas like education. We need to reform public education to better serve rural communities, and we should keep decision-making as local as possible instead of tied to federal funding and strings.

What steps would you take to reduce federal spending, address debt, and restore fiscal discipline?

Our debt crisis is driven by wasteful spending — especially on foreign aid, endless wars, and corporate handouts. We talk a lot about cutting benefits like SNAP, but the real problem is billions going to multinational corporations and foreign governments. I would start by ending unnecessary foreign aid, scaling back military adventurism abroad, and stopping corporate subsidies for major companies like Amazon and SpaceX. We need to focus on rebuilding our communities here in America — starting with fiscal responsibility that puts taxpayers first.

What is your position on the SAVE Act and federal efforts to strengthen election integrity?

The SAVE Act is constitutional, but I don’t personally see a big voter-fraud problem here. In Idaho the Secretary of State found only 11 fraud votes in a state of 1.1 million people. I like that election matters are state sovereignty right now. I’d rather not punish the whole country for problems in a few blue states that don’t enforce voter ID. I always err on the side of state sovereignty.

How would you protect access to federal lands for grazing, timber, recreation, and resource use while supporting rural economies?

We need stricter state laws so federal land does not easily pass to private hands. We have farmers, ranchers, and people who enjoy the land, but we also need to start logging more, mining more, and using our resources. Nuclear energy is big here too. The key is finding the right balance—clearing land for homes, creating energy, and building an export economy that gives our citizens a better future

How do federal immigration policies impact Idaho, and what changes would you support to enforce laws and protect workers?

I really like the border wall and the low amount of illegal immigration we saw during the Trump presidency. I don’t like attacking marginalized people, but we have about 40,000 illegal immigrants in Idaho—that’s 2% of the population. I think states should decide a lot of this. The real leg of the octopus is the corporations hiring them. I’m a huge fan of immigration reform that eases the process for families who’ve been here 15-plus years and cracks down on offshoring so Americans can have good wages.

Do you support term limits for members of Congress?

Yes, I support term limits for both the U.S. House and Senate.

What is your stance on legalization of marijuana?

I am pro legalization, I think we as a state are missing a tax revenue source, and handling the same way we handle alcohol or gambling.

How will you stay accessible and responsive to your constituents?

I haven’t really thought that far ahead yet. There are already committees and large frameworks in Idaho that keep people informed. Newsletters and things like that seem very useful for staying in touch with constituents on a continual basis. Holding townhalls, being open to different perspectives, meeting people where they live or work, being welcome to opposition as we need to be working together as Americans and Idahoans, to work towards a more cohesive state.

What question do you wish voters were asking—but aren’t?

I wish voters would ask: What are we doing about all this money being sent overseas to people who don’t answer to us? Congress is supposed to be the people’s house, but right now it feels like it only represents a few special interests. Across the board, it looks like most people in Congress are bought and paid for.