Lisa Marie
My love for Idaho runs deeper than the oceans. Honestly, I wish I could raise my children again, my babies waited for me to stop working. In 2009 the nightmare hit, why are so many children homeless, abused, missing and losing a will to live? God showed me how to dedicate my life to solutions using all my CEO gifts.
Idaho GOP Platform Responses
✓+ Strongly Agree ✓ Somewhat Agree O Somewhat Disagree X Strongly Disagree
| Topic | Candidate’s Explanation | |
| ✓+ | Responsibility in Government | I believe in our 10 ten core pillars aimed at reversing inflation, securing the border, boosting the economy, and reducing government bureaucracy. We must return to our constitutional principles, economic growth, and limiting federal overreach. |
| ✓+ | Citizen Involvement | The strength of the government depends on the informed participation of its citizens. We must develop aggressive strategies so our youth run for high elected positions. |
| ✓+ | Education | Parental rights is a major focus for me, we must restore control to parents over school curriculum, with an emphasis on transparency and the ability to opt out of certain lessons. |
| ✓ | Agriculture | Bring Back the American Dream, agriculture in our country has become so complex, a true nightmare on many fronts. My livelihood involves trade policy and I will advocate for more aggressive stances on trace, using tariffs to protect American farmers from foreign competition. |
| ✓ | Water | This platform generally omits mentions of clean water, pollution, or the environment, focusing instead on energy production. I see that clean water is our nation’s top priority on every level. |
| ✓ | Natural Resources / Environment | N/A |
| ✓ | Energy | Mining is my biggest concern. Mining in the USA causes significant, long-term environmental damage. |
| ✓ | Idaho National Lab | The biggest dangers of nuclear energy plants include catastrophic core meltdowns releasing widespread radiation. |
| ✓+ | Private Property Rights | Private property rights are very important from personal experience |
| ✓+ | State / Federal Lands | I fully support state control over 50 percent of federal land. |
| ✓+ | Wildlife | Balanced conservation with private conservation is very important. |
| ✓ | Economy | It’s vitally important that businesses in agriculture and mining are strongly monitored. |
| ✓ | Health and Welfare | Health and welfare is extremely complicated in today’s world, health insurance prices and coverages is becoming INSANE. |
| ✓ | American Family | Environment and health especially challenges traditional families. We must listen and help. |
| ✓+ | Older Americans | From current personal experience, our seniors are seriously underfunded. |
| ✓+ | Law & Order w/ Justice | Drug use is an area that I will wait to address in future discussions due to personal experience within my family. |
| ✓+ | Securing the Border | Our borders fully opened bought horrific criminals, holy heaven! |
| ✓+ | Election of Idaho Judges | I’m 110 percent supportive. |
| ✓+ | Religious Liberty | I’m 110 percent supportive. |
Survey and Interview Responses
How long have you lived in Idaho?
I have lived in Idaho for 37 years and moved here from Rhode Island at age 13.
How long have you been a Republican? Any prior party affiliation?
Since 2014.
Have you been involved with any political organizations (IACI, Idaho Majority Club, IFF< etc.)
No.
Have you supported candidates from another party?
Yes. I supported my best friend to run for an elected position and her choice was to run as a Democrat.
Why are you running for this office?
I believe Idaho’s current leadership is failing the state and has been for quite some time.
Have you held elected office before?
No.
What makes you qualified for this role?
I’ve worked closely with high elected officials since 1996 and believe that experience has prepared me for this role.
What are your top priorities in your first year?
Education and workforce development, public safety and criminal justice, and infrastructure and growth management.
How have you served your community (boards, nonprofits, etc.)?
I have supported the Miss Idaho Scholarship program, helping support young women in pursuing educational goals. I have also worked with PASS4kids, which raises awareness and solutions for children facing cancer, obesity, and diabetes.
Fiscal conservative
I support limited government spending, lower taxes, reduced national debt, and balanced budgets.
Social conservative
I believe today’s children face extreme pressures affecting family, marriage, faith, and traditional values, and that leaders must listen closely to the people.
Share your one minute elevator speech.
I’m Lisa Marie, running for governor because our children do not come first—and that breaks my heart. I moved to Idaho in 1978 with my single mom, fell in love with this state, and built successful businesses here. But I’ve watched too many families suffer, too many children go missing—like Michael Vaughn—and too many parents struggling. Only 3.5 out of 10 Idahoans vote because they feel unheard. I’m here to bring the voice of the other 6.5 back into the process, put children first, and make sure every decision protects and elevates our families.
What is your plan to advocate for your top priorities?
Public safety for children is my number-one priority, followed by education, workforce development, and infrastructure. I roll every single day as if I’m already governor—evaluating what harms or helps families first. I listen to parents and communities, then push for layered, measurable plans that get real results. Unsafe schools, underfunded law enforcement, and mental-health struggles for parents must be addressed head-on. I bring the voices of the 6.5 out of 10 non-voters into the conversation so we make decisions that actually protect and lift our kids
Regarding the budget, what criteria will you use to decide which programs to cut or protect?
This is a tough question, but we have to listen to the people and evaluate every cut by who it will harm and who it will help. I demand tight, layered plans—like peeling an onion—so we can see if each level is achieving results. If not, we stop right there and fix it before moving forward. No more gray areas or big-company influence. We show the public exactly why we made each decision so they know their voice mattered.
What performance metrics should agencies be held to?
Results must be monitored with clear, layered plans. I’m a master strategist—I lay everything out like an onion. Did we achieve this level? If not, we stop, evaluate, and fix it before spending more. No gray areas. We can’t just pour money into an open pit. Agencies get funding only when they deliver measurable outcomes that help families and children. If the results aren’t there, we hold them accountable and redirect the funds.
What role should state leaders play in preventing fraud, and how would you ensure accountability?
I’ve seen fraud in our elections and among elected officials since 2014—that’s why I’ve kept running. When fraud starts at the top, it trickles down everywhere. We need real accountability across the board for candidates, officials, nonprofits, and for-profits. I will push for transparency and recourse so if money is voted for a purpose and it fails, we can stop it. No more letting big interests buy influence while everyday people lose trust.
How will you address illegal immigration in Idaho?
My heart breaks at the border—I’m there right now watching mothers carry babies on their backs. We must handle every case humanely, but if they are not legal citizens, they need to go back to their countries safely. We can barely take care of our own people right now, and we’re not using our money wisely. I support structures that evaluate each situation individually and get families home without cruelty, while we focus first on fixing the waste and broken systems hurting Idaho families.
How will you defend parental rights in education?
We must first look at the mental stability of parents. Many are on antidepressants or self-medicating and simply aren’t equipped to make life-and-death decisions for their children. For the custodial parents who can, we have to make schools safe. Unsafe buildings, rat infestations, and unqualified or dangerous teachers are driving parents away from public schools. I stand with parents like Laura Bolton who have spoken out. We must fix the conditions and give parents real authority over what their children are taught and who teaches them.
How will you protect Idaho’s interests when dealing with federal agencies and mandates?
We are a rich country but we waste so much money on things that don’t help our own families. I would push back hard on federal mandates that don’t serve Idahoans. We know what’s best for our communities because we live here every day. I will protect our sovereignty, refuse to let distant bureaucrats dictate our priorities, and make sure any federal money or rules actually help our children and families instead of creating more problems.
What is your stance on legalizing marijuana?
N/A
How will you stay accessible and responsive to constituents?
I’ve been blunt and transparent since 2014. I listen directly to everyday people, not just high-profile voices. I will use town halls, social media, direct emails, phone calls, and face-to-face meetings so the 6.5 out of 10 who don’t vote feel heard. No more disconnect. I will bring their concerns into every decision and show exactly why choices are made so trust is rebuilt.
What question do you wish voters were asking—but aren’t?
I wish voters were asking why only 3.5 out of 10 people vote and what’s happening to the other 6.5. Why don’t they feel their voice matters? Why are our children not thriving in our schools, homes, and communities? And why do we keep making decisions based on big companies and special interests instead of what actually protects families? Those are the real questions we need answered.