Idaho GOP Platform Responses

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Survey and Interview Responses

How long have you lived in Idaho?

My wife, a born-and-raised Idahoan, and I have called Idaho home since 1996, when I graduated from the University of Washington School of Law. Before that, I attended BYU in Utah and grew up in Puerto Rico and Las Vegas, Nevada.

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

I have been a Republican my entire adult life and have never been registered in another party. My involvement in the party goes back well before I ran for office. I served as a volunteer, alternate precinct committeeman, youth committeeman, precinct committeeman, district vice chair, and district chair before running for the Idaho House of Representatives in Legislative District 14 in 2006. The Republican Party isn’t just where I landed politically. It’s where I have invested my time and effort over many years in Idaho.

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

Never been affiliated with any of them, but have spoken as an elected official to all of them.

Have you supported candidates from another party?

No. I have only ever supported Republican candidates and have never donated to, volunteered for, or voted for a candidate of another party.

Why are you running for this office?

I am running for re-election because the work is not finished. Over the past three years my office has taken on fights that other AGs avoided, winning significant victories at the U.S. Supreme Court that now protect states across the country. Idaho needed an AG who would fight aggressively instead of looking for the path of least resistance. That is what I have done, and it is what I will continue to do.

Have you held elected office before?

Yes. I served two terms in the Idaho House of Representatives, four terms in Congress representing Idaho’s First Congressional District, and now serve as Attorney General.

What makes you qualified for this role?

I am a licensed attorney with decades of legal experience, a former member of the House Judiciary Committee, and a sitting Attorney General who has delivered results. As Attorney General, I have defended Idaho’s pro-life laws all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, fighting back against the Biden Administration’s attempt to use EMTALA to override Idaho’s Defense of Life Act. I took Idaho’s women’s sports law, Little v. Hecox, to the Supreme Court after Idaho became the first state in the nation to pass a law protecting female athletes from competing against biological males.

What are your top priorities in your first year?

In my second term, I will continue taking Idaho’s most important fights to court without hesitation. My top priorities are: defending Idaho’s pro-life laws and parental rights against any federal overreach, protecting children from exploitation and irreversible gender procedures, and asserting Idaho’s sovereignty over its lands and water. The work of the past three years has built a foundation of legal precedent that benefits states across the country. I intend to keep building on it.

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

Service has always been a central part of my life. As a young man, I was a Boy Scout, eventually becoming an Eagle Scout, and served in various leadership positions including Senior Patrol Leader and Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. After high school, I served a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Santiago, Chile, which shaped how I think about sacrifice, community, and responsibility to others. Since returning home, I have continued to serve in various capacities within my congregation, including teaching and other leadership roles. That foundation of service is part of who I am, and it carries into how I approach public office.

Fiscal conservative

Yes, and it shows in how I have operated at every level. In Congress, I consistently voted against excessive spending, opposed bailouts, and pushed to reduce the size and cost of the federal government, sometimes being one of the few votes against a bill. As Attorney General, that same approach carries into how I run my office. We have worked to be good stewards of the resources the Legislature entrusts to us, directing funding toward the fights that matter most to Idaho families rather than growing the bureaucracy for its own sake. Fiscal restraint is not something I turn on for votes and turn off when I am in charge of a budget. It is how I operate because it’s how every family must operate their own budgets at home.

Social conservative

Yes. My voting record in Congress reflected a consistently conservative position on life, family, and religious liberty. In Congress I earned an A+ rating from the NRA and a 100% pro-life rating. As Attorney General, I have taken that same commitment into the courtroom, never backing down when it comes to defending Idaho’s pro-life laws, our women’s sports protections, parental rights, and the safety and privacy of children in schools. Several of those cases have gone to the U.S. Supreme Court, and we have won.

Give us your one-minute elevator speech.

I’ve been a Republican my whole adult life — starting as an alternate precinct committeeman, then PC, district vice chair, district chair, state legislator, U.S. Congressman, and now Attorney General. I’ve kept every promise I’ve ever made. The people of Idaho know who I am because I do what I say I’m going to do. I’ve improved the Office of the Attorney General, made it run more efficiently than ever, and we’re winning real victories for Idaho families. I’m excited to keep serving and do this job for four more years.

What is your plan to advocate for your top priorities?

I advocate for my priorities the same way I always have: I do exactly what I say I’m going to do. A lot of politicians make promises and then break them once elected. People have appreciated that about me for twenty years — I say what I’ll do and I follow through. My commitments are simple: defend the Constitution, protect Idaho’s sovereignty, and keep Idaho strong. I’ve proven that record over two decades of public service, and I will continue to deliver on those promises.

How will you decide which state laws to defend or challenge, and what principles guide your approach?

I defend every single lawsuit filed against the state of Idaho — at the trial level, on appeal, and all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. When I took office I created Idaho’s first Office of Solicitor General so we have consistent, high-level oversight of every case. I sued the Biden administration multiple times to protect Idaho’s sovereignty, and I will do the same against any administration — including a Trump administration — if the federal government tries to undermine our rights or our state. My only guiding principle is defending the liberties and sovereignty of the people of Idaho.

What role should the Attorney General play in addressing fraud, misuse of taxpayer funds, and public corruption?

The legislature has given the Attorney General very limited authority over fraud, corruption, and misuse of public funds. In most states the AG is the chief law enforcement officer; in Idaho, that power stays with local prosecutors and sheriffs. I’ve asked the legislature for more robust authority, but local prosecutors often resist. Until the law changes, we do what we can within our narrow jurisdiction. I believe the legislature should expand our role so the Office of the Attorney General can more effectively combat fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars.

How will you support local prosecutors and law enforcement, especially on fentanyl and organized crime?

We have very limited prosecutorial authority, but when local prosecutors ask for help we now give it — whether they want us to take over the case or simply assist. I changed the prior policy that only allowed help if we became the lead prosecutor. Examples: We served as second chair in the Kohberger trial (wrote most motions) and the Lori Daybell case. Local prosecutors now know they can rely on us. We assist on fentanyl and organized-crime cases whenever asked, and the working relationship with local law enforcement is much stronger than before.

Would you defend laws restricting taxpayer funding of unions? Why or why not?

I will defend any law the Idaho Legislature passes — period. One of the first changes I made as Attorney General was to stop the prior practice of issuing public opinions on the constitutionality of bills. As a former legislator, I believe that’s not the AG’s role. I will privately help drafters write stronger legislation if asked, but I will not publicly undermine a bill. I even withdrew the prior AG’s opinion against the boys-and-girls sports law and took that case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. My duty is to defend the laws the people’s representatives enact.

How will you balance independence with working alongside other state officials?

I have two duties. First, elected officials and state agencies are my clients, so I listen carefully to what they want. But I have a higher duty: I am the attorney for the entire state of Idaho. That means I must sometimes tell a client “no” if what they want would violate the Constitution or harm the rights and sovereignty of Idaho citizens. I work hard to balance both roles — respectful collaboration while never forgetting that my ultimate responsibility is to protect the people of Idaho, not any one official.

What important question should voters be asking—but aren’t?

The most frustrating part of my job is that people expect the Attorney General to fix every problem in the state. They see me as the person who should solve everything. The truth is the Idaho Constitution and statutes give the AG very limited jurisdiction. On many issues constituents want action on — especially fraud and corruption — I simply don’t have the legal authority. I wish voters understood those limits better so they wouldn’t expect me to solve problems I legally cannot touch.