As the Idaho Republican Party becomes ever-more extreme, Idaho Democrats from every corner of the state are meeting the moment, offering voters a choice and hope for the future. For the first time in decades, Democratic candidates will compete in every legislative district. They are parents, teachers, nurses, and small business owners, united by a vision of a more prosperous Idaho where every family can thrive.
Among these candidates is Loree Peery, a mother and retired Spirit Lake nurse running for House Seat 2A. After returning to Idaho in 2006, she was dismayed by the shift in the political climate toward division and incivility. Peery sees this clearly in her opponent, Heather Scott, who made headlines for defending white nationalism and waving the Confederate flag in a parade. Peery is frustrated that Scott votes against legislation that would address key challenges facing the community — declining health care access, school funding, and home affordability. Peery is running to promote solutions rather than dangerous ideologies.
Julia Parker, a nurse specializing in elder and dementia care, is running for senate in Legislative District 6, driven by her passion for fundamental rights. Her opponent, Dan Foreman, brings extreme bills, including first-degree murder charges for abortion patients and abortion prohibitions in all cases of rape and incest. Parker understands that healthcare decisions are deeply personal and should be left to patients, not politicians.
Mary Shea, an attorney specializing in child welfare, is ready to unseat Dustin Manwaring for House Seat 29A. Shea has been disappointed to see Manwaring vote against commonsense measures like incentives for nurses to serve rural Idaho and bullying prevention in schools. She has been appalled by his extreme moves like sponsoring Idaho’s abortion bounty law, which provides for cash awards for rapists’ family members, and voting to advance costly private school voucher schemes. Shea is committed to representing Idahoans, not extremist lobbying groups.
Joseph Messerly, a small business owner from Soda Springs, represents a new generation of leadership. His mom, Dorajo, is a librarian and when Rep. Kevin Andrus voted to jail librarians over controversial materials, Joseph said ‘enough is enough.’ He is running to stand with the 69% of Idahoans who trust their local public libraries and librarians to decide which books are on the shelves.
These Democratic candidates are running because they cannot accept the loss of our reproductive freedoms and the exodus of doctors from our state, they cannot accept attacks on our libraries, and they will not accept the selling out of our public schools to costly vouchers. While the Idaho GOP becomes unrecognizable to traditional Republicans, I invite voters of all political stripes to get to know their local Democratic candidates.
Onward,
Lauren Necochea
Idaho Democratic Party Chair