MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho — The Republican primary race for Legislative District 8 is between incumbent Geoff Schroeder and former state senator Christy Zito.
Legislative District Eight is the largest district in Idaho stretching from Mountain Home and Elmore County, to Boise County, to McCall and Valley County to Custer County which includes Stanley and Challis.
Geoff Schroeder is the the current state senator. Geoff served in the Idaho National Guard for 20 years including a deployment to Iraq. He moved to Mountain Home in 1990 while in the guard and as a state senator he co-sponsored the Idaho Launch Grant Program.
"It has been the honor of a lifetime for a kid who grew up in Kamiah, eight miles out of town in a rural community to be able to serve in this capacity," said Schroeder. "I appreciate the voters of district eight for having elected me for the past two years and I look forward to serving another two years."
Christy Zito served as a state senator in Legislative District 23 from 2020 to 2022. Christy did not seek re-election because she went on to work for the Idaho Second Amendment Alliance. In 2022, the district lines were re-drawn and Elmore County joined the other three counties to make Legislative District Eight.
"Even though we have a completely different legislative district except for Elmore County, the values across this district are the same," said Zito. "The terrain is diverse, the landscape is diverse and the people all cherish those deeply held Idaho values."
Geoff Schroeder works as an attorney after going to law school at the University of Idaho and passing the bar at the age of 50. Geoff's firm works for 16 different communities, including several in Legislative District Eight, he has a collaborative approach to government.
"I bring that expertise as an attorney and a person with 58 years of life experience dealing with this stuff in front of city councils and library districts across the state," said Shroeder. "I think I bring a great deal of experience across and insight and I have the ear of my colleagues in the senate. When they have a question about a bill they will bring it to me to see what the legal implications or consequences could be."
Christy Zito grew up ranching, she's a mother of five and Christy has 11 grandchildren. She has a different approach as Christy is not afraid to ruffle some feathers like she did in 2022 when she attempted to get the grocery tax repealed.
"I’m a proven entity, I have proven I will stand up for the people of our state on the floor of the house and on the floor of the senate and I take the beating up for it because I stand for things like when I said I fight for the repeal of the grocery tax I did," said Zito. "They sent out a nasty memo about me because I dare challenge what the people want, all you have to do is listen to the constituents, do what they ask you do to and I’ve proven that I will."
On the Democrat side, David Hoag is running unopposed. All three candidates live in Elmore County. Voters will decide the Republican candidate on May 21 in the Idaho primary.
