MERIDIAN, Idaho — Election day is inching closer and voters in District 21 will see three candidates on the ballot for Representative seat B. Learn more about the candidates and more on voting this election:
- Becky McKinstry
- Daniel Weston
- Representative Jeff Ehlers
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(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
District 21 includes a majority of Meridian — between Eagle and Mcdermott, Victory and Ustick.
For seat B in the House of Representatives, three candidates are on the ballot.
Incumbent Republican Jeff Ehlers sees challengers in Democrat Becky McKinstry and Daniel Weston from the Constitution party
“We center our government around the Constitution, and since it’s not being followed by the two traditional parties, we started the Constitution party to support that,” said Weston.
Weston tells me he wants to represent the district because he says the legislature isn't addressing issues important to Idahoans. “All the people who have been interviewed or polled want the food tax replaced and it has not been done by our legislature,” Weston said.
He also aims to prioritize raising teacher pay.
Education funding is also a focus for Democrat McKinstry.
“It’s unconstitutional for tax dollars to go towards vouchers for private or religious schools," McKinstry said.
McKinstry serves on the Meridian Library District Board. She also thinks recent action from the legislature is poorly impacting Idahoans, and thinks lawmakers should stop weighing in on medical decisions.
"Everyone needs access to healthcare and we need to not make laws that drive our doctors out of the state," says McKinstry. “Due to the women’s reproductive laws that have come out, and we have transportation and growth issues so when you put all that together it’s like, ‘Okay let’s get off the sidelines’.”
Incumbent Republican Ehlers has held seats on the Agricultural Affairs, Business and Revenue, and Tax committees, with a focus on the financial impacts of every decision.
“It’s really important to me to help influence and set good tax policy. I was the lead sponsor on a bill to bring more transparency to our government state agencies,” said Ehlers.
Ehlers co-sponsored House Bill 521, which he says will put tax dollars into building and repairing school facilities over the next decade.
As a CPA, Ehlers says, “I have a good understanding of fiscal policy and tax policy, which is really critical and really important and that’s something I bring.”
Meanwhile, Constitution candidate Weston holds degrees in Political Science and education and says his grassroots will help him advocate for the district if elected, “I am not a politician, I’m a truck driver, I’m a firefighter.”
