IDAHO CITY, Idaho — Legislative District 8 will soon see new faces in the Idaho House of Representatives and Senate, as there are no incumbents on the general election ballot this year.
- District 8 seat A is an uncontested race, meaning Republican Rob Beiswenger will win the seat.
- Seat B has three candidates, including Republican Faye Thompson, Democrat Jared Dawson, and Constitutional Party candidate Tony Ullrich.
- The Senate Race in District 8 features Republican Christy Zito against Democrat David Hoag.
(Below is the transcript of the broadcast story)
Legislative District 8 is geographically the largest district in the state, stretching from Mountain Home to Boise County, up to McCall, and over to Challis. It's also one of the most rural districts in the state.
In the May primary Republicans Rob Beiswenger and Faye Thompson defeated the incumbents in the Idaho House of Representatives for seats A and B, as voters chose more conservative candidates for the Republican ticket.
For seat B, voters will have three names on the ballot — Republican Faye Thompson, Democrat Jared Dawson, and Constitutional Party candidate Tony Ullrich. We spoke with all three ahead of the election in November.
"We are very conservative-minded, we want less spending and we want universal school choice," said Thompson. "We want so many of the things our constituents want."
Thompson's Idaho roots run deep and she's lived in McCall since 1976. She ran because she didn't like how the incumbents voted on spending and other house bills. Thompson is also excited to potentially represent Valley County, as they haven't had a legislator since 2022.
"It’s really exciting. One of the reasons that I ran is to bring balanced representation throughout the whole district," said Thompson. "Before I ran all three of our legislators were in Elmore County. Elmore County is very culturally and economically different than Valley, Custer, and Boise Counties."
Jared Dawson is new to politics. He became the Chair of the Boise County Democrats after converting from an Independent. Dawson lives near Idaho City and wants to focus on education, early childhood development, and women's reproductive rights.
"The Republican Party that my parents grew up voting for has drifted a lot further to the right," said Dawson. "So with that in mind, I decided to stop being an independent, I reached out to the Democratic Party, got involved and now I'm running for office."
Constitutional Party candidate Tony Ullrich ran because he felt the incumbents weren't conservative enough. However, when all three incumbents lost in the two House seats and in the Senate race, he actively stopped campaigning.
"With Faye beating Megan in the primary, I’m content giving Faye a shot," said Ullrich. "I doubt I win, I’m not going to campaign."
Republican Rob Beiswenger will win House seat A, as he does not have an opponent. Rob defeated incumbent Matthew Bundy in the primary.
The Senate Race features Republican Christy Zito against Democrat David Hoag. Zito looks to return to office after a hiatus as she defeated Geoff Schroeder in the primary. Hoag did not have an opponent.
