BOISE, Idaho — Each day we're getting closer to the election and despite a lot of focus on the presidential race, many local and state races are also on the ballot. I'm your West Boise Neighborhood Reporter Jessica Davis in District 15 talking to candidates running for State Representative 15B.
- Dori Healey (R) and Shari Baber (D) are running for State Representative District 15B.
- Incumbent Dori Healey (R) emphasizes her legislative achievements and focus on mental health in schools, skilled nursing and assisted living legislation, and inflation
- Challenger Shari Baber (D) prioritizes public education, housing affordability, and gender-affirming healthcare.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
Republican candidate Dori Healey currently holds the seat for State Representative 15B and, as an advanced practice nurse, combined with her prior experience in the legislature, she says there's still more she wants to accomplish in the house.
Healey (R) says, "I've been very successful getting a lot of legislation across that affects all Idahoans. We've been able to increase providers in the areas, reduce barriers. I've run legislation to protect our elderly, reduce barriers in nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities assisted living, you name it, and I have a lot more things I still want to do."
Democratic candidate Shari Baber has been a resident of Idaho since the early '90s. She's the founder of the non-profit Brown Like Me, a salon owner, and is president of Boise's annual Soul Food Festival.
"I teach the children in our mentorship program that if you can see it, you can be it and so it was kind of twofold for me what made me decide and what I bring to the table is I have the ability to listen to what's important to people and try to bring those concerns to fruition find a solution for what they see as a problem," Baber said.
Baber says her three main issues are taxpayer money remaining in public education, more housing affordability, and women's and gender-affirming healthcare.
She says, "Healthcare should be decided by the patient and the physician I don't think the state has a place in that. I also believe in gender-affirming healthcare, I think that we're trying to keep kids alive, and I believe that gender-affirming healthcare is just like any other healthcare."
Healey does not support gender-affirming care for children and says she is pro-life. She says her focus is on mental health in schools, skilled nursing, and assisted living legislation.
Healey says, "I see the discrepancies in healthcare all across. I see patients around Boise, within a hundred-mile radius and so I get to see what they're experiencing in their homes, the lack of healthcare that they have anywhere from medication coverage to healthcare coverage and all of that. That's something I get to bring back as a perspective and offer to our other legislatures and let them know what our Idahoans are truly experiencing."
Election Day is coming quickly on Nov. 5, but early voting is taking place right now, so you can still cast your ballot ahead of the lines.
