Update on 2C Dem Legislative Candidates
Bob Solomon, D10 Senate (Star/Middleton/Caldwell), website, rsruok@gmail.com. Bob's set a high goal for doors knocked and needs your help every Saturday with door knocking.
Toni Ferro, D11 Senate (Caldwell), website, toni@ferroforidaho.org. Over 3680 doors have been knocked with a goal of 6000. Toni likes company when she knocks on doors. Toni is currently knocking on doors 6 hours daily. Toni needs your help knocking 940 doors. Only available evenings for volunteering? Think about making phone calls. We've got a system with computer dialing that makes the work go faster.
Rob Scoville, D11A House (Caldwell), website, robert@scovilleforidaho.org. Rob is walking and knocking most evenings at 5 pm and every Saturday at 10 am. Contact Rob for volunteer opportunities.
Marisela Pesina, D11B House (Caldwell), website, mariselapesina@yahoo.com. Contact Marisela for volunteer opportunities.
Mik Lose, D23 Senate (Melba/Nampa/Kuna), campaign FB page.
David Roth - Democratic U.S. Senate Candidate
David Roth grew up in Idaho Falls. He is the father of two sons adopted in 2017 after serving as their foster parent. He lives in the home where he spent much of his childhood, just a few blocks from the home he grew up in and where his mother and grandmother still live. David is the Executive Director of the Bonneville Youth Development Council in Idaho Falls. BYDC has been serving the community for over 20 years as it seeks to reduce substance use among youth. David is involved in his community. He is the treasurer for Community Coalitions of Idaho a statewide organization with a mission similar to BYDC. He also serves on the board of the Idaho Falls Affiliate of Habitat for Humanity and the Idaho Falls Soup Kitchen.
He has been actively involved in politics since 2006. He has served as a Precinct Captain, Legislative District Vice-Chair, and most recently as the Chair of the Bonneville County Democrats. He ran for the Idaho State Legislature in 2020. David decided to run for the U.S. Senate after discussing with others the concerns that he saw for our country if we continue with a deadlocked congress. He believes that we need people in our government that are looking for solutions rather than looking for ways to obstruct.
He firmly believes that the notion of a “safe seat” is the enemy of democracy. Every politician should feel that every vote and debate is a job interview for their next election. They must feel that they have to earn their seat every day.
David believes that everyday Idahoans are doing great things and that we must show the connection between the work that is being done in our communities and our relationship to elected officials. These boots-on-the- ground community leaders are accomplishing great things in spite of our government. Imagine what we could do working together.
Visit his website and campaign FB page.
Stephen Heidt - Democratic Idaho Governor Candidate
Being a politician is a lot like being a teacher, or at least it should be. Teachers teach us new ways to look at the world around us and our lives. They are agents of change. Whether the Mayor of Pocatello, the President of the United States, or the Governor of Idaho, a leader can be a role model for change. This has been my job for nearly 15 years as a teacher in Idaho’s Prison System. With education comes opportunity for better employment. With better employment come the opportunities for better healthcare and housing you can afford. My goal is to have our education system move from the bottom tier in the country to the top. This is an urgent change that Idaho needs now. Voting for me means real lasting change for you and working families. Idaho needs an agent of change! Idaho, here I am!!
Visit his website and campaign FB page.
Kaylee Peterson - Democratic U.S. House District 1 Candidate
I am a sixth-generation Idahoan with deep roots in Idaho and the First District. My great-great-great grandparents homesteaded in what is now the Eagle foothills. I still live on that land, on a street named for my great-grandfather. I have been married to Trevor Peterson for 10 years and have two children.
I am a leader who believes in public service. As President of the College of Western Idaho’s debate team, I have learned to think deeply about issues and to speak with clarity and conviction. These attributes will make me a strong advocate and a reasoned, bipartisan voice in Congress.
I am finishing a double major in Political Science and Criminal Justice, and am the Chief of Staff for the Associated Students of CWI. I serve on the College Council Executive Board and the Idaho Students Association’s Legislative Council, and organize volunteers for the Idaho Office on Refugees.
Government and politics have always been a big part of my life, though I never thought I’d run for office. But over the last few years, as I have seen our beloved Idaho torn apart by divisiveness, extremism and even violence, I knew it was time for me to step up.
The incumbent is a poster child for right-wing extremism. I will be a voice for reason, collaboration, bipartisanship and principled compromise. He puts loyalty to party and ideology ahead of his constituents. My first and only job will be to serve you. I ask for your support, and for your vote in November.
Visit her website and campaign FB page.
Terri Pickens Manweiler - Democratic Lieutenant Governor Candidate
I am running for Lieutenant Governor for many reasons. Most importantly, I am running because it is time for change in Idaho. For too long Idahoans have voted against their own interests, assuming that the people they vote for will have their best interests at heart simply because of the party affiliation next to their names. For many years, I believed the elected leaders in Idaho shared my values and that they genuinely cared about me. For the past four or five years, that belief has been absolutely shattered. I now see that in order to have a state with leaders that respect my values and the values of most Idahoans, I needed to be a voice for all of us. A voice of reason. A voice of humility. And a voice for change. It’s time.
Visit her website and campaign FB page.
Terry Gilbert - Democratic State Superintendent of Public Instruction Candidate
If we have not met yet, allow me to introduce myself. I am a life-long educator – a teacher, a mentor and a public education advocate. I was the first in my family to go to college, and worked various jobs to support myself, from paper boy in our communities to choke setter in the woods. After graduation, I began my career in rural Idaho schools, and for 45 years I have been immersed in education at all levels. I am still in touch with many of my former students.
Public schools are the heartbeat of Idaho’s communities, and strong communities start with strong schools. I am running for State Superintendent of Public Instruction to give a voice to Idaho parents, teachers, students, and everyone who is tired of the Idaho Legislature year after year shirking its Constitutional mandate to adequately fund our public schools, even after the courts ordered them to.
Visit his website and campaign FB page.
Tom Arkoosh - Democratic State Attorney General Candidate
I am not a politician. I grew up on a family farm in Gooding. After my education and life experiences, I have practiced law in Idaho for 44 years. I am a counselor, litigator, and lawyer. I want to emphasize I am a counselor, litigator, and lawyer. Over the course of my career, I have successfully practiced water law, civil litigation, criminal law – both prosecution and defense – commercial law and natural resources and administrative law. This is why I feel qualified to hold this office. When it comes to legal experience, ability, and independence, there is a vast difference between my opponent and me. As to each of these qualifications, I am well-prepared to lead the office. He does not have that experience.
In my capacity as a lawyer, three constants will abide in my candidacy:
First, as a lawyer, I know who my client would be, the People of the state of Idaho. Not a political party, special interests, or myself, but the People of the state of Idaho. This election is about the people of the State of Idaho. I took on this challenge because I believe the People of the state of Idaho deserve a choice about who their lawyer should be.
I have no political ambitions. Unlike my opponent, I do not believe in the “big lie.” I respect the sanctity of elections and will not spend the Attorney General Office’s budget propounding crank lawsuits against the Federal government. I am instead focused on such things as the Public Utilities Commission, Water Resources, the Industrial Commission, the Department of Agriculture, and the like, things that matter. Growing up on a farm, I soon learned what you all know, success results from tending the fields at home and not in wasting time in town with the unproductive political gossips.
Second, like all decent lawyers, I esteem the rule of law. One finds the guidebook in the Federal and State Constitutions, the Idaho statues, and the cases interpreting these honored documents. Any inquiry made of me will reference this rule of law and this guidebook. I will suffer no place in the People’s law office for politics or political ambition. The focus must be sharply upon the guidebook I have described for you, and the execution must be crisp. You will not see from me fuddled interpretations of the law or the duties of the Attorney General to appease culture wars, crackpot pseudo-science, or future disgruntled voting blocks. I cannot take an oath of office as a promise to the client, the People, with my fingers crossed.
As I said: I am running for Attorney General to be the People’s lawyer. By contrast, the other candidate in this race is a shameless political opportunist, the kind of political conflict creator that illustrates so much of what is wrong with our politics. He will make decisions on the basis of what he thinks will advance his political career, not what the law requires or is best for Idaho. I would not be running if I did not think he will destroy the decades-long tradition of a good lawyer serving as the state’s top lawyer. If you want controversy and conflict – he’s your guy. If you want competence, I hope you’ll consider my candidacy.
Finally, this I believe: the true conservative Idaho bent, whatever the party, protects individualism and the absence of government interference. The term has been co-opted, stolen, in the culture wars by political operatives, including my opponent. Make no mistake, they desire to inspire mindless tribalism to invade how we feel and how we live. Conservativism truly means an Idahoan can say “it ain’t nobodies’ business but my own.” As your lawyer, I promise protection of that ideal.
Visit his website and campaign FB page.
Deborah Silver - Democratic State Treasurer Candidate
Deborah Silver is a certified public accountant who has worked as an auditor for a national accounting firm. Deborah is a graduate of Boise State University. “Idahoans deserve a treasurer with the technical skills to oversee our state’s finances. As a seasoned accountant, Deborah Silver has the qualifications voters can trust.” - Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea.
Visit her campaign FB page.
Bob Solomon - Democratic District 10 Senate Candidate
Meet Bob. Bob Solomon is a servant leader who has dedicated his career to understanding and strengthening his community.
Core to Bob’s values is his Christian faith, which has shaped his ideas about building community. Bob believes our community is where folks can come together to solve big problems, embrace individual freedoms, and strengthen one another through their differences.
No matter where you find Bob – in his profession as a school counselor, serving as a church leader, writing columns for Healthy Families Nampa, or jamming out with his blues band – his life is rooted in service, joy, and stewardship.
Bob’s greatest accomplishment has been raising four kids and watching them all graduate from Middleton High School and the University of Idaho, with plenty of camping trips in our great public lands taken along the way.
Visit his website and campaign FB page.
Toni Ferro - Democratic District 11 Senate Candidate
When I graduated from Caldwell High School in 1989, the population of Caldwell was 18,000 people and Idaho was about to reach 1 million. Today the population of Caldwell is approaching 60,000 and Idaho is home to 1.8 million people. This kind of growth brings a lot of change that Idaho's legislature is not recognizing and not prepared to address. My background has prepared me to help Idaho meet the needs of the future.
After graduating from Caldwell High School, I earned an Engineering degree from the University of Redlands. Then I went to work in the high-tech industry. I spent twelve years at Intel Corporation managing projects with team members located around the world. My time at Intel showed me the importance of focusing on the real needs of people, forecasting into the future, and budgeting appropriately.
I left Intel to study Human Centered Design and Engineering at the University of Washington. While earning my doctorate I taught undergraduate students and conducted research into the relationship between technology and society.
During graduate school I also became an active member of the union that advocated for student workers. I got to see first hand how access to education changes people's circumstances. And I got to see how important it is for working people to have a seat at the table while negotiating policy.
Now, I am working to make Idaho a better place for Idaho's working people. To bring Idaho into the future, we need a legislature that is laser focused on the real needs of their constituents. We need legislators who believe in the power of education and will work to strengthen our education system, who will stand up for a fair tax system that doesn't disproportionately hurt working people, and who will work to make sure that Idaho's infrastructure keeps pace with its growth.
I will be on the ballot as a Democrat in November because the imbalance in Idaho's politics has gone too far. The leadership in Boise has underfunded our schools, passed a bill that caused property taxes to skyrocket for homeowners, and hasn't invested in our roads and transportation systems so they keep pace with our growth.
Visit her website and campaign FB page.
Robert Scoville - Democratic District 11 House Seat A Candidate
I am running for your House of Representatives in District 11 because every Idahoan deserves respectful representation that serves the public interest. Building relationships and creating opportunities for positive growth will resolve many of the issues facing our community.
I am running to represent you because education in public administration has taught me the tools necessary to lead, inspire, and manage the many unique challenges in our state.
I am running to represent Caldwell because your children deserve adequate educational funding for students, teachers, and facilities. I plan to fight for access to your public lands, end the grocery tax, and decrease our overburdened correctional system.
Visit his website and campaign FB page.
Marisela Pesina - Democratic District 11 House Seat B Candidate
Join your favorite amigos Javi & Daniel as they kick off Season 3 with a special guest Marisela Pesina. In this episode you will hear about Marisela's upbringing, family life, her campaign, and so much more!
I’m the daughter of migrant farm workers and I know firsthand the value of hard work and determination to provide for one's family. As a young child, I worked on sugar beet and onion farms in Notus to help provide for my family. Although, I didn’t always see eye-to-eye with my father, since I always wanted to be in the classroom and he wanted me working. And as a young Latina, work is all I knew. But I wanted to do more, I wanted to become educated.
I count myself extremely fortunate that I got my opportunity with the Head Start program. The Head Start program was my golden ticket for early education. Through this experience I realized the importance of access to high quality educational opportunities for low income students. Unfortunately, our state has since been depriving countless children the resources they need to thrive in school. This is why we need to join together — parents and teachers, Black, White, and Brown — we can make every neighborhood public school a place where all children can learn, grow, and thrive. This is why I am committed to ensuring that our schools and children have the resources they need to grow.
Besides education, protecting our public lands is of the utmost importance to me as well. Growing up my family didn’t have the leisure to go on many trips, but when we did we went on camping trips to the Sawtooth mountains. I enjoyed all the beautiful mountains, trails, fishing areas, and campsites the Sawtooth mountains had to offer. I treasure the memories I made here and the beautiful scenery I got to enjoy. Sadly, today many corporations and extremely wealthy individuals are buying up our public lands and taking away precious views that our future generations won’t be able to see. We need to protect our public lands to ensure that our future generations can enjoy all those special moments we had as kids.
Visit her website and campaign FB page.
Mik Lose - Democratic District 23 Senate Candidate
Mik Lose is seeking to serve the residents of Idaho’s District 23 in the Idaho State Senate.
Visit his campaign FB page.
