Idaho races to watch for 2024 general election: 1st Congressional District

The U.S. Capitol Building is seen on Oct. 22, 2021, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Editor’s note: The Idaho Capital Sun will publish responses to this candidate survey for Idaho’s 2nd Congressional District on Monday.

U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher, a Republican who has represented Idaho’s 1st Congressional District for three terms, is facing three challengers in the November general election.

Idaho’s 1st Congressional District — home to roughly 1 million people — splits Ada County, includes some of Boise and spans the state’s western border through the Idaho panhandle in the north.

Since 2000, only one Democrat has been elected to represent the district, for one term.

This year, Idaho’s 1st Congressional District is a race between:

• Republican Party: Russ Fulcher
• Democratic Party: Kaylee Peterson
• Libertarian Party: Matt Loesby
• Constitution Party: Brendan J. Gomez

Since 2018, when Fulcher was first elected after winning 62.8% of votes, he received a growing share of votes in future re-election bids.

In 2022, Fulcher secured his third-term, with 71.3% of votes. That year, Peterson — who is now running again against Fulcher — received 26.3% of votes.

The Idaho Capital Sun reached out to all four candidates vying for the U.S. House of Representative seat and asked them six questions about Idaho policies. All responded, except for Gomez.

Here’s what the candidates said.

1. What are the top three issues you hope to address in Congress if elected?

Fulcher:

• INFLATION: By holding the line on unnecessary spending, and spurring economic growth with steps like renewing the tax cuts & jobs act and re-engaging on an aggressive, “all of the above” domestic energy program.
• BORDER SECURITY: By reinstating rule of law on our southern border. Homeland security threats need to be screened and stopped prior to entry, as do the cartel activity that results in human and drug trafficking.
• RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: We have all the resources we need for critical mineral and energy independence, right here in America … and we have the technology to harvest it more efficiently and environmentally responsible than anyone else in the world. We can eliminate dependence on our enemies and improve global environmental conditions. NEPA (national Environment Policy Act) reform and policies such as my Good Neighbor Authority Act bill – are examples of steps in the right direction.

Peterson: Government accountability, an economy that works for middle-class families, and healthcare, including reproductive rights.

Loesby:

1. Military Deployments: Our sons and daughters have been scattered around the globe, protecting foreign governments and corporate interests rather than the American people and land they signed up to defend. I will honor their oaths by obeying my own, and exercising the power of the purse to see them brought home.
2. Immigration: This administration has abdicated its duty to carefully vet foreigners who are coming into America, to remove those who commit crimes against Americans, and to prevent uninvited foreigners from entering the country. I will propose a replacement for the current immigration system, whereby American landowners can invite foreigners to immigrate, while taking responsibility for any debts incurred, government aid received, or crimes committed by those they invite. This will decentralize the decisions regarding who may immigrate away from the Federal Government, and put them in the hands of people who have a strong incentive to vet immigrants well.
3. Regulation and Bureaucracy: The Federal Government has too many departments with too many employees whose job is to interfere in the lives of ordinary Americans. I would abolish almost all of them and cut the funding of what’s left by 90%.

Can you vote in this race?

Find which congressional district you live in on the Census Bureau’s website.

Idaho’s 1st Congressional District — which U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher, R-Idaho, currently represents — splits Ada County, includes some of Boise and spans the state’s western border. The district includes the entire counties of Owyhee, Canyon, Payette, Gem, Boise, Washington, Valley, Adams, Idaho, Lewis, Nez Perce, Clearwater, Latah, Benewah, Shoshone, Kootenai, Bonner and Boundary.

Find more demographic information about Idaho’s 1st Congressional District on the Census Bureau’s website .

U.S. House of Representatives terms are two years.

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2. Idaho relies on water for its agriculture and energy, and now faces longer and more severe wildfire seasons. What federal policies do you support to address the state’s vulnerability to climate change?

Fulcher: More local control of the lands and water within Idaho’s borders. The vast majority of wildfire damage in Idaho occurs on unmanaged federally controlled land. Environmental devastation and horrendous fire suppression costs are the result. Empowering more local stakeholder control is the answer to this problem. Local, state, and tribal leaders have the knowledge, expertise, and desire to engage with land owners, sportsmen, farmers, and ranchers to responsibly manage the resources under our feet. I have focused (with some success) on legislative efforts to improve this situation, knowing that those who live on the land are better suited to take care of it than some bureaucracy in Washington, DC.

Water management practices should also be handled locally as much as possible. Idaho leaders have historically been much more responsive, and fair, than their distant federal counterparts. My efforts in Washington, DC will continue to try to drive the decision-making process to stakeholders within the state.

Peterson: Idaho’s agriculture and energy sectors are the lifeblood of our state, and they both rely heavily on our water resources. With climate change bringing longer and more severe wildfire seasons, it’s clear we need to take serious, innovative steps to protect our state’s future. That means embracing federal policies that invest in sustainable water management, wildfire prevention, and properly funding and staffing the agencies on the front lines.

First, we need to strengthen support for programs that help our farmers adapt to drought and unpredictable weather patterns. Federal investments in irrigation infrastructure, water storage, and conservation practices are critical to protecting Idaho’s agricultural economy. Protecting Idaho’s water and watersheds are possible through legislation like the Clean Water Act and Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act.

Second, we must do more to both prevent and fight wildfires. The Modernizing Wildfire Safety and Prevention Act addresses devastating firefighter shortages, retains wildland firefighters, improves fire response times with new technology, and addresses the public health crisis in communities affected by smoke.

Loesby: I support the transfer of Federal lands to State ownership, and State lands to private citizens as much as possible. Bureaucrats and politicians in a swamp on the east coast will never be as effective at protecting our people, homes, and property from wildfires than we can be ourselves.

3. Which abortion-related policies do you support or oppose? Should abortion policy be a federal or state issue?

Fulcher: I have a long history at both the state and federal level of supporting the Pro-Life position. I also support the recent Supreme Court Ruling to return the authority on the issue to states.

Peterson: As a working mom, I believe decisions about pregnancy are deeply personal and should be made by women, in consultation with their families and doctors—not by politicians. We need federal legislation that ensures every woman in America has that same right.

I oppose efforts to criminalize abortion or restrict access to care, especially in extreme cases like rape, incest, or when a woman’s life is at risk. Recent attempts to prevent emergency physicians from treating pregnant patients under EMTALA has already put lives in danger. Idaho women risk sepsis, loss of reproductive organs and fertility, and death. The 1st District has already lost three labor & delivery wards, 22% of our OB/GYNs, and 50% of our maternal fetal specialists. A recent study found that a majority of those who remain in Idaho are considering leaving or retiring because of our strict and over-reaching legislation.

We need clear, nationwide protections for reproductive rights so that no matter where a woman lives—whether it’s Idaho or another state—she has access to the care she needs.

At the end of the day, my stance is simple: I trust women to make the best decisions for themselves and their families.

Loesby: Abortion is an act of homicide. Since homicide is not a topic on which Congress has been granted the authority to legislate, that power is reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

4. States Newsroom found Congress only passed 78 laws so far this year, a fraction compared to previous years. How do you propose a more functional Congress that would work toward bipartisan solutions?

Fulcher: The appropriate measure of Congressional success is not the number of laws passed, but rather the content of those laws, and the content of laws repealed or rejected. The bipartisan nature of Congress is rooted in the fact that about half of the members support the traditional governing model established by our Founders: Independence, liberty, personal ownership, and free markets. The other half (approximately), believe the traditional governing model is outdated, and we should migrate to a more western European style system of socialism, where government has more power to distribute wealth. I fall strongly into the former category. Like many members, I expend relentless efforts to work with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, but not at the expense of sacrificing the principles of our Founders. Sometimes we can find ways to work together and sometimes it just comes down to a majority vote. That’s what makes us a democratic republic.

Peterson: This session has been the least productive Congress since the Civil War. It’s clear that Washington is stuck in a cycle of partisan bickering and gridlock. Idahoans, like folks across the country, just want real solutions to the issues that affect their daily lives — whether it’s the cost of living, healthcare, or protecting our natural resources. To make that happen, we need a Congress that’s willing to work together.

I believe we can build a more functional Congress by focusing on a few key principles. We need to return to the idea of compromise. Bipartisanship doesn’t mean abandoning your principles; it means finding common ground. I come from a working-class background where we solve problems by talking to each other, not shouting past one another. That’s what I would bring to Congress — an ability to listen and work with people, regardless of party, to find practical solutions.

Most importantly, we need to hold politicians accountable to their constituents, not special interests or party leadership. Congress should be focused on what everyday Americans need, not on partisan point-scoring or ensuring their next PAC contribution. Comprehensive campaign finance reform and ending Citizens United should be a priority.

Loesby: Bipartisan solutions are often the worst kind of legislation. The Democrats want to increase social spending; the Republicans want to increase military spending. Both want to increase corporate subsidies and regulations. They compromise to reach a bipartisan solution that increases all of the above.

As Tacitus said two millennia ago: “The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.” I would hope to see more laws abolished than added in any year. Laws should only go into effect if there is real desire for their specific effects across the whole country, not just in the dominant political regime.

5. The U.S. Supreme Court has come under heightened scrutiny in recent years, particularly following reporting about undisclosed gifts for sitting justices. Do you believe the nation’s highest court should be reformed, including through an enforceable code of ethics? Please explain.

Fulcher: The scrutiny is nothing new. Liberal courts are scrutinized by conservatives and conservative courts are scrutinized by liberals. The ethics rules appropriately apply regardless of which direction the court leans, and will usually be deemed inadequate by the minority position. The bottom line is that justices must go through the process of being appointed and confirmed by elected officials that are accountable to the people. I support that process, as well retaining a 9 member court. However, it’s also important to underscore that to be fair and effective, ethics rules must be enforced equally, regardless of the political “bent” of a court.

Peterson: The U.S. Supreme Court plays a critical role in our democracy, and it’s essential that the American people have full confidence in its fairness and integrity. When we hear about undisclosed gifts and potential conflicts of interest involving sitting justices, it undermines that trust. No one — no matter how powerful — should be above transparency and accountability, especially not those who interpret our nation’s laws.

That’s why I believe the Supreme Court, like every other branch of government, should be held to the highest ethical standards. We need an enforceable code of ethics for the justices, one that includes clear guidelines on transparency, conflicts of interest, and recusal from cases where impartiality could be questioned.

I also support reforms that increase transparency around financial disclosures and outside influences. The American people deserve to know that their justices are making decisions based on the law and the Constitution, not on personal or financial relationships.

The people of Idaho are tired of seeing those in positions of power and privilege shirk responsibility and the law with no accountability or consequence, I will fight for that accountability through both a code of ethics and proper enforcement.

Loesby: The Supreme Court is an independent, co-equal branch of government. Congress has a check on its power through the process of impeachment. I would be willing to impeach a Justice if that Justice had cast votes which clearly contradicted the Constitution, as it was intended to be interpreted by those who wrote its terms.

6. The vast majority of Idahoans — 74% — say cost of living and inflation are their top economic concerns, according to Boise State University’s annual Idaho Public Policy Survey. How would you work in Congress to address these issues?

Fulcher : America is +/- $35 trillion in debt, and Inflation is the result of excess government spending, so we have to start there: We should pass current legislation that caps federal spending at pre-COVID levels, plus an allowance for citizen population growth. Then we also need to ramp up our domestic economic engine. The combined effort of spending reductions plus economic growth is a winning combination. We need to renew the tax cuts and jobs act, and empower responsible, environmentally friendly, domestic energy and natural resource policies. Due to our vast underutilization of resources, this will have a positive effect on the American economy, but an inordinately positive effect in Idaho.

Peterson: In Congress, I would focus on a few key areas to address these economic challenges. First, we need to tackle the root causes of inflation by strengthening our supply chains and reducing dependence on foreign goods. Too often, we’re at the mercy of global disruptions. By investing in American manufacturing, agriculture, and energy production — including right here in Idaho — we can help lower costs and create good-paying jobs at the same time.

Second, I’d push for policies that directly help working families. Expanding tax credits for families, like the Child Tax Credit, can provide immediate relief. We also need to invest in affordable housing so more Idahoans can afford a place to call home without being priced out by skyrocketing rents or home prices.

Lastly, Congress continues failing to hold massive corporations accountable for price-fixing, price-gouging, and monopolizing markets that Idaho families rely on. Despite inflation going down, prices continue to rise and sizes continue to get smaller. Anti-trust legislation and enforcement will break monopolies and bring competition back to our market, allowing small businesses and entrepreneurs a chance to compete and forcing the market to compete for business, bringing prices down for everyday Idahoans.

Loesby: The Federal Reserve and the Congress are the two greatest causes of monetary inflation and increases in the cost of living for ordinary people. The Federal Reserve uses the money printer to transfer our wealth to the people who own and run corporate banks. The Congress spends trillions of dollars per year on destructive projects, borrowing money from the Federal Reserve to finance $10,000,000,000 a day in deficit spending.

I would look to see the Federal Reserve abolished, to return to a monetary system backed by real assets like gold and silver. In pursuit of that, I would seek to drastically cut government spending in every arena, substantially reduce taxes to match, and stop the government stealing our prosperity to benefit the friends of politicians.

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