BoCo Dems host state school superintendent candidate Becky Sundin in Sandpoint
April 25, 2026
By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff
Though most Idaho voters’ eyes are on the Tuesday, May 19 primary elections, candidates for uncontested offices are still out campaigning — including Becky Sundin, the Democrat who is challenging Republican incumbent Debbie Critchfield for the office of Idaho superintendent of public instruction in November.
Sundin, who holds a doctorate and was 2018 Idaho Teacher of the Year, will be in Sandpoint on Saturday, April 25 for a meet-and-greet and teacher appreciation event from 1:30-3:30 p.m. in the Sandpoint Center community room (414 Church St.).
With an education career spanning more than 25 years, Sundin has been a Nampa resident and teacher in Idaho since 2009.
Becky Sundin. Courtesy photo
“Idaho families want public schools that work, and they want a leader who will fight for them,” she stated. “I’m running to be that leader, focused on results like stronger reading outcomes and making sure every student gets the support they need, including fully funded special education.”
A 1998 graduate of Northwest Nazarene University, Sundin earned a master’s degree in science education from Montana State University-Bozeman in 2005 and an Ed.D. in curriculum, instruction and assessment from Walden University in 2022.
Her Teacher of the Year award came from a field of more than 18,000 educators statewide, and in that role she represented Idaho teachers at the White House, including meeting with then-U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, and in Idaho has served on commissions and spoke before the Idaho Senate Education Committee and the State Board of Education.
“Dr. Sundin is a career classroom teacher who has done the work, day in and day out, for Idaho kids,” stated Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea. “That’s a clear contrast with the current superintendent, who has never been a full-time classroom teacher. Idaho students and educators deserve leadership from someone who understands what it takes from the front of the room.”
In December, prior to Sundin’s announcement that she would seek the office, Necochea said the Idaho Democrats would put extra emphasis on the superintendent’s race, telling Boise-based IdahoEdNews that, “It’s the statewide office we’ve held most recently as a party. It’s the race that we’ve come the closest to winning statewide in recent cycles.”
Critchfield was elected as state superintendent in 2023 and previously served as president of the State Board of Education. Critchfield, Sundin and Constitution Party candidate Teresa Roundy will appear on the November general election ballot.
Specific issues addressed by Democrats include “growing pressure from voucher schemes” in Idaho, “and renewed political attacks on the federal resources that help students succeed.”
“I’ve seen the best of what Idaho public education can offer, and I’ve seen what happens when politics gets in the way of serving students,” Sundin stated. “Instead of distractions and rapid rule changes, we should be using data to improve instruction, funding schools responsibly and building schools where every student is prepared for college, careers and the future.”
For more info, go to becky4idaho.com.
To learn more about the Bonner County Democrats, or to get involved, contact [email protected] or visit bonnercountydemocrats.org.
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