Democrat Terri Pickens announces bid for Idaho governor’s office
November 13, 2025
By Reader Staff
Though the 2026 election is about a year away, Boise lawyer and small business owner Terri Pickens announced Nov. 10 that she would seek the office of Idaho governor.
Running as a Democrat, Pickens stated in an announcement that she is, “answering the call to lead during a time of conflict and fear. For too long, politicians have ignored us and we just can’t go on this way. We need to change course and elect leaders who listen, who act and who won’t bend the knee to billionaires.”
Founding partner of Boise-based Pickens Law, Pickens ran unsuccessfully as a Democrat for Idaho lieutenant governor in 2022, earning 178,147 votes for 30.48% against Scott Bedke, who won with 376,269 votes, or 64.38%.
Since then, she’s remained a vocal critic of Idaho Republican Gov. Brad Little, the Republican legislative caucus, the Idaho Republican-dominated Idaho congressional delegation and, increasingly since the 2024 election, how Idaho Republican leaders have fallen in lockstep with President Donald Trump.
Terri Pickens. File photo
Pickens is a graduate of USC and the University of Idaho College of Law, and in practice represents construction clients and others. She lives in Boise and is the mother of two.
In a launch statement Nov. 10, she singled out “a lawless billionaire class that has captured our government and is plundering our state and national coffers.”
According to her campaign, “Giving up freedom for the illusion of security has always been a slippery slope. An autocratic virus in the extreme wing of the Republican Party has become a full-blown fascist movement.”
Going on, she referred to government surveillance, the loss of bodily sovereignty to “anti-science zealots,” and programs for the poor, elderly and veterans “being robbed by billionaires.”
“Civil rights for the LGBTQA community and people of color are under constant threat,” her campaign added. “And Idaho’s governor shrugs when ICE troopers take Idaho citizens captive at gunpoint — and hold them until the federal government decides to stop holding them.”
“I still believe in Idaho,” Pickens stated. “I know we are decent, courageous and independent. We are strong together and together we will reclaim our future.”
The Pickens campaign will host an official launch event Thursday, Nov. 20 in Boise. Those interested in attending can visit her social media pages or terriforidaho.com.
Follow the campaign on social media at @TerriForIdaho.
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