By Rep. Lauren Necochea, D-Boise
Reader Contributor
Idaho Democrats are underdogs fighting for underdogs. We want strong public schools in every neighborhood, not just affluent towns. We want the next generation to have career opportunities with household-sustaining wages in every zip code. We want homes, child care and other necessities to be affordable. We want fair taxes for working families, not more cuts for the ultra-wealthy. We want girls and women to have access to the medical care they need and not have intimate decisions dictated by politicians.
As underdogs, we must outwork the competition. And boy, have we! This election cycle, we knocked on doors 144,000 times, called 133,000 voters and made “get-out-the-vote” efforts in every county in Idaho.
Unfortunately, our candidates were swept up in a national wave that leaned heavily toward MAGA Republicanism, pushing results several points beyond polling expectations and costing us races that should have been within our grasp.
Rep. Lauren Necochea. File photo.
The diligent work of Idaho Democrats curbed the Republican surge in key districts. On the bright side, Sen. Ron Taylor and Rep. Steve Berch won tight races and will continue their excellent work for their constituents. Nevertheless, Democrats lost three seats in the Legislature and some close county races. This included heartbreaking losses where we had 49% or 48% of the vote.
Our battleground races were always going to be tight. Presidential election years favor Republicans and bring out voters who are less familiar with local candidates. The recent influx of conservative migration has shifted Idaho’s electorate further right, beyond traditional conservative values. Compounding this, out-of-state, billionaire-backed groups poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into misleading attack ads against our candidates because we oppose wasteful school voucher schemes.
I’m deeply grateful to the Idaho Democrats for volunteering, running for office and donating in historic numbers. We do this not because the task is easy but because we know what’s at stake: The future prosperity of Idaho. LAUNCH scholarships propelling the next generation into good jobs with good wages are at risk of being eliminated by the GOP supermajority. We face the threat of costly voucher schemes ripping resources away from under-funded neighborhood schools. Republican lawmakers appear determined to repeal Medicaid expansion, taking health care away from 84,000 Idahoans. At least four women have died due to extreme abortion bans like Idaho’s, yet Republican politicians refuse to budge.
Most Idahoans agree with Democrats on major issues, even if we didn’t get their votes. We must all raise our voices and advocate for better policies than the GOP supermajority intends to deliver.
In politics, wins and losses aren’t permanent. We will redouble our efforts and come back stronger. The fight for our freedoms and our futures is far from over.
Rep. Lauren Necochea is the House assistant Democratic leader, representing District 19 in Boise on the Environment, Energy and Technology; Resources and Conservation; Revenue and Taxation; and Ways and Means committees.
