District 31 House Seat A candidates answers questions

BLACKFOOT — Two Blackfoot natives, David Cannon and Chad Cole, are going head-to-head for the District 31 House Seat A Republican nomination. Rep. Neil Anderson, R-Blackfoot, announced he’s not seeking re-election this year.

To learn more about the candidate’s platform, EastIdahoNews.com sent the same seven questions to each Legislative candidate. Their responses were required to be 250 words or less. Their answers are listed below.

More information on Cannon can be found on his website and Facebook page.

More information on Cole can be found on his Facebook page.

Candidate Questions:

Tell us about yourself. Please include information about your family, career, education, volunteer work and any prior experience in public office.

Cannon: I am a product of southeast Idaho. My parents, John and Alice (Schindler) Cannon, were both born on February 6, 1936, in Blackfoot. My five brothers, my sister and I learned how to work at job sites of the family construction company, Cannon Structures, Inc. We learned that recently-poured concrete did not take Christmas Day off — and neither could the crew charged with keeping it warm! I had no fondness for those bitter, cold workdays. Yet, looking back, I am somehow filled with fond memories!

I graduated from Blackfoot High School (go Broncos!) in 1987. I served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Argentina. I studied economics at Brigham Young University and graduated from the University of Utah College of Law in 1995. I have practiced law in Blackfoot ever since.

My wife, Lisa, and I have four wonderful children: Justin (Anahi), Tyler (Neine), Rachel and Scott. We have one very spirited granddaughter, Haylee, with another due in September.

I have been a member of the Blackfoot Rotary (service) Club for over twenty years. I served as club president in 2013, the year the club put the Bronco statue at Blackfoot High School. I worked closely with the Blackfoot High School “We the People” team, which won Idaho state championships (and competed at nationals in Washington, D.C.) for ten consecutive years. And I fight cystic fibrosis through my work as race director of the Wolverine Canyon Marathon.

Cole: My wife and I have been married 37 years and have seven children. Eleven of my grandchildren live in this legislative district and represent a significant factor in my decision to run for public office. I worked for the State of Idaho for over ten years before going on my own as a contract programmer over twenty years ago. I have been a volunteer in my church, the Boy Scouts and various school programs. I haven’t held any elected office.

What are your proudest accomplishments in your personal life or career?

Cole: Raising a family with my wife and seeing our children become successful adults.

Cannon: I am proud of my twenty-eight year (and counting!) marriage to my beautiful wife, Lisa. I am proud of our four amazing children, our two daughters-in-law and our precious granddaughter, Haylee. My family is my greatest joy!

I am proud, too, of qualifying for, running in and finishing the Boston Marathon. The warm weather took more out of me than I anticipated. Thirteen miles in, I was “on pace” according to my stopwatch, but I could feel that I had very little left. The proverbial “wall” was approaching quickly! Over the last half of the marathon, every step seemed like an epic battle between forces urging me to throw in the towel and those encouraging me to take another step. I battled forward, through dehydration and disorientation. My nine-person “entourage” would tell me later that I ran past them. In my state, their cheers and yells did not so much as register with me!

I finished twenty-six minutes—a full minute per mile—after my “target” finish time. I was beaten, discouraged and disappointed.

The passage of time has helped me gain new perspective. True, it was not my day, and I did not achieve my goals. But, over the course of an hour-and-a-half facing physical and mental fatigue that had me on the brink, I chose with every step to “gut it out”…to finish the race.

Briefly explain your political platform and/or legislative goals if you are elected to office.

Cannon: As Americans and as Idahoans, our heritage is one of freedom…one of opportunity…one of prosperity! The fuel which has historically propelled us in our aspiration for freedom, opportunity and prosperity has been capitalism. Our embrace of capitalism has delivered freedom, opportunity and prosperity at levels which have not been obtained by any other nation in the history of the world!

And so it has been with surprise and disappointment that I have observed our collective drift away from the “Invisible Hand” of free-market private-sector capitalism and toward a misplaced faith in ever-bigger government to “solve” our problems and “improve” our lives.

Common Sense Conservatism looks to slow the drift…to stop the drift…to reverse the drift. Common Sense Conservatism looks to embrace the “Invisible Hand” of free-market private-sector capitalism to restore and build upon our heritage of freedom, opportunity and prosperity!

Cole: I support measures that strengthen family and community, adhere to constitutional principles, and promote cooperation, volunteer service and innovation.

What are the greatest challenges facing your district?

Cole: The effects of the current COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic and life-style changes that have resulted.

Cannon: Short-term, the greatest challenges facing Bingham County are the health-related and economic-related challenges of COVID-19. Our local, state and federal governments need to strike the proper balance between life-style choices that minimize health risks associated with the virus and opening things up again to allow people to work, to provide for their families and to move toward “normalization” of life.

Long-term, Bingham County’s greatest challenges are in creating a thriving economy and educating and otherwise preparing our youth so that they, too, will thrive in life.

How will you best represent the views of your constituents—even those with differing political views?

Cannon: My campaign is about sharing my beliefs and views and inviting people who share those views and beliefs to support my candidacy. If most people generally agree with the common sense conservatism principles I stand for, I’ll be elected, and that will be great! If too many people have a different worldview than I do, I will not be elected — and that will be okay, too.

If I am elected, I will listen to advocates for various positions with an open mind. I will weigh the cost and benefit of different actions. When it comes time to vote, I will vote consistent with what I believe is best for Bingham County.

This approach is, in my opinion, what the Founding Fathers envisioned when establishing our system of representative government.

Cole: I want to regularly connect with those in District 31 to understand their priorities and needs.

What is your philosophy on dealing with special interest groups and/or lobbyists?

Cole: Special interest groups and lobbyists can help bring a good overview of an issue, but should not be a primary influence for a representative’s vote on a particular issue.

Cannon: Special interest groups and lobbyists serve an important purpose. They are an important source of information and perspective. Legislation and public policy generally achieves certain benefits — at a certain cost. The job of a legislator is to weigh cost and benefit. In carrying out that job, it is helpful to hear from lobbyists and special interest groups. They have lots of information about the cause for which they advocate and are good at concisely communicating the selling points of their positions.

That said, there is a danger in substituting the view or position of the special interest group or lobbyist for the judgment of the legislator. It is the legislator, not the lobbyist and not the special interest group, who is elected by the people.

The legislator can and should hear from advocates on both (all) sides of a given issue. Then, the legislator should weigh cost and benefit and vote to achieve the best result for his or her constituents.

What are your views regarding the role of the media in covering Idaho’s political landscape?

Cannon: I believe in free speech and in the First Amendment. The media has an important role in terms of holding elected officials accountable by accurately reporting facts. The media is free to cover the political landscape as it sees fit. Ideally, media, which holds itself out to be unbiased and objective reports facts, actions and positions in a fair and objective way and lets the people make up their minds. To the extent that media has an opinion and wants to persuade, that is okay, too. Editorials and other opinion pieces are a long-standing part of the media’s involvement in covering the political landscape. Again, ideally, the media is transparent about its “agenda” when it editorializes.

Cole: The media can be helpful in bringing up all aspects of an issue under consideration.