GOP challengers take aim at Little in crowded primary

BOISE (IdahoEdNews.org) — A crowded field of Republican challengers — ranging from a saloon owner to a county commissioner — is mounting bids for governor, each offering sharply different critiques of state government and priorities for Idaho’s future.

While Gov. Brad Little remains the dominant figure in the race, several lesser-known candidates are campaigning on issues including education funding, local control, government transparency, immigration and marijuana legalization. Many frame their campaigns as outsider efforts to disrupt the status quo, though they vary widely in experience, fundraising and focus.

Here’s a closer look at the candidates and where they stand.

Gov. Brad Little

Little has been in the Statehouse since 2001, when former Gov. Dirk Kempthorne appointed him to the Senate.

He served as lieutenant governor and has been governor since 2018. He enters the race with President Donald Trump’s endorsement.

Little’s campaign funds outsize the competition, with about 10 times more in contributions than the next leading fundraiser in the pack, Mark Fitzpatrick.

Mark Fitzpatrick

Fitzpatrick says he decided to run for governor after a long period of prayer, citing concerns about “fraud, waste and corruption,” and a lack of transparency in government. He also entered the race believing no other candidate has a chance to unseat Little.

He gained attention in recent years for promoting “Heterosexual Awesomeness Month” at his bar — in opposition to Pride Month and the Boise Pride Festival.

At an April 21 Republican forum, Fitzpatrick said he would crack down on illegal immigration. He supports a smaller, more transparent government and private school tax credits, though he says the program should remain limited. He also wants to expand use of Idaho’s natural resources to increase revenue and address gaps in special education funding.

He told Idaho Education News he is less focused on education policies and more on strengthening families and parental responsibility in education.

Sean Crystal

Crystal supports legalizing marijuana. He runs Spectrum 710, a cannabis shop in Idaho Falls, and denounces political action committees and lobbyist spending.

Crystal’s platform includes financial accountability and transparency, easing the property tax burden on landowners, and improving education.

“We are washing millions of dollars across the border,” his campaign says of the state’s marijuana ban on the Ada County GOP website.

“If we can’t invest in our youth, what does our future look like?” Crystal said regarding funding for Idaho’s public schools. He supports private school tax credits.

Lisa Marie

Marie, a missing-children advocate from Eagle, feels the government has failed kids and needs sweeping reforms to how it treats them and tracks their lives.

“How many children were homeless? I couldn’t get that number,” she told EdNews. “How many children were beat up? We don’t know this … these numbers are not out there.”

Marie’s company, ReddRox Films, sells digital copies of her book, “The Hummingbird,” which is about missing children.

Marie is a perennial candidate in the Republican primary. She ran in 2018, when former Gov. Butch Otter opted not to run again. She also ran for U.S. Representative in 2016, when she was arrested for petty theft.

Ron James

James, a Teton County commissioner, is running for governor because he says Little wouldn’t discuss issues with Teton County’s board of commissioners after they reached out multiple times.

He feels legislators are making laws for their ideologies, not their constituents – and they aren’t cooperating.

“It’s like two mules on the opposite ends of a rope.”

James wants to restore county rights, which he said are being infringed upon by legislators in Boise. He was frustrated when Little signed House Bill 583, which limits counties’ ability to tax short-term rentals. James said it stifles the tourism taxes some counties rely on.

He believes teachers are “woefully underpaid,” because Teton County teachers cannot afford to live in Teton County. He also has an axe to grind with the Idaho Education Association.

“I support teachers being able to teach, not indoctrinate,” he told EdNews.

James wants to fund special education “as much as they want to be funded,” because he respects the work special education professionals do.

Justin Plante

A journeyman mechanic from Kimberly, Plante believes Idaho’s government needs repairs.

“All I’ve done is fix things my whole life. The government’s no different,” he said at the April Republican forum.

Plante is running for governor because it’s the fastest way to enact positive change, he said.

Plante wants school districts to have more flexibility with their funding, including using maintenance funds to pay teachers. If elected, he would implement a citizens’ task force composed of everyday people who advise state officials and search for wasteful spending.

Daniel Fowler

Fowler is a pest control professional from Texas. He moved to Idaho in 2020 for cooler weather.

“I’m just like everyone else, paycheck to paycheck, nine-to-five, worrying about the struggles with bills,” he told EdNews. “I thought, ‘You know what? Maybe I need to get in the ring and represent people that actually matter.’”

Fowler supports the private school tax credit program and sees it as a temporary solution to “fix” public schools.

Fowler wants Idaho’s public schools to be strong and said instruction and student performance can improve. On the Ada County GOP website, Fowler said he opposes gender affirmation for students in public schools.

Ethan Giles

The Idaho GOP website lists Ethan Giles as a candidate in the Republican primary. He didn’t attend the April 21 forum at Boise High, and doesn’t appear on the Ada County GOP website.

Giles is running “to clean up our state debt,” according to a brief campaign statement on idgop.org.

He wants to reverse tax cuts that put Idaho in a budget deficit and redirect private school tax credit funds into special education programs.

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Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on May 6, 2026.