Idaho Falls City Council candidate says government regulation will only cause more housing problems
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EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is part of a series of profiles of the 2025 Idaho Falls City Council candidates.
IDAHO FALLS – Brad Whipple, a cyber security specialist in Idaho Falls, is one of seven candidates vying for a seat on the city council.
The 34-year-old man is running for Seat 2, which is currently occupied by Lisa Burtenshaw, who is running for mayor. Other candidates competing for the seat include Jordan Bardsley, Teresa Dominick, Brandon Lee, Mosy Moran, Stephanie Taylor-Thompson and Christopher Joseph Brunt.
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In a conversation with EastIdahoNews.com, Whipple says his personal experience working with the local government in Custer County to develop property is what prompted him to enter the race.
He notes the construction of high-density rental units in Idaho Falls. It’s a widely discussed topic that other candidates are focusing on in their campaign. While Whipple is in favor of the idea of home ownership, he cautions against regulating it at the local level. He says government involvement will only cause more problems for consumers.
“Housing affordability is one of the No. 1 issues Americans are dealing with today,” Whipple says. “If you try to pull at the strings of supply and demand at the government level, you’re going to end up with limited housing and sky high prices. I plan to not let that happen, if elected.”
Whipple points to other cities that have tried this and are now struggling. He cites San Francisco, California and Bozeman, Montana as two examples of places that have sky high prices as a result of restricted housing.
“Bozeman, Montana is not that far from us. They did the same thing (other mayoral and city council candidates are proposing). Median house prices (in Bozeman) are now $800,000. No one in Idaho Falls is going to be able to afford that,” he says. “It’s my opinion that the government needs to be small, keep its hands out of the free market and let it ride with some barriers.”
Like many of the candidates in this race, this is Whipple’s first time running for public office.
He and his wife, Christy, moved to Idaho Falls about 10 years ago. He graduated from Boise State University with a degree in electrical engineering. They settled in Pocatello initially before moving to Idaho Falls. He worked at the Idaho National Lab for a time and eventually landed a job with Fortress Information Security.
The Florida-based business is an “AI-powered cybersecurity company,” according to its website. It “defends critical infrastructure, government agencies and their supply chains against cyber threats and mission risks.”
Whipple works with local utility companies, like Idaho Falls Power, to identify and eliminate any potential software or product vulnerabilities that may exist.
He feels his experience working with local governments in various capacities makes him uniquely qualified to serve on the city council.
If elected, he not only wants to address the housing issue, but also the rising cost of energy as a result of artificial intelligence.
“I worry that AI will become the new housing (challenge). We’re seeing AI advancement sucking up large amounts of energy. Idaho Falls is in a unique position, where they own their own utility. I hope to use that experience in the technical space, as well as working with utilities, to see how I can prevent energy prices in Idaho Falls from seeing a 10x increase.”
Election Day is November 4.
WATCH OUR INTERVIEW WITH WHIPPLE IN THE VIDEO ABOVE.
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