Sheriff endorses Fuhriman, calls him ‘a true representative’

This is a paid advertisement for Ben Fuhriman, a Republican running for re-election for the District 30B seat in the Idaho House.

Letter from Bingham County Sheriff Jeff Gardner to Rep. Ben Fuhriman, dated April 20, 2026.

Dear Rep. Fuhriman,

My chief deputy and I, Sheriff Gardner, would just like to take a quick minute to thank you for your excellent service. In the midst of a lot of controversy, misinformation, misunderstanding, and political posturing, you were a true representative this past session. You asked your local constituents and those that would be most affected by well-intended, but poorly written, legislations — such as your local sheriffs and police chiefs, along with the Idaho Sheriff’s Association and the Fraternal Order of Police — and you listened.

There seems to be a direct cause and effect between measures at the federal level and the state level here in Idaho. It appears that Idaho is determined to prove that it is not for some of the action at the federal level, or is so in-line with others that are good for the country. What is forgotten are the actual issues we face here in the present day. You kept your eye on the ball, gained perspective and stayed true as a representative. A glaring example being a well-intended bathroom bill that created unnecessary enforcement and prosecutorial complications.

As you are aware, we have a longstanding cooperation with ICE, and we support their mission as much as we can. However, we operate with local funding and have a very important mission of our own that we can’t abandon for federal priorities, especially when the funding being pledged is an illusion and the burden rests on our local tax base.

Make no mistake, the office of sheriff is under attack in many states. We feel that it was covertly under attack this session right here in Idaho. We submit that this was likely not done maliciously, or with the intent of doing so. It was done out of ignorance, with individuals being hyper-focused on what are non-issues in Idaho’s reality. We appreciate you hearing our voice to maintain the sacred sovereignty of the office of sheriff, and we ask that you continue to do so in the future.

We truly are the last line of defense of constitutional freedom, and we don’t take that lightly. We pledge to police in a constitutionally sound manner to keep Bingham County safe, free and poised to keep up with growth without sacrificing our history and our true identity. We are biased but make no apologies in claiming that Bingham County has earned the right to be called Idaho’s Gem, and we’ll do everything in our power to maintain such a prestigious label. We have no doubt that you will do the same.

With gratitude,

Sheriff Jeff Gardner
Chief Deputy Jordyn Nebeker

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