Reporter Blake Jones covers the politics and policy of Idaho's K-12 public school system. She committed to tightening voting requirements, protecting individual liberties, eliminating leftist ideology she claimed is being taught in public schools, and ending the barbaric practice of murdering pre-born babies unconditionally, she said. Hamilton, however, prefers to keep the focus of McGeachins candidacy on her credentials. [55][56] In August 2021, after announcing that she would challenge Little in the Republican primary for re-nomination as governor, McGeachin said that it was "shameful" for Little to ask Idahoans to show love for neighbors by getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Shortly after taking office, she posted and hastily deleted a photo to Facebook posing in front of her Capitol office with two men flashing the movements hand gesture. [70] Little won re-nomination with 52.81% of the vote, with McGeachin receiving 32.24% of the vote, Edward R. Humphreys receiving 10.96% of the vote, and an assortment of minor candidates receiving the rest. After years in the local Rotary Club and Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce, McGeachin made her first run at elected office in 2000, in the Republican primary for Bonneville County commissioner. The pop-up ministry has since grown, and now takes up weekly Sunday residency in the conjoined convention center at the Shilo Inn Hotel, a stones throw from the highway interchange of Interstate 15 and U.S. 20. About . [41], In May 2020, Little said he had not spoken to McGeachin in weeks. She committed, however, to accepting the results of the states May primary, believing voting irregularities in Idaho where Trump won big were not large scale. McGeachins office previously said he has worked in school administration and social work. Janice McGeachin (@JaniceMcGeachin) November 8, 2016 McGeachin, 57, was a delegate for Donald Trump during the 2016 Republican National Convention, and vice-chair of Idaho's statewide. Henry then met McGeachin during a rally against requiring schoolchildren to wear masks in the classroom held on the Capitol steps, and explained her familys traumatic experience. [41][38][50] McGeachin issued the order without consulting Little,[38] and against the wishes of state health officials who had sought a statewide mask mandate,[51] which Idaho has never had. McGeachin herself donned a mask at times around the Capitol during a statewide peak of COVID-19 from the delta variant, telling the Statesman she did so out of respect for others who were there. The federal government has gotten to be so big and is interfering so much in all of our lives as states. (VanderSloot and his wife, Belinda, each donated campaign maximums of $5,000 to Little. Isaac Moffett founded the now-defunct Nampa Classical Academy and drew headlines in 2009 when his school sued the state in hopes of using the Bible and other religious texts in his charter schools curriculum. Janice McGeachin announces run for governor Brian Myrick/Idaho Press May 19, 2021 1 of 12 As featured on Lt. Gov. Idaho deserves law-abiding leaders, not divisive leaders. We need Janice McGeachin. [6][74][75] She opposes minimum wages, believing that government should play no role in determining wages. The two got more serious when she moved back to their hometown. Janice McGeachin in her bid for governor, held May 4 at Julius M. Kleiner Memorial Park in Meridian. The McGeachins two adult children run an Irish pub the family owns in a historic building they restored in downtown Idaho Falls. She lost the primary by just 241 votes to one-term Commissioner Lee Staker, a former state senator who went on to serve 18 years in the post. [48], In July 2020, McGeachin condemned federal economic relief granted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lt. Gov. Idaho governor and lieutenant governor get into Twitter fight over state's executive orders, Idaho's 4 electors cast votes for Trump and Pence, "Motion For Leave (1) To File Brief Of Lieutenant Governor Janice Mcgeachin, Senator Lora Reinbold, Representative David Eastman, Et Al (Elected State Officials) As Amici Curiae In Support Of Plaintiff, And (2) To Do So In An Unbound Format On 8 12-By-11-Inch Paper, And (3) To Do So Without Ten Days' Advance Notice To The Parties", "Texas wants to overturn millions of votes. [58][52], In October 2021, while Little was out of state touring the Southern border, McGeachin, claiming power as acting governor in Little's absence, issued an executive order banning state officials from requiring proof of vaccination from employees and sought to ban employers from requiring vaccinations altogether. Also in 2020, McGeachin appeared in a video montage, along with other Idaho elected officials, posted to YouTube by the Idaho Freedom Foundation. She more often drops into one in the Wood River Valley, she said, and another, more worship-based congregation in Idaho Falls called Watersprings Church. So when women especially conservative women try to get involved in this, we need to have encouragement as much as we can., Jennifer Curtiss, of Nampa, left, poses for a photo with Idaho GOP vice chair Machele Hamilton, center, and Lt. Gov. Shes marvelous. Shes a former teacher who staked her campaign, in part, on her objections to Common Core, EastIdahoNews.com reported. This election asks one simple question: Is my Idaho your Idaho? McGeachin said, to loud applause and supporters standing up from the camping chairs they brought from home. [68] While addressing a crowd of fellow Republicans at a campaign appearance, McGeachin criticized the Boise Police Department and Boise State University for holding a conference to study right-wing extremism, and said of Anthony Fauci (the U.S. government's top infectious disease scientist): "we'll lock him up. 30 talking about this. Since 2016, Beck and his family have donated the second-most money among Idaho residents directly to Trumps campaigns and political action committees, eclipsing $250,000, according to Federal Election Commission records. She defeated four rivals for the job, receiving 29% of the vote to edge former state GOP chair Steve Yates by fewer than 3,000 votes. McGeachins push to become Idahos lead executive is her second campaign for statewide office after a narrow margin of victory in 2018s Republican primary for lieutenant governor. Two weeks before Idahos primary election, McGeachin stepped onto an outdoor stage on a Wednesday evening in front of a crowd of more than 1,000 people gathered at Julius M. Kleiner Memorial Park in Meridian for a rally in her honor. In her statement, she challenged news outlets for accusing conservatives of believing everything ever said by anyone with whom they share a stage, adding that she does not support identity politics or other discriminatory views.. Hamilton, also McGeachins part-time director of communications this past legislative session, said the pendant epitomized her feelings toward the lieutenant governor, and is also a message she hoped her friend would keep close to her heart out on the campaign trail. Brian Myrick / Idaho Press. I believe shes the best person for the job, and the fact that she is a woman is a bonus.. Branden Durst hopes to win the May 17 GOP state superintendents primary by running against all things Sherri Ybarra and Debbie Critchfield. [41][56][57] Overwhelmed by a surge of COVID-19 patients, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare activated "crisis standards" that allowed hospitals in the state to ration healthcare. The men wore shirts promoting Todd Engel, who was sentenced to prison in connection with the Bundy standoff fatal encounter with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). [40] The clashes intensified amid an intra-party split among Republicans on COVID-19 vaccinations, masks, and pandemic-related issues, on which traditional Republicans and the far-right disagreed. But the seat also is viewed as a stepping stone for the states next governor, with five of Idahos past seven governors, including Little, 68, having served as second-in-command. James Wilson first appeared through internet searches to be a controversial North Idaho evangelist who authored a book applying tenets of warfare to strategic evangelism, but he is not, McGeachins chief of staff Jordan Watters wrote by email May 27. Janice Kyes McGeachin (/mi.n/; born January 18, 1963)[1] is an American far-right[2][3][4] politician and businesswoman who served as the 43rd lieutenant governor of Idaho from 2019 to 2023. McGeachin. Rev. She met her husband, Jimmy McGeachin, while she was in high school and he attended college at the University of Idaho, she said. But the media likes to continue to try to destroy my character and my reputation, and, I dont know, it may be in an effort for us to maybe back down. Governor Janice McGeachin arrives at a rally to support semi-truckers and protest against COVID-19 vaccination mandates for employment held in Boise in March. McGeachin said she doesnt concern herself with unflattering characterizations, or any of the other things people say about her. [29] McGeachin's speech to the conference was criticized by Democrats and some Republicans for its antisemitic and pro-Putin contents. Pull open the door on a Saturday evening dinner rush at The Celt Pub & Grill in Idaho Falls, and youll find nary a seat, except for maybe one at the bar. 2015 - 2023
Henry, a former Boise School District junior high teacher, said her 12-year-old daughter was bullied and beaten up, and their home address released online, leading to stalking, death threats and two break-in attempts. Professor Scott Yenor is a professor of political philosophy at Boise State University. Janice McGeachin spoke virtually at an event organized by White nationalist Nick Fuentes in Florida at the end of February.. [6][7], McGeachin unsuccessfully ran for Bonneville County commissioner in 2000, her first bid for elected office. During her time at Skyline High, McGeachin was a member of the schools choreographed drill team, involved in student council and also voted homecoming royalty. She unsuccessfully challenged Little in the Republican primary for governor in the 2022 election. [6], McGeachin supported Mitt Romney in the 2008 Republican Party presidential primaries[12] and the 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries. But I think that this is the time that if we dont make the changes that need to happen, Idahos gone for our kids. | Sarah A. Miller smiller@idahostatesman.com. All Rights Reserved. All rights reserved, If you choose local pickup, please get your gift certificate at our office at 400 W. Sunnyside in Idaho Falls Dismiss, defended accepting the coronavirus relief payments, Man charged with murder in Dylan Rounds case, Caught on camera: Moose charges snowmobilers by Palisades, Man allegedly kidnapped woman, held air freshener to her nose and mouth, Giant flying insect found on Walmart building turns out to be Jurassic-era find, Video shows suspect with blood stains as he cleaned gun following Dylan Rounds disappearance, charges say. [13], McGeachin was a delegate for Donald Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention, and was vice-chair of Trump's Idaho campaign committee. Janice McGeachin (then Kyes), lower right, appears in her sophomore year portrait in the 1979 yearbook for Skyline High School, located in Idaho Falls. Other priorities under a McGeachin administration, she said, include seeking the end of the states tax on groceries, opening public lands for mining of rare earth minerals and managing the states growth. It is estimated that her net worth is somewhere between $1 million and $3 million. She was elected lieutenant governor in the 2018 election, to serve with the governor, Brad Little. "[6][21], In February 2019, McGeachin posted a photo on her Facebook page of her posing in front of her Idaho State Capitol door with two members of the 3 Percenters, an anti-government militia movement group. Its just about all women supporting each other, McGeachin said. Joseph Kren was the principal at Priest River Lamanna High School through last spring, when he left the school after 34 years in Idaho education. I admit, to a certain extent, it was a little bit surprising, Little told the Statesman during an April phone interview, adding he didnt know why Trump endorsed his chief rival. He wondered aloud whether the change is because she no longer feels supported by the state GOP, or because the majority of lawmakers are more in line with Little. She said she does not dispute that masks are effective in preventing the spread of the virus, particularly N95s and hospital surgical masks. [55] A surge in COVID-19 cases first strained, and then surpassed, the capacity of the state's health care system. Defend & Protect Idaho said the effort is a response to what they call rising instances of dangerous extremism and militia mentality around the state, and McGeachins ties to them. Sometimes they refer to us as being extreme for our views, McGeachin said, before reading a quote from the late Republican U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater. McGeachin criticized the governor's coronavirus policies while touting the technology, although a National Institutes of Health study published months earlier determined that the use of "walk-through sanitation gates" was ineffective, possibly dangerous, and violates global health standards. [70], McGeachin is part of the far-right wing of the Republican Party. She also inquired with the Idaho National Guard about ordering troops to the U.S.-Mexico border that Little was visiting. McGeachins tenure in the Legislature included serving as chair of the House Health and Welfare Committee. [63], In December 2020, the month after Donald Trump lost the presidential election to Joe Biden, McGeachin, along with Little, Idaho's two Republican U.S. House members, and other Idaho Republican election officials, signed on to an amicus brief supporting Texas' attempt to overturn the results of the presidential election by rejecting millions of votes in four key states won by Biden. Previously unidentified, five other task force members introduced themselves at the task forces inaugural meeting. [36], As lieutenant governor, McGeachin has had a strained relationship with the governor, Brad Little,[14][38][39] despite the fact that Little is a fellow conservative Republican. [81], McGeachin was unopposed for the Republican primary. Late last week, Idaho Lt. She spoke of a rift between her and her daughter, which she attributes in part to critical race theory teachings at her daughters former college in California. . Stationed along the perimeter of the parks amphitheater lawn were members of the right-wing citizen group the Idaho Liberty Dogs, wearing holstered handguns, walkie-talkies and earpieces. A spokesperson for Little said staff has no record or recollection of Henry contacting the governors office. In February, McGeachin made national headlines after she appeared in a recorded video at a right-wing political event founded by a man who has repeatedly made antisemitic statements and is associated with white supremacists, according to a U.S. Department of Justice court filing. She said she took a pair of trips, to Trump Tower in New York City and his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, to explain her role as vice chair of his presidential campaign in Idaho before serving as a delegate at the Republican National Convention in 2016 and 2020. Sex with animals.. [77], McGeachin was unopposed for the Republican primary[78] and for the general election. Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin walks down the front steps of the Idaho State Capitol building, with her husband Jim, prior to taking the podium to announce her run for Governor, Wednesday, May 19,. We will restore health freedom and end the threat of medical tyranny. Idaho Lt. Janice McGeachin at a meet-and-greet campaign fundraiser at a Caldwell-area winery in April. But shes a hard worker for what we stand for maintaining our republic. When they passed gay marriage, they opened Pandoras box. Ryan Spoon, who said hes a West Point graduate and father, expressed worry about critical race theory being taught at U.S. military academies. Malkin has promoted anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rhetoric. McGeachin and her husband also own and operate an auto parts distribution center, a machine shop and two transmission repair shops. July fundraising reports will trickle in over the next few days, as candidates report their monthly activity. Janice McGeachin, as Senate president, presides over a session in March. Janice McGeachin stands with her husband Jim in front of the Idaho Capitol building prior to taking the podium to announce her run for governor on May 19. A member of the Republican Party, she was previously a member of the Idaho House of Representatives from 2002 until 2012. Her candidacy was supported by state Senator Dean Mortimer. Heres what we know about the members so far: Anna Miller, from the Idaho Freedom Foundation, is an active voice in education policy discussions. | Sarah A. Miller smiller@idahostatesman.com. The couple has two children. He can be reached by email at [emailprotected]. Delivering the phone back to McGeachins daughter, he has some advice. Idaho attorney general won't support it", "Supreme Court rejects Republican attack on Biden victory", McGeachin becomes 7th candidate to file preliminary paperwork for run for governor in 2022, "Donald Trump endorses McGeachin for Idaho governor", Lt. Gov. In one case this spring, a touring musician took to social media to announce a last-minute cancellation of his scheduled concert there when he found out McGeachin was a co-owner. Without naming McGeachin, Little disavowed her appearance at the conference on social media, saying it was extremely unfortunate anyone in elected office in Idaho must make statements like these., Idaho Lt. Gov. Lt. Gov. The task force, aimed at rooting out alleged teachings on social justice, critical race theory, socialism, communism, (and) Marxism from public schools, is co-chaired by McGeachin, running for governor in 2022, and Rep. Priscilla Giddings, R-White Bird, who entered the race for lieutenant governor. Machele Hamilton, the state GOP vice chair and a close friend to McGeachin, said that approach is one of the qualities she admires most about the lieutenant governor. Those who will speak about McGeachins early days in office describe her as friendly, a social butterfly who would host small parties in a rental condo during the legislative session, and go for drinks after work. Sami Edge/Idaho Education News (UPDATED: Oct. 19, reflecting the death of Pete Coulson from COVID-19.) That was as true as ever, she said, almost 46 years ago when she was in junior high and the Teton Dam failed, flooding southeastern Idaho. Governor Janice McGeachin posed with and then posted on Facebook pictures she had taken with two members of The Three Percenters. | Sarah A. Miller smiller@idahostatesman.com. McGeachin and Cawthorn fell on Tuesday. "[6] She accused the Biden administration of seeking to indoctrinate schoolchildren in "Marxist, socialist ideology" and believes that Idaho should promote "state sovereignty" by rejecting federal funds for a variety of programs. Janice McGeachin, who's running for governor, has thrown some of her political weight into a child welfare case involving a 10-month-old baby. McGeachin was born in southern New Mexico, 35 miles north of the Mexican border, to Allyn and Dorothy Kyes. Littles staff never returned her umpteen-million phone calls, she said. [36] The legislature declined McGeachin's request to have the costs of the settlement paid by the state budget. My disagreements with his decisions of shutting businesses down and managing the pandemic grew, McGeachin said. [64][65] Legal experts dismissed the suit as meritless,[65] and it was rejected by the Supreme Court. McGeachins May 17 GOP primary is one of Idahos most-watched races, largely because it has determined the governor for the past seven elections in the heavily conservative state. "[69], In the May 17, 2022 Republican primary election, McGeachin lost to Little. To Montana the shot buyer offers to his group of new best friends. "[47][39], In November 2020, McGeachin submitted a proposal to Governor Little's Coronavirus Financial Advisory Committee, seeking to spend $17 million in federal COVID-19 aid funds to purchase and operate two "walk-through disinfectant cubes" at the Idaho state Capitol. McGeachin named Margaret Thatcher, the former prime minister of the United Kingdom, and former Republican U.S. Rep. Helen Chenoweth-Hage, of Idaho, as two women she admires. McGeachin remembers the city back then as a great place to grow up a small and supportive community. She does not cave with pressure, and stands up for what she believes, Hamilton told the Statesman in a phone interview. "[38] Little said that McGeachin's order "unilaterally and unlawfully" forbade local officials from determining public-health policies in their own jurisdictions and would have forbidden the state from enforcing protective measures for social workers from making home visits to at-risk patients, or for employees in state testing labs. Grace Panetta and Nicole Gaudiano May 17, 2022, 8:00 PM - Idaho Lt. Gov. (We) broke the glass ceiling, and were going to break another glass ceiling., Lt. Gov. Michael Nelson said hes a former police officer who worked a 25-year career in the San Francisco area. "[32] The president-elect of the Idaho School Boards Association resigned from McGeachin's task force a week after its first meeting, writing that the task force seemed aimed at "partisan campaigning. McGeachin drew similar scrutiny over several incidents that included members of the Three Percenters, which the Anti-Defamation League labels an anti-government militia movement. He founded the congregation, according to its website, after he went on a solo, three-day horseback ride through five Idaho counties to connect with God and receive his guidance. We will expand our Second Amendment liberties and secure our state. Members continue to include an Idaho Freedom Foundation employee and a charter school leader who pushed to use the Bible in public schools. Colleagues recognized her as a member of the more conservative wing of the Republican Party, sponsoring anti-abortion bills and stridently opposing the Affordable Care Act, passed under Democratic President Barack Obama. [22] In a subsequent statement, McGeachin described the men as "two Second Amendment supporters who were here to support Todd Engel, an Idahoan who was treated unjustly by the court system," and said that she deleted the post after "a few people had begun erroneously assigning sinister motives which are contrary to my true character.
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