Why I’m running

I’m running for Governor because Idaho is making it harder to do the most conservative thing a person can do: start a family, build a life, and stay.

We talk about family values, but families are getting priced out by the cost of living, pushed away by crumbling school buildings, and squeezed by a budget that doesn’t add up.

My “why” moment came when the problems stopped feeling abstract.

I saw school facilities falling apart. I saw young families doing everything right and still unable to picture kids, or grandchildren, in their future here. And I watched a wild budget deficit grow while everyday Idahoans were told to just accept it.

I was on vacation out of state when it hit me: I don’t just like Idaho, I love it.

I want to live here forever. I want my kids to stay. I want my future grandkids to grow up here. But that won’t happen by accident. It takes leadership that can budget responsibly, invest in schools and infrastructure, and bring costs down for working families.

What a gift it is to live in our beloved state.

Idaho stands out in the nation as a place of beauty, freedom, and family. As I look around, and listen to my neighbors I can feel the pride we have for the place we call home, mingled with apprehension and uncertainty for its future. Rising cost of living, failing schools, and a rapidly growing population have brought Idaho to a place where we need to renew our commitment to the future. We need to examine the ways we spend, and reinvest to ensure that Idaho’s citizens and their families are in a position to do more than merely get by. The hard working people of Idaho deserve to thrive. Fair taxes, top notch education, and more money kept in the pockets of its communities. To make that happen, we need strong leadership, responsible stewardship, and the fire to work hard.

Recently I had the opportunity to go on a vacation with my sister. While enjoying one of the most beautiful places on earth, all I could think was; “Yes, this is breathtaking, but, there’s no place like home.” I love Idaho. To serve my beloved state, and have a hand an securing its future for my neighbors, and my (potential) grandchildren would be an honor. It's time for renewal, its time for temperance, it's time for Idaho to be heard.

I’m running to make Idaho a place where families can plan, prosper, and stay.

Jill’s Story

A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a white shirt and a necklace with a yin-yang pendant, poses in front of a cloudy, dark background.

I was born in Pocatello sometime before the 80’s. My family was Idaho typical, my dad worked, and my mom stayed home with me, and my three little sisters. We were brought up in a strong religious home, which provided opportunities for service, and sparked my spiritual awareness.

Eventually my parents' hard work, and sacrifice paid off, and they began to build their dream house. To keep costs manageable, when my homework was done, and if I didn't have practice, I was recruited to help my father with whatever stage of building we were at that day.

His determination, and grit taught me valuable lessons about time, and practical building skills that I imagined everyone had. Plus, I once enjoyed the unique privilege of shoveling snow out of my living room on Christmas morning. 

A young woman in a maroon graduation gown and cap stands between an older man in a striped shirt and a woman in a checkered blouse. All three are smiling, with the woman in graduation attire having her arms around the other two. The background is a plain wall with a framed picture.
Family of six sitting on a firetruck with the sign 'Courtesy of Dales Inc.' in the background.
A family photo of two adults and two young boys outdoors among green trees. The adults are smiling, and the boys are sitting on a large rock, with one looking at the camera and the other looking slightly away.
A family of six sitting outdoors at night with pumpkins and a small Christmas tree, smiling for the camera.

Two weeks after I graduated from Pocatello High School, I got married.

We were young, optimistic, and excited to start the adventure of life. About six months later my 12 year old sister was diagnosed with leukemia. She fought hard, and two years later, she went into remission. Shortly after that, my husband I got divorced. He is a good man, and we are blessed to share a son. Finding myself a single mom, I looked into school, but couldn't make the numbers work.

Then, while driving home after a particularly difficult day, I saw a guy in a front end loader ripping my road apart! Looking for a fight, I rolled up on him, got out of my car and began yelling. That gutsy guy asked for my number, and destiny took it from there. Just after we were married life struck hard, and my sister was rediagnosed. It looked like we were going to be able to keep her, but that was not to be. She died three months before the birth of our daughter. Her death brought us closer as a family, and her memory lives on with several namesakes. We made the choice when our oldest daughter was born that I would do as my mom did, and stay home with our kids while my Scott worked.

Two years later we were blessed with twin girls, and the world began to spin a little faster. Those years were lean, and hard. Making the decision to stay in Pocatello and become part of the family business meant that our four children got to enjoy grandparents, great grandparents, and several aunts, and uncles. Eventually they even got cousins! Though at times we struggled to make ends meet, we never thought about sending me to work. During years jammed with soccer, birthday parties, swimming, Cedar Badge, Special Olympics, Honors Society, and many a Halloween bash, their childhoods flew by.

Eventually they got into middle school, and because they were my priority, I took up substitute teaching. It afforded me the opportunity to get to know their friends, and continue to make connections with some of the finest educators in Idaho. The kids finally asked me to let them be once they got to high school. Our kids are our greatest joy, and triumph. Each is a hard working, kind, compassionate human. Now, alongside their exceptional partners, they are living beautiful lives they have built for themselves. 

In 2018 we were rocked by the sudden death of my mom, and the world as I had known it melted. What followed was a radical adjustment of how I viewed my time, and my blood. It was made clear that we must seize each day with fierce grace, and savor the moments we are gifted with. The example she set as a mother, and a grandmother are the standards I strive to live. While the pain of her absence stings still, I am able to feel her gently guiding my path. 

Once all of the kids graduated, and started on their own journeys, I found myself in a new place. A place with a little more time to breathe, and reacquaint me to myself. I dove a bit deeper into cultivating the things I love, art, Standard Poodles, and eventually ultra marathons, while helping Scott grow our family business.

Smiling woman with blonde hair and sunglasses on her head holding a curly black dog with a pink collar, outdoor sky background.
A woman with blonde hair taking a selfie with a curly-haired dog, likely a poodle. They are outside near a house with green siding and a decorative dog-themed sign in the background.

I mean it when I say that the most conservative thing a person can do is start a family.

So my question is simple: what is our conservative governor actually doing to make that easier?

I love Idaho. I plan to live here for the rest of my life, then be buried in the mountains. I want it to be a place that my Son, Daughters and their Partners can afford to thrive. I want my grandchildren to have access to an education worthy of them. I want to see our future secured. Those things won’t happen if we keep on the path we’ve been set on.

The time has come for Idaho to have a Governor who’s willing to say No. A statesman to amplify the voices of the people who call it home. Someone who treasures Idaho values, and is not willing to back down from a hard fight.

A woman and a man shake hands in front of a wooden wall with the Great Seal of the State of Idaho behind them. The woman is wearing a dark coat and the man is wearing a blue suit with a yellow tie. There are American and Idaho state flags on either side of them.
A woman with shoulder-length brown hair looking at framed black-and-white portraits on a marble wall in a government building.