| Sarah A. Miller smiller@idahostatesman.com. She does not cave with pressure, and stands up for what she believes, Hamilton told the Statesman in a phone interview. McGeachin not only listened to her and other parents, Henry said, but also their children. Educated at the University of Arizona, McGeachin owned several businesses in Idaho Falls. Were getting to be too much of a centralized government on the federal level and getting away from what I believe our Founding Fathers intent was, McGeachin said, seated in her campaign headquarters office flanked by a framed photo of her firing an assault-style rifle. As a result of many of her more controversial decisions, McGeachin has become a third rail of Idaho politics. [7][9][10][11] As chair of the state House Health and Welfare Committee, she cut Medicaid funding and voted against legislation to create a state-based health insurance exchange. The McGeachins had their first child, a daughter, the year after they married. A federal district court later shot down the practice in 2011, the Associated Press reported. 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. A member of the Republican Party, she was previously a member of the Idaho House of Representatives from 2002 until 2012. Governor candidacy", "May 15, 2018 Primary Election Results: Statewide Totals", Candidate's security team seen as unusual for Idaho politics, "Lt. Gov. "[33], In August 2021, a state judge fined McGeachin $750 for violating the Idaho Public Records Act by failing to turn over documents requested by the Idaho Press Club. She also was a member of the Teddy Bears, the schools choreographed drill team, and involved in student council her sophomore year. Its just about all women supporting each other, McGeachin said. "[59], McGeachin was an Idaho presidential elector for the Republican slate in 2020, casting one of Idaho's four electoral votes for Donald Trump; the other Idaho electors that year were Melinda Smyser, Raul Labrador, and Rod Beck. Throwing her hat in the ring for governor, McGeachin appealed to Trump for his endorsement over Little. Some lawmakers, including longtime friends, refuse to talk about her, or request to go off the record. Sami Edge/Idaho Education News A day after announcing she will run for governor in 2022, Lt. Gov. | Kevin Fixler kfixler@idahostatesman.com. Idaho Statesman reporters Ian Max Stevenson and Ryan Suppe contributed. [22] For the caption, she wrote "Sending love to Todd Engel from the Idaho Capital and 'getting to know' the new Senate Pages. Once the pandemic plunged local economies and governments into turmoil during a 37-day statewide, stay-at-home order, McGeachin began openly flouting Littles public health rules. [82] She won the general election with 73% of the vote against Scott Cannon. The unorthodox move was a big part of why she became a passionate McGeachin supporter, and now helps organize some of her campaign events. Moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue. . May 27, 2021 Lt. Gov. [20] During the 2018 campaign, McGeachin took security guards with her to a debate at the Idaho Public Television station in Boise, although there was no known threat against her, and characterized them as "friends. During her segment, she listed Americans inalienable rights while seated in the drivers seat of a truck brandishing a Bible, and then a handgun. "[69], In the May 17, 2022 Republican primary election, McGeachin lost to Little. On Palm Sunday, the week before Easter, several hundred people arrived at the Cowboy Church well more than the sign on the wall listing a maximum occupancy of 100. The state has also paused vendor payments from McGeachin's office, and McGeachin has told state officials to withhold her salary and benefits to avoid a budget shortfall. [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. Today, hers is a household name throughout Idaho, even if many people are still unsure how to say it. Idahos first woman to fill the lieutenant governors office has fostered a national profile for her unconventional and outspoken approach to the job, drawing comparisons to right-wing firebrands such as U.S. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, and Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado. [6] An ally of the Tea Party movement, McGeachin was considered a possible Republican primary challenger to U.S. Representative Mike Simpson in 2010, but chose not to run. The Idaho Capital Sun has filed a public record's request with McGeachin's office. 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. [9] Trump endorsed McGeachin's candidacy. | Sarah A. Miller smiller@idahostatesman.com, If you ask the kids, Henry told a small crowd gathered during a fundraiser at a Caldwell-area winery, the very best day that they had last year, it was the one day that she (issued) the executive order for them to go to school without a mask. The room erupted in cheers and applause, as one attendee shouted, FREEDOM!. McGeachin and her husband, Jim, also own the wholesale automotive parts supplier store Idaho Transmission Warehouse, which has two Idaho locations, as well as a torque convertor remanufacturing. 2015 - 2023 "[49], In May 2021, after Little left the state to attend a Republican Governors' Association conference in Nashville, Tennessee, making McGeachin acting governor in his absence, she issued an executive order that barred the state and Idaho counties, cities, public school districts, and public universities from adopting mask mandates. The family who drinks together stays together, right? the bartender says. [35][36] McGeachin submitted a supplemental budget request, seeking for that sum to be paid by taxpayer funds. Thats where the battle is going to be, and thats why Im running for governor.. I just wish she was better in presenting herself, said Dr. John Lee, a retired veterinarian who lives in Nampa, while attending the winery fundraiser with family. [86][6], Indoctrination task force and public records violations, COVID-19 pandemic and strained relationship with Governor Brad Little, Last edited on 28 February 2023, at 19:27, 2008 Republican Party presidential primaries, 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries, America First Political Action Conference, misinformation to disparage COVID-19 vaccines, nation's lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates, Texas' attempt to overturn the results of the presidential election, "Republican hopes to ride far-right rage into Idaho's governor's office", "Far-right challengers look to upset the status quo in the Idaho governor's primary", "In Idaho governor's race, a far-right candidate leans into extremism", "Representative Janice K. McGeachin's Biography", 5 things to know about Idaho's 1st female lieutenant governor, McGeachin says business experience will help her in lieutenant governor role, Bonneville County Primary Election, May 23, 2000, Lt. Gov. However, McGeachin declined to say whether she has been vaccinated for COVID-19, or if she has ever contracted the virus, calling both personal questions.. Hes a career firefighter who has also represented his school district in the Idaho School Boards Association. [59][73] She appeared at a rally for the Three Percenters, an anti-government militia movement group. McGeachin told the Statesman she didnt issue the orders thinking the governor would automatically reverse her statewide decrees. [15][19] McGeachin narrowly won the Republican primary election on May 15, 2018, with 28.9% of the vote, then defeated Democratic nominee Kristin Collum in the November general election. It makes me feel good that both Jimmy and I have created a life for them that they want to be close to their parents, McGeachin said. In each case, Little returned the next day and rescinded McGeachins order, calling the first instance an irresponsible, self-serving political stunt.. (UPDATED: Oct. 19, reflecting the death of Pete Coulson from COVID-19.). Supporters and opponents acknowledge, though, she and her growing persona are anything but, with McGeachin increasingly invoking militarized rhetoric and a blend of patriotism and faith as rival political factions signal an intensifying culture war. | Sarah A. Miller smiller@idahostatesman.com. [77], McGeachin was unopposed for the Republican primary[78] and for the general election. The contest includes eight candidates, with the top three fundraisers so far being Little, the one-term incumbent and rancher from Emmett; McGeachin, owner of several businesses in Idaho Falls; and newcomer Ed Humphreys, a financial adviser who lives in Eagle. A spokesperson for Little said staff has no record or recollection of Henry contacting the governors office. Janice McGeachin said Wednesday she was running for governor of Idaho . [14][15][16][17], In April 2017, McGeachin filed to run for lieutenant governor of Idaho. McGeachin. 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. [6][7], McGeachin unsuccessfully ran for Bonneville County commissioner in 2000, her first bid for elected office. Malkin has promoted anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rhetoric. [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. She met her husband, Jimmy McGeachin, while she was in high school and he attended college at the University of Idaho, she said. Janice McGeachin, as Senate president, presides over a session in March. 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. In addition, Beck is the state committeeman for the Bonneville County GOP and a board member for the Idaho Freedom Foundation, a powerful right-wing lobbying group. McGeachin also garnered criticism after federal records revealed that she applied for and received more than $314,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, even though she previously said she is opposed to government programs that foster dependency. In a social media post, she defended accepting the coronavirus relief payments for her familys businesses, saying that their employees needed the funds because they had been harmed by government shutdowns and other public health requirements. When he announced his run for president in 2015, she listened to his entire speech and knew instantly she wanted to support him, she said. But a group of retired police officers and. 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. [83], McGeachin was unopposed for the Republican primary[84] and the general election. In October of 2021, he died of COVID-19. 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. Her husband is Jim McGeachin Janice McGeachin Net Worth Her net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. He replaced Knopp, following his withdrawal from the task force. As a man in the audience yelled a vulgarity about Little referencing the female anatomy, drawing laughter from the crowd, McGeachin accused the incumbent governor of losing touch with Idaho values, and turning his back on residents during the pandemic. However, on Monday, a state budget administrator warned McGeachin state law places limitations on the ability to reduce an elected constitutional officer's salary mid-term . 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). McGeachin, through a campaign spokesperson, declined a follow-up request from the Statesman for comment about her churchs positions on same-sex marriage and the LGBTQ community. [38] In July 2021, when Little was out of state on a different trip, McGeachin wrote a letter to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, demanding information on what incentives Idaho healthcare providers may have "to impose vaccine mandates on their employees. McGeachin and Cawthorn fell on Tuesday. Her candidacy was supported by state Senator Dean Mortimer. Janice McGeachin speaks during a meet-and-greet campaign fundraiser at a Caldwell-area winery in April. Since winning the lieutenant governors office, McGeachin has regularly garnered the spotlight for her combative relationship with Little. McGeachin is asking taxpayers to cover $50,000 worth of her legal costs, Boise State Public Radio reported. His research focuses on the politics of families and marriage. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from Loyola University in Chicago. Janice McGeachin", Far-right Idaho lieutenant governor McGeachin announces bid to unseat Little as governor, Lieutenant governor candidates differ on Medicaid, wages, Idaho Republicans push opposition to Medicaid expansion, "Days before filing begins, several candidates declare their intentions", November 6, 2018 General Election Results: Statewide Totals, "Idaho Governor Primary Election Results", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Janice_McGeachin&oldid=1142145521, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 19:27. EastIdahoNews.com, LLC. Wearing a black Stetson, Brown looked out onto the congregation filled with people of all ages and launched into a 40-minute lesson from the Book of Revelation about where to put ones faith, and how to prepare for judgment. He has scored some big wins,. Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. McGeachin said she doesnt concern herself with unflattering characterizations, or any of the other things people say about her. BOISE (Idaho Statesman) Idahos lieutenant governor opened the front door of her campaign headquarters mid-morning on a Wednesday, the lone occupant at the converted office space neighboring a dry cleaning facility and a pest control company. Littles staff never returned her umpteen-million phone calls, she said. Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin and her husband, Jim, stand on the steps of the Idaho State Capitol as she announced her run for Governor in Boise on May 19, 2021. His lieutenant governor took power and banned state vaccine mandates. Janice McGeachin (then Kyes), lower right, appears in her sophomore year portrait in the 1979 yearbook for Skyline High School, located in Idaho Falls. This group is described by Steve Taggart in his most recent Idaho Politics Weekly post as "wacky and extremist at best." Ive been pregnant twice. Hamilton, however, prefers to keep the focus of McGeachins candidacy on her credentials. McGeachin now appears to be following the same political formula that led to Trumps rapid rise, Thompson said, including his defeat of President Joe Biden in Idaho in 2020 by nearly 31 percentage points, despite losing the national election. Under her vision for the state, McGeachin said, businesses and churches will never be forcibly closed, as happened during the stay-at-home order out of concern for public health. Shes a former teacher who staked her campaign, in part, on her objections to Common Core, EastIdahoNews.com reported. [11][43] In late-April 2020, McGeachin urged reopening all businesses in Idaho by April 30,[44] and also spoke at a protest in eastern Idaho against stay-at-home directives. McGeachin remembers the city back then as a great place to grow up a small and supportive community. McGeachin Signs Executive Order on Mask Mandates, "Idaho healthcare leaders plead for coronavirus mask mandate", Idaho lieutenant governor keeps focus on vaccine mandates, McGeachin's office used misleading number to disparage COVID vaccines, Idaho hospitals begin rationing health care amid COVID surge, Idaho under statewide 'crisis standards' for rationing care, Idaho morgues are running out of space for bodies as covid-19 deaths mount, Idaho governor asks people to get COVID-19 vaccine. His actions were stepping over into a different branch of governments purview, and thats pretty serious to me.. Politics isnt always viewed as a place for girls. [40][46] At the rally, McGeachin criticized Little and other state officials. Critics, including State Board President Kurt Liebich say theyve seen little evidence of widespread indoctrination. Liebich doubled down during the task forces second meeting in June, saying he had not seen any evidence of indoctrination in our public education system to date, via a written statement. PHOTOS: Lt. Gov. The soup of the day is beef taco, and the $5 drink special is a melon berry ros sangria. When they passed gay marriage, they opened Pandoras box. 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. Traditionally the officeholder in the bench-warmer spot has waited until the governor chose to end his run, or transitioned to a federal position. A cadre of Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group with links to white supremacy, also stalked the grounds. | Sarah A. Miller smiller@idahostatesman.com. However, McGeachin's Idaho Falls-based business accepted two partially forgivable loans, totaling $314,727, from the federal Paycheck Protection Program. The rotation of bartenders appears to be playing to their VIPs, frequently stopping to check in on the McGeachins and their daughter. Henry, who founded a conservative activist group that she calls Parents for Freedom and Liberty, has since gone all-in on McGeachins run for governor. [74] In the voter pamphlet, she contended, "The federal government has become too restrictive in how we teach our kids, manage health care, build our roads and manage our resources. Members continue to include an Idaho Freedom Foundation employee and a charter school leader who pushed to use the Bible in public schools. [70], McGeachin is part of the far-right wing of the Republican Party. And were both very grateful for that. [14] McGeachin frequently criticized Little's strategy regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. It didn't last, Republican infighting in Idaho over the coronavirus has reached a new low, Low Turnout For COVID-19 Skeptic Rally Headlined By Idaho Lieutenant Governor, 'Loss of hope': Idaho hospitals crushed by COVID-19 surge, Gov. After that, she ran unopposed five times in the Republican primary for a state House seat representing Idaho Falls, from 2002 to 2012. The McGeachins are known for frequenting their pub. As lieutenant governor, McGeachin aligned herself with Donald Trump and frequently clashed with Little. [66], In May 2021, McGeachin filed as a candidate seeking election as governor of Idaho in 2022, challenging incumbent governor Brad Little in the Republican primary. In 2012, she and her family . | Sami Edge, Idaho Education News. "[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. And I have had two healthy pregnancies, said McGeachin, long a vocal advocate against a womans right to obtain an abortion. A political philosophy professor and a former Idaho State Board of Education president also sit on the 14-member assembly. With campaign signs and rolled banners tucked in different corners of the space giving it a just-moved-in ambiance, McGeachins wood-paneled operations base is nondescript. At a March rally in southeast Boise for semi-truckers headed to Washington, D.C., to protest pandemic-related restrictions, McGeachin defended her fiery platform and her supporters to the crowd gathered on a small lawn next to a highway offramp truck stop. But, then again, McGeachin, 59, is a surprise candidate, having emerged from relative anonymity after years away from public office to win the lieutenant governors race four years ago as an underdog. She is the first female lieutenant governor of Idaho. Among their favorite ski resorts are Grand Targhee and Jackson Hole, both in Wyoming near the Idaho border, and Sun Valley, where the family also owns a home just south of Ketchum. She was inspired to enter the race to help address the communitys rapid growth, and what she felt was a lack of planning to go with it, McGeachin recalled. 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. Janice McGeachin enters the house chambers at the state Capitol building on Jan. 10, 2022 in Boise, Idaho. Her relationship with Little finally boiled over last year when McGeachin leveraged the Idaho Constitution, which bestows power upon her position when the governor is out of state, and issued a pair of pandemic-related executive orders. In addition, McGeachin threw open the doors of her familys pub in Idaho Falls before the order preventing bars from reopening lapsed. Governor promotes 'walk-thru disinfectant cubes', Idaho lieutenant governor got pandemic loans for business, Acting as Idaho Governor, Lt. Gov. As I have traveled across our beautiful state, I have listened to our people, McGeachin said in a speech from the Capitol steps in March. [85] She announced on February 24, 2012, that she would not be seeking re-election. She said she supports marriage between a man and a woman, as outlined by Idaho's Constitution, despite the fact that gay marriage became legal by federal law in a U.S. Supreme Court case in 2015. It worked, despite Littles own past support for Trump. Janice McGeachin and her husband, Jim, stand on the steps of the Idaho State Capitol as she announced her run for Governor in Boise on May 19, 2021. McGeachin cited Littles handling of the COVID-19 pandemic for prompting her to run now. Shes no longer shown herself to be the very personable, outgoing, kind lawmaker he knew when she was a member of the state House and the two would occasionally collaborate on bills, he said. [31] The Idaho Statesman editorial board described the effort as "a manufactured witch hunt" driven by the "far-right fringe of Idaho's politics. The two got more serious when she moved back to their hometown after graduating from the University of Arizona in 1985 with a degree in business administration, majoring in finance. Britney Spears and husband Sam Asghari rock matching outfits for a trip . The two married and are celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary this summer, McGeachin said, fiddling with a thick-banded, diamond-encrusted ring around her right middle finger. Idahoans have a critically important choice to make a choice that will determine the course of our state for years to come. 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.. [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. | Kevin Fixler, kfixler@idahostatesman.com. Ive made my statements about who I am and what I believe in, McGeachin told the Idaho Statesman in a sit-down interview. McGeachin faced no Democratic challenger in the general election in three out of the five races, easily beating her opponent the other two times with more than 71% of the vote. He spoke about the forgotten man in this country and how the government in Washington, D.C., was too beholden to the corporations and the special interests and that we needed to return the government back to the people, 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. [40][46] In October 2020, McGeachin appeared in a video by the right-wing Idaho Freedom Foundation in which she wielded a gun and Bible, railed against COVID-19 public-health measures, and questioned whether "a pandemic may or may not be occurring. She met her husband, Jimmy McGeachin, while she was in high school and he attended college at the University of Idaho, she said. Janet Adams is a retired Coeur dAlene lawyer. [79], McGeachin was unopposed for the Republican primary. | Kevin Fixler kfixler@idahostatesman.com. Thats exactly the sentiment behind it just get it done, girl.. After an onslaught of negative attention tied to the AFPAC event, including calls for her to resign, McGeachin responded by chastising the media a common target of her contempt, including consistent use of the phrase fake news media popularized by Trump. "Critical Race Theory (CRT) is a religion of . 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.
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