Idaho House District 8 Seat A Candidate Q&A: May Primary Election

IDAHO — As part of Idaho News 6’s election coverage ahead of the May primary, candidates in the contested Idaho House District 8 Seat A race were invited to complete a written questionnaire about their candidacy, priorities, and approach to key issues facing voters.

Their responses are included below as submitted, with no edits except for length when necessary. Candidates who did not respond are noted as “did not respond.”

Candidates are listed alphabetically by political party, then by last name.

Republican —

• 1. What motivated you to run for this position?

  • Rob Beiswenger

    • I decided to run for office because Idaho was not protecting its citizens from ridiculous mask and vaccine mandates.
      Also because my predecessor refused to protect minor children from sex-change surgeries and drugs. I refused to standy by [sic] and allow that to continue.

  • Sean Hall

    • I read the bills. What I’ve learned is this: when you read them, you start to see how the system really operates. What I saw didn’t match what I thought was happening.
      One example is H0581—a bill asking for permission to obtain our court’s rules. That caught my attention. When I asked my representative about it, despite being a named co-sponsor, he didn’t even know about the bill. I showed it to him, and he told me the Legislature doesn’t have subpoena power. It does. Instead of using that authority, the Legislature created a workaround. That’s wasteful, and it risks weakening the people’s voice in the House and its responsibility of oversight.
      I’ve seen multiple examples like this—including the Medical Freedom bill. That’s when it became clear: if no one is doing the work to understand and explain what’s happening, the public is left in the dark.
      In my view, a core responsibility of the job is twofold: represent and inform. I’m running to bring clarity, accountability, and real understanding back to the people I represent.

• 2. What experience has prepared you to serve?

  • Rob Beiswenger

    • I've had a successful term under my belt now but before that I've been a small business owner managing staff and meeting payroll and now I'm in the finance field selling gold and silver at Money Metals Exchange, so I've got a well-rounded background in helping people.

  • Sean Hall

    • I’ve spent my career in environments where results matter—business, program management, and building systems end to end. You don’t get to hide behind process; you either deliver or you don’t. I’ve been responsible for outcomes, worked through constraints, and led complex efforts across teams.
      Everyone deserves representation—regardless of party. And as timing would have it, I’ve had to fight for that principle during my own candidacy. My mom was denied critical rehabilitation in a skilled nursing facility. Doctors reported she was independent—when she couldn’t even get out of bed. I was shocked at the disregard for truth.
      Through that process, I’ve learned how Medicare actually operates. Despite multiple reports of this happening, the facility—serving hundreds, if not thousands—had never had anyone take an appeal to Level 3. I have. I now have a formal hearing scheduled with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals on May 19.
      I will bring that same diligence, devotion, and courage to serving the people I represent in District 8.

• 3. What do you see as the most significant issue facing your constituents, and how do you plan to address it?

  • Rob Beiswenger

    • The biggest issues are getting good paying jobs and handling the surge in population growth. We need to keep taxes low, regulations at a minimum and protect Idaho's values and water resources.

  • Sean Hall

    • District 8 covers over 14,000 square miles, so one answer would fall short. If I say water, I ignore constituents in the north dealing with homeowners insurance. If I say insurance, I ignore water—something that directly impacts agriculture, growth, and Idaho’s future.
      To address this, I will meet with Commissioners, Mayors, and other stakeholders in each county. I will ask them for their top priority issue. I will also ask my counterpart in Seat B to join me, so both House seats representing this district are aligned on what matters most to the people we serve.
      Take water as an example. Idaho already has a State Water Plan through the Idaho Water Resource Board and works with partners like the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Natural Resources Conservation Service. What I don’t see is a clear, long-term strategy the public can track to ensure Idaho has enough water for the next 100 years. That’s what I would push for.
      I’m here to get an “A+” from the people I represent. Not for myself—but because it’s a solemn duty. My job is to represent, and that means fighting hard for my constituents’ needs.

• 4. If elected, what is the first policy you would seek to implement or change?

  • Rob Beiswenger

    • I want Idaho to get involved studying the benefits of Ibogaine for PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury, particularly for our veterans. President Trump recently signed an executive order to expedite the review process but the initial studies are showing an 80% success rate in curing PTSD in a single treatment according to a Stanford University study. Clinics in other countries are having great success with it but Ibogaine is prohibited in the United States.

  • Sean Hall

    • My first action would be to introduce the Follow the Money Act. If someone uncovers fraud, waste, or abuse in government spending, they receive 10% of what is recovered. It creates a clear incentive for people to come forward, protect the people’s money, and return those funds to the people of Idaho.
      This is part of a broader principle I believe in: bring things into the light. When systems are hidden, they can be abused. When they’re visible, they change.
      This approach is modeled after the federal False Claims Act, which has recovered tens of billions by incentivizing insiders to expose fraud. The concept works—we would apply it at the state level. Take what works, bring it into our system, and remove what doesn’t.
      My broader agenda is simple: shine light on our government in Idaho—full transparency in how decisions are made and how the people of Idaho are being represented.

• 5. How would you balance community needs with budget constraints, particularly during times of rising costs?

  • Rob Beiswenger

    • Stubborn inflation due to massive government spending in recent years is making it tough for our citizens to make ends meet. That's why I voted for across the board income tax cuts and increasing the grocery tax credit and conforming to President Trump's tax cuts to keep more money in our pockets.

  • Sean Hall

    • I will work directly with local leaders and stakeholders in each county and city to identify their top priorities and make sure those needs are being represented at the state level.
      From there, prioritization is the answer. We need to ensure Idaho’s spending is delivering real results. That means auditing how money flows from government to the endpoints and making sure those systems are free from fraud, waste, and abuse – getting that right directly impacts budget constraints and rising costs.
      A good place to focus is our largest spending areas—health and education. In health, there is real opportunity to recover costs by increasing transparency, requiring clear pricing from healthcare providers, reducing administrative overhead, and making sure services are actually delivered as billed. In education, I fully support school choice and expanding options to ensure the best outcomes for our children and our families’ future.
      The message from the state should be simple: we serve you—the people of Idaho. Period. Responsible representation ensures District 8’s tax dollars are being used wisely across every service.
      This requires discipline—cut what doesn’t work, strengthen what does, and make sure every dollar serves the people of Idaho.

• 6. With multiple candidates on the ballot, why should voters choose you?

  • Rob Beiswenger

    • I campaigned on lower taxes, defending Idaho's traditional values and expanding our health freedoms and I delivered in my first term. Mask and vaccine mandates were outlawed so we won't have to repeat the COVID non-sense and we cut state spending by forcing state government to tighten its belt. I also voted to protect children from sex change surgeries and drugs.

  • Sean Hall

    • I’m here to get an “A+” from the people of District 8—not for myself, but because this is a solemn duty. The people of District 8 are owed that level of commitment. Running for state house means serving—and that’s how I will fulfill this role: in service to them. When the people of District 8 elect me, they’re hiring me to be their representative—to bring forth laws on their behalf and ensure that government is serving their best interests.
      I will only serve their interests—nothing else and no one else. Period. No exceptions.
      When it comes to lawmaking, I take that responsibility seriously. If a bill has my name on it, I will have influenced it on their behalf, understood it, and be able to stand in front of them and explain it—clearly—and explain why it serves their best interests.
      I read the bills. I ask questions. And when something doesn’t make sense, I don’t ignore it—I dig in. That’s how I approach representation.