IDAHO — As part of Idaho News 6’s election coverage ahead of the May primary, candidates in the contested Idaho House District 9 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 are listed alphabetically by political party, then by last name.
Republican —
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1. What motivated you to run for this position?
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John C. Shirts
- I’m a fifth-generation Idahoan, and my family has been ranching in Washington County since the 1880s. I grew up understanding that our land, our water, and our small-town values are what make this state special. But I’ve also seen how quickly those things can be threatened by the wrong decisions in Boise and Washington, D.C. I’m running for election because I want to ensure that the Idaho my children inherit is just as strong as the one my great-great-grandfather homesteaded, a place where agriculture can thrive, families are safe, and the government stays out of the way of your success.
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Heidi Smith-Takatori
- My opponent’s voting record and his claim to be “for agriculture” while failing to address key agricultural issues motivated me to run. We cannot continue to operate a fiscal roller coaster, passing exorbitant enhancement bills on off years and then facing across-the-board cuts the following years as a result. We need to cut waste from our agencies in order to continue to fund needed programs. Regarding agriculture, in the past 19 years, our state department has gone from a model of efficiency and service to a stratified bureaucracy in need of a serious overhaul. I am willing to take on the hard and often unpopular work of changing how we do business. Additionally, the trampling of rights, common sense and proven medical solutions during covid greatly influenced me in choosing to run.
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2. What experience has prepared you to serve?
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John C. Shirts
- My career has been defined by service and accountability. As a JAG officer in the U.S. Air Force, I served in Korea and later prosecuted sexual assault cases in the Special Victims Unit at bases across the globe. Following that, I was appointed as a federal prosecutor under the first Trump administration, where I focused on taking drug traffickers and child predators off our streets. After being elected to the Idaho State House in 2024, I've served in the legislature fighting for our farmers, police, and veterans.
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Heidi Smith-Takatori
- My district relies on agriculture. I earned bachelor's degrees in Animal Science and Veterinary Science from U of I, a DVM from WSU, practiced veterinary medicine for nearly two decades, and remained active in agriculture even after a career shift. I have experience in both business and education, leadership skills from serving in regional and national organizations, grew up in a politically aware family, and have served the past two terms as a precinct committeeman in Canyon County. I also married into a local farming family; my husband continued to serve in agriculture following his military service in the Army. In recent years I have followed the Legislature, worked closely with a number of legislators, have worked as a bill reader, and have both testified for and against bills as well as doing background work for legislators on a number of topics.
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3. What do you see as the most significant issue facing your constituents, and how do you plan to address it?
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John C. Shirts
- The most significant challenge is maintaining our Idaho way of life in the face of rapid growth. This means protecting our water and agricultural land from development pressure while ensuring that our infrastructure can keep up without crushing taxpayers. We have to address the rising costs of living by keeping taxes low and eliminating the government waste that drives up the burden on working families.
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Heidi Smith-Takatori
- Property taxes, loss of agricultural land and illegal immigration have been the biggest concerns I’ve heard from the people of District 9.
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4. If elected, what is the first policy you would seek to implement or change?
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John C. Shirts
- A top priority upon reelection would be to focus on policies that directly reduce the burden on working families, whether that’s addressing property taxes, cutting unnecessary regulations, or ensuring taxpayer dollars are being spent efficiently. I will continue to see where government can operate more effectively and deliver real relief where it’s needed most.
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Heidi Smith-Takatori
- I can’t name just one. My three top priorities are 1) addressing land use, property taxes and cost of community services through legislation that gives counties a framework for imposing impact fees when growth reaches a critical point; 2) working with other legislators to address departmental inefficiency starting with the Department of Agriculture, and 3) changing policy within the legislature itself to ensure that if one body passes a bill, it will at least receive a committee hearing in the opposite chamber.
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5. How would you balance community needs with budget constraints, particularly during times of rising costs?
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John C. Shirts
- It comes down to prioritization. We must prioritize the most important parts of the budget, including public safety and infrastructure . I believe in eliminating unnecessary regulations that stifle small businesses and ensuring our government is lean, effective, and accountable to the people, not the other way around.
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Heidi Smith-Takatori
- I’m willing to join with other legislators who are already pushing for fiscal cleanup of our state agencies. The waste that is evident in the layers of bureaucracy in many (most!) of our agencies can be eliminated without impacting the core roles of those agencies, and might actually help to deliver needed services more efficiently. Last summer we had a legislative “DOGE” committee which did nothing more than trim regulation and clean up code—while those are important, what we need is the same sort of effort to go through the structure, staffing and fiscal practices of our agencies to eliminate waste and duplication with an eye toward increasing efficiency.
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6. With multiple candidates on the ballot, why should voters choose you?
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John C. Shirts
- Voters should choose me because I have a proven track record of fighting for our shared values in the legislature. I’ve spent my career enforcing our common principles as a federal prosecutor and a veteran. I understand the unique challenges facing our rural communities because I live them every day on our family ranch. I will be continue to be a relentless advocate for the people of District 9 in the legislature.
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Heidi Smith-Takatori
- I am knowledgeable about numerous issues already and as a life-long learner, I’m not shy about improving my knowledge base. I’m willing to do deep research, I’m good at “connecting the dots,” and as I’m not aspiring to higher office, I can more easily have the hard conversations needed on numerous issues. I am transparent, willing to listen to my constituents, accessible to my constituents, and willing to engage in difficult topics. I support the unborn, I value family, I respect parents as the primary stakeholders in their children’s lives, I value medical freedom, and I’m a strong advocate for the Constitution as a whole, but particularly the Second Amendment (which protects the rest) and the First Amendment (which was so badly trampled during the height of the covid years).
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