Who’s running in Idaho Legislature’s District 11? Hear from the candidates

No incumbents are up for election in District 11, where voters will decide on a candidate in three contested races.

In District 11, candidates’ priorities range from increasing funding for education and law enforcement to lowering taxes and managing growth. Legislative candidates serve two-year terms. District 11 includes Caldwell and some unincorporated areas of Canyon County.

In the race for state senator, Camille Blaylock, a Caldwell Republican, is facing Toni Ferro, a Caldwell Democrat. Blaylock is running for office for the first time. Ferro previously ran for a Senate seat in 2022 and 2020. Blaylock won the May primary over incumbent Chris Trakel, a first-term senator who had championed a number of bills targeting LGBTQ+ people.

Republican Kent Marmon, a former Caldwell City Council member, is running against Democrat Anthony Porto for the House A seat. Marmon beat former Rep. Julie Yamamoto in the May primary. Yamamoto had chaired the House Education committee and supported education initiatives. Marmon, who has run for the Legislature several times in the past, described himself as the “conservative choice” in the race.

For the House B seat, Lucas Cayler, a Republican and service technician, is facing Marisela Pesina, a Democrat who chairs the Caldwell school board. Cayler said he’s running because the district needs “truly conservative representation” and will prioritize property tax relief. Pesina said as a representative she would champion education.

The Idaho Statesman sent questionnaires to each candidate in a contested race. Marmon and Ferro did not respond.

The rest of the responses are below.

Voters can still register to vote at the polls and vote early through Nov. 1. Learn more about this race and other local elections in the Statesman’s Voter Guide. (Find the legislative district you live in here, and find your polling place here.)

Read all of the candidates’ responses below. Use the horizontal scroll bar underneath each candidate to read the full Q&A. You also can click on the chart and drag horizontally.

This story was originally published October 19, 2024 at 4:00 AM.

Becca Savransky

Idaho Statesman

208-495-5661

Becca Savransky covers education and equity issues for the Idaho Statesman. Becca graduated from Northwestern University and previously worked at the Seattlepi.com and The Hill. Support my work with a digital subscription