Who is running for superintendent in Idaho’s GOP primary? Hear from the candidates

Three candidates are running in the May 17 Republican primary to serve as Idaho’s next superintendent of public instruction.

The election comes as schools across the state continue to deal with lasting impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, debates over curricula and shortages of teachers and staff members.

Superintendent Sherri Ybarra is running for a third term. Ybarra was first elected to the superintendent role in 2014. The two other Republican candidates are Debbie Critchfield, the former chair of the State Board of Education, and Branden Durst, a former Idaho legislator.

The superintendent of public instruction serves four-year terms.

The three candidates differ on several issues, including whether critical race theory exists in Idaho’s public schools, whether funds should be diverted from public schools for school choice and how the state handled the COVID-19 pandemic in schools.

The Statesman sent surveys to each of the candidates on a variety of issues. Their responses are copied below, unedited.

Learn more about other local elections at IdahoStatesman.com/Voter-Guide.

Use the horizontal scroll bar underneath each Q&A as needed to read the full Q&A. You also can click on the chart and drag horizontally.

This story was originally published May 1, 2022 at 2:00 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