Education a key in packed Boise, Garden City District 16 races. Hear from candidates
Voters in Idaho’s District 16, which includes parts of Boise and Garden City, will have a robust slate on their ballots for two of the district’s three seats as those positions lose their incumbents. Candidates are heavily focused on education and affordability, particularly when it comes to buying homes.
The Senate race is particularly crowded, with competitors in the Democrat and Republican primaries. Soñia Galaviz, a Latina public school teacher who spent the past four years in the House, said she is focused on public education and addressing rising household costs for Idahoans. Galaviz has been endorsed by incumbent Ali Rabe, who announced earlier this year she would not seek reelection.
Galaviz faces Justin “Justice” Mitson in the primary.
Mitson, who declined to participate in the Idaho Statesman Voter Guide, previously told the Statesman’s editorial board he considers himself a “John F. Kennedy Democrat” when running for the Senate seat in 2024 against Rabe, though at the time he described platforms more consistent with conservative talking points, including voting to ban gender-affirming healthcare for minors.
Two Republicans are competing to run against the Democrat primary winner for the Senate seat in the general election in November. Geoffrey Surbeck, a small business owner, said he also wants to focus on education — but not just traditional public education. As a charter school board vice chair, Surbeck also said he wants to see charter schools flourish.
Surbeck’s opponent, LeeJoe Lay, declined to participate in the Voter Guide. Lay has run for the seat multiple times and advanced to the general election, where he has lost to Democratic opponents.
Voters will have a choice between two Democrats in the primary for Galaviz’s House Seat A, neither of whom has previously held elected office.
Jeffrey Watkins is a high school science teacher who describes himself as “a first-time homebuyer, a union member and a part of the LGBTQIA+ community.” Watkins said public education and affordability are top priorities.
Watkins is endorsed by Idaho’s teachers union, the Idaho Education Association, and has received donations from two prominent Boise Democrat incumbent state legislators — Monica Church and Chris Mathias — who are running for reelection.
Watkins faces Megan Woller for the House seat. Woller is the executive director of the Idaho Head Start Association and said her priorities include early-childhood education and state-level protections for workers exposed to extreme heat.
Woller touted her experience as a substitute in the Legislature. She is endorsed by Rabe and the Legislature’s Democratic leadership, Sen. Melissa Wintrow and Rep. Ilana Rubel, both of Boise. Woller also received donations from Church and Mathias.
The winner of the Democrat primary for House Seat A will run against Republican candidate Jackie Davidson in November.
There is no primary for House Seat B, as only Democrat incumbent Annie Haws and Republican challenger Chandler Stewart Hadraba are running.
Only Republican voters can cast ballots in Idaho’s closed GOP primary. All legislative seats are two-year terms.
The Idaho Statesman sent questionnaires to each candidate in a contested race. The responses of those who participated are presented below, unedited.
To learn more about these and other local races, go to IdahoStatesman.com/Election. Find more candidate Q&As like this in the Statesman’s Voter Guide.
