Voters in Boise suburbs could have different election choices. What to know
Caldwell, Kuna and Eagle voters may soon have different choices in their city elections.
That’s according to Rep. Joe Alfieri, R-Coeur d’Alene. Alfieri presented a bill Tuesday to require cities with more than 25,000 people to hold their council elections by district. Basically, someone who lives in one part of the city would vote for a candidate to represent just that part of the city. The bill was unanimously introduced by the House State Affairs Committee.
“It allows for really direct, local representation of its citizens which I think we don’t currently have,” Alfieri said. “This increases localized accountability.”
The bill could also lower campaign costs, Alfieri said, because for example, people wouldn’t have to pay to mail out information to everyone in the city.
Caldwell Mayor Eric Phillips supports the bill, and the city began preparing for a potential transition to council districts in summer 2025, spokesperson Char Jackson said.
“This legislation would align with work already underway,” Jackson said by email.
Eagle spokesperson Laura Williams declined to comment on the bill, saying the city had not yet had a chance to review it. A spokesperson for Kuna did not immediately return a request for comment.
In 2020, the Legislature passed a law requiring the districts in cities with more than 100,000 people — which at the time was only Boise. The move created opportunities for the Republican Party in a city that’s seen as more liberal.
However, amid the post-pandemic population boom, Nampa and Meridian both hit that threshold and now hold their elections by district.
So far, there’s one Republican on the Boise City Council: Council Member Luci Willits, who represents west Boise.
This story was originally published February 17, 2026 at 2:13 PM.
CORRECTION: The caption of a photo used in a previous version of this story incorrectly identified a person as an elected state representative.
