Political newcomer faces off against incumbent Senate pro tem. Here’s our pick
In the District 20 Senate race, Republican primary voters would do the state well by retaining Senate President Pro Tem Chuck Winder in office.
Winder’s character is best attested to by those who know him best, those he’s served alongside and led for more than a decade.
The Boise Republican has long been a force for stability in Senate leadership. Since he was first elected in 2008, Winder has served as pro tem, majority leader and assistant majority leader — all central posts in Senate leadership. Indeed, he’s been in leadership for 11 of his 14 years in the Senate. His ability to repeatedly win the backing of his colleagues is testimony to his ability to retain the trust and respect of his colleagues.
Rosa Martinez, Winder’s opponent, did not respond to requests to be interviewed by the editorial board. The Statesman does not endorse candidates who won’t be interviewed.
Winder’s leadership comes at a particularly vital time for Idaho’s political future.
The Senate has in recent years performed much like the designers of our system intended: as an effective check of the wild excesses of the Idaho House. While the House has embraced a series of manufactured moral panics (porn in libraries, critical race theory and socialism in classrooms, etc.) to push through wildly misguided legislation, the Senate has remained largely focused on problems that are more pressing — more pressing because they are real rather than imaginary.
But as tempting as it is to believe that some law of nature or trick of design makes the Idaho Senate naturally more moderate than the House, one only has to look at the U.S. Senate to see that it isn’t true. Perhaps tradition makes the Idaho Senate more level-headed than the House, but a far more important factor is the senators who have been elected to serve there.
And Winder has stepped up to oppose extremism while many others have remained silent.
He has taken particular aim at the Idaho Freedom Foundation, arguing the group poses a threat to democracy. It’s not uncommon to see some lawmakers simply checking to see how IFF has scored a bill, effectively outsourcing their vote, he pointed out.
Make no mistake, Winder is quite conservative. Travel back a decade, and he was sponsoring anti-abortion bills alongside Janice McGeachin. But he’s a careful student of public policy and devoted to the spirit of collaboration and circumspection that have defined the Idaho Senate in turbulent times.
Even if you don’t agree with Winder all the time, and we certainly don’t, you can be confident that he will hear you out, and that he will play fair. He’s proven a fitting successor to former Senate President Pro Tem Brent Hill in that regard.
Quite simply, Idaho would be much better off if there were more people in the Legislature like Sen. Winder.
In addition to holding bad policy at bay, Winder has played an important role in pushing forward legislation that has improved the lives of everyday Idahoans. These have included significant tax cuts and historic increases in education spending.
We encourage him to continue those efforts and particularly to make real strides toward addressing Idaho’s last-in-the-nation status in per-student education funding.
This story was originally published May 10, 2022 at 4:00 AM.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHow we write endorsements
Who decides the endorsements?
Members of Idaho Statesman editorial board interview political candidates, as well as advocates and opponents of ballot measures. The editorial board is composed of journalists and community members. Members of the Statesman editorial board are: Statesman editor Chadd Cripe, opinion editor Scott McIntosh, opinion writer Bryan Clark, newsroom editors Dana Oland and Jim Keyser and community members John Hess, Debbie McCormick and Julie Yamamoto.
What does the endorsement process entail?
The Statesman editorial board meets with political candidates and asks them a series of questions about policy issues. The editorial board discusses the candidates in each race. Board members seek to reach a consensus on the endorsements, but not every decision is unanimous. The editorial board generally will not endorse a candidate who does not agree to an interview with the board members.
Is the editorial board partisan?
No. In making endorsements, members of the editorial board consider which candidates are well-prepared to represent their constituents — not whether they belong to a particular political party. We evaluate candidates’ relevant experience, their readiness for office, their depth of knowledge of key issues and their understanding of public policy. We’re seeking candidates who are thoughtful and who offer more than just party-line talking points. The editorial board will endorse both Republicans and Democrats. We make recommendations about who the best-qualified candidates for these jobs are.
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