Rep. Russ Fulcher faces a challenge from Democrat Kaylee Peterson. Here’s our pick

The decision to endorse Kaylee Peterson was not a hard one.

For starters, there was no way we could endorse Rep. Russ Fulcher. Fulcher refused to be interviewed by the editorial board, and we do not endorse candidates who do not have the commitment to transparency to answer basic questions.

And, more fundamentally, Fulcher betrayed his country in the wake of the 2020 election. He voted to object to the certification of the election, not because there were any serious questions about the election’s legitimacy, but for political reasons. It was dishonest. It was cowardly. It should disqualify him from office.

So you might assume we are endorsing Peterson simply because she presents an alternative to Fulcher. But that isn’t true. We were genuinely impressed by her.

Fulcher refused to debate Peterson this year. It’s not hard to see why. She may well have wiped the floor with him if he had agreed to show up.

Fulcher has long been known as a talented debater — talented enough that former Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter worked to make the 2014 gubernatorial debate a national laughingstock in order to prevent Fulcher from scoring points there.

But at least Otter showed up. Fulcher simply chickened out.

And refusing to debate a serious candidate — as Peterson is — is a disrespect to voters, who have a right to see whether Fulcher could hold his own.

Peterson is young for the position, but she shows an understanding of policy well beyond her years.

She shows a detailed understanding of policy and how it will impact everyday Idahoans. From the promise of new clean energy jobs to the burden imposed by the high cost of prescription drugs — both areas in which she pointed out clearly Fulcher’s poor record and what she would do differently.

As we questioned her, Peterson had answers on inflation, nuclear energy, agricultural policy, water, elections and every other area of policy we brought up. We don’t agree entirely with every proposal she had, but each was thought-out and reasonable.

We struggle to think of any reasonable policies Fulcher has championed since taking office.

Peterson puts a central focus on the loss of individual rights which has picked up steam in recent years, including the revocation of abortion rights, the growing infringement on voting rights and the feared eventual revocation of the right to gay marriage. Fulcher has consistently fought to eliminate such freedoms.

She has expressed a willingness to fight for these important rights, and she has specific ideas about how to pursue them, including by working to restore protections once offered by the voter rights act and working to make Election Day a federal holiday.

It would be welcome if Idaho’s 1st District had a representative committed to protecting freedoms, not restricting them.

For all these reasons, Peterson has earned our resounding endorsement.

And no matter the outcome of this election, keep an eye on Peterson. She has a bright future.