Idaho First District Democratic candidates for the U.S. and Idaho House will be at the Pearl Theater, 7160 Ash Street, Bonners Ferry, at 6 p.m. Monday, March 4. All are invited to hear from Kaylee Peterson, challenging Russ Fulcher for the Idaho First Congressional District seat in the U.S. Congress; Karen Matthee, candidate for Idaho House Seat 1A, held by Mark Sauter; and Kathryn Larson, candidate for Idaho House Seat 1B, being vacated by Sage Dixon.
Kaylee Peterson is running for US Congress in Idaho’s First District. She is a sixth-generation Idahoan with deep roots in Idaho. Her great-great-great grandparents homesteaded in what is now the Eagle foothills. She still lives on that land, on a street named for her great-grandfather. She will be a voice for reason, collaboration, bipartisanship and principled compromise.
“I am running for Congress in Idaho’s First District because the incumbent is part of the problem,” Kaylee said. “The incumbent has consistently voted against the interests of Idahoans and for his PAC donors and far-right friends, as demonstrated by his opposition to the American Rescue Plan, which provided resources to address COVID and spur a strong economic recovery; to the Infrastructure Bill, which Idaho Sens. Crapo and Risch supported; and to the Postal Service Reform Act, a badly-needed common-sense bill that puts the USPS on a sound financial footing and ensures continued six-day-a-week mail delivery. At this critical juncture, we must rely on facts, evidence and reasoned compromise, and refuse to be swayed by falsehoods, extremism and the cult of personality. We must act now to change direction or we are in very real danger of losing our freedoms, our voting rights, and our precious democracy.”
Learn more about Kaylee Peterson at https://kayleeforcongress.com.
Karen Matthee is a Democratic candidate for the Idaho House of Representatives – Seat 1A
Statement from Karen: “I believe that what makes a good candidate is the ability to listen – listen to what people have to say on both sides of an issue. In that regard, journalism was a good training ground for politics. I received my master of science in journalism from Northwestern University. That was in the good old days when objectivity and balance were essential. As a reporter, I learned that rarely were things good or bad, black or white; there was always an overlap, a gray zone. As a candidate, I hope to listen and learn from all of you and find solutions that allow individuals and our communities to thrive. As your state representative, I will work toward:
- Lowering the cost of living
- Access to affordable healthcare for all
- Fixing or replacing aging school facilities
Learn more about Karen at https://www.kmattheeforidaho.com.
Kathryn Larson is a Democratic candidate for the Idaho House of Representatives – Seat 1B
Statement from Kathryn: “I have lived and worked around the globe, advising the top leaders of well-known, common brands. While working with local leaders, I’ve learned that the people here are every bit as smart and competent as those people running giant companies. As your representative, I will work for:
- Local focus – I’ll prioritize positive progress here in District 1.
- Freedom – We ask for freedom and liberty, while our legislature creates layers of rules and restrictions that exert control inappropriately. They put forward bills to appease a vocal minority at the expense of the rest of us. These provide little value, yet lead to costly lawsuits and spawn confusion. You and I – the taxpayers – pay the cost of the lawsuits and ambiguity. I’ll write and support clean, transparent bills that don’t put inappropriate decisions into the hands of government or the few.
- Economy – Our approach to economic growth and taxes must help our middle class. Current tax cuts, proposed and enacted by our current representatives, are designed to help our wealthiest residents the most. There are ways to craft tax reform that help a larger number of people in more meaningful ways. “As your elected representative in the Idaho Legislature, I’ll work to ensure that this economy works for you, regardless of your income.”
Learn more about Kathryn Larson at https://kathrynlarsonforidaho.com.