The Idaho State Capitol in Boise on January 23, 2024. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun)

This story was first published on: IdahoEdNews.org On October 30, 2024.

A group pushing for private school choice has poured more than $50,000 into the Idaho Senate race in West Boise.

In total, the Idaho Children’s Federation spent more than $85,000 in next week’s general election. The same PAC – affiliated with the American Federation for Children, a pro-school group – Spent more than $300,000 in May GOP primariesand helped him unseat two school choice rivals.

Independent campaign spending is down significantly this fall, but spending sheds light on a handful of competitive races and overloaded Recommendation 1 selection.

The Idaho Children’s Federation spent $53,259 campaigning against Sen. Rick Just, D-Boise, and $3,157 to support Just’s GOP opponent, former Rep. Codi Galloway. Just and Galloway fight In a rematch in West Boise’s legislative district 15One of Idaho’s few swing legislative districts.

The Idaho Children’s Federation also spent $14,675 campaigning against Mary Shea, a Pocatello Democrat challenging Rep. Dustin Manwaring, R-Pocatello; $11,002 over Moscow Democrat Kathy Dawes, who defeated Rep. Brandon Mitchell, R-Moscow; and $3,157.42 for 15th District Rep. Dori Healey, R-Boise, who will face Boise Democrat Shari Baber next week.

In other independent spending thumbnails:

• Three Boise groups spent more than $55,500 supporting Democrats and opposing Republicans in swing districts. That includes $10,110 spent against Boise Republican Annette Tipton, who is challenging 15th District Rep. Steve Berch, D-Boise; $8,888 spent against Galloway; and $8,530 against Sen. Dan Foreman, R-Viola, faces Moscow Democrat Julia Parker next week. Stronger Idaho, Idaho Freedom Defense and Responsible Idaho are led by Boise’s AK Leinhart-Minnick. Stronger Idaho is aligned with the Idaho Education Association; The PAC contributed $30,000 to Stronger Idaho in September.

• Two other groups — Make Liberty Win and Idaho Freedom PAC, which are aligned with Young Americans for Freedom — spent $5,542 on Foreman’s behalf last week.

• Idaho Chooses Life spent $6,515 in the 15th District campaigning against Democratic candidates Just, Berch and Baber.

Proposal 1 spend

The initiative to reshape Idaho elections—turning the primary into an open race with the top four candidates advancing and introducing ranked-choice voting in the general election—continues to attract recent attention from Idaho donors.

Idaho Rising, a PAC led by House Speaker Mike Moyle, invested another $50,000 in anti-Prop 1 ads. The group spent a total of $321,000 opposing Proposition 1.

Idaho Falls-based Melaleuca Inc. spent $12,497 directly opposing Prop 1. Melaleuca was also a major donor to Idaho Rising.

Prop 1 supporters, backed largely by out-of-state donors They gained a huge fundraising advantage We are moving towards the final stages of the race.

Click here for more election news Featuring in-depth stories on key legislative races from Idaho Education News.

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