Megan Blanksma | |
---|---|
Majority Leader of the Idaho House of Representatives | |
In office December 1, 2022 –February 8, 2024 | |
Preceded by | Mike Moyle |
Succeeded by | Jason Monks |
Member of the Idaho House of Representatives | |
In office December 1,2016 –November 30,2024 | |
Preceded by | Pete Nielsen |
Constituency | 23rd district Seat B (2016–2020) 8th district Seat B (2020–present) |
Personal details | |
Born | Nampa,Idaho,U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Education | University of Idaho (BS) |
Megan C. Blanksma (born in Nampa,Idaho) is an American politician serving as a member of the Idaho House of Representatives from District 8 in seat B. [1] A member of the Republican Party,she served as the majority leader in the House of Representatives from 2022 to February 8,2024,when she was removed due to disagreements within the Republican caucus. [2]
Blanksma was born and raised in Nampa. She graduated from Nampa High School and served as a legislative page in the Idaho Senate during her senior year. Later,she earned a Bachelor of Science in economics from the University of Idaho.
From 2014 to 2016,Blanksma served as Chair of the Elmore County Republican Party,after many years as a volunteer in many capacities at the county and state level. [3] She also serves on the St. Luke's Elmore Community Board.
Blanksma challenged 14-year incumbent Pete Nielsen in the Republican primary in 2016. She was endorsed by Governor Butch Otter. [4] After securing the nomination,Blanksma faced only independent and third party opposition in the general election and was elected to the seat.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic,Blanksma criticized the Idaho Central District Health for endorsing a statement by Lauren McLean,the Democratic mayor of Boise,who supported Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance regarding masking and vaccines. [5]
Blanksma and her husband,Jeff,live on a farm in Hammett,Idaho.
Year | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Candidate | Votes | Pct | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016 Primary [6] | Megan Blanksma | 3,387 | 71.0% | Pete Nielsen (incumbent) | 1,052 | 22.1% | Justin Freeman | 329 | 6.9% | ||||
2016 General [7] | Megan Blanksma | 10,810 | 77.1% | Bill Chisholm | 2,335 | 16.6% | Christopher Jenkins | 889 | 6.3% | ||||
2018 Primary [8] | Megan Blanksma | 4,328 | 100% | ||||||||||
2018 General [9] | Megan Blanksma | 10,441 | 97.9% | Tony Ullrich (Write-in) | 220 | 2.1% | |||||||
2020 Primary [10] | Megan Blanksma | 6,112 | 100% | ||||||||||
2020 General [11] | Megan Blanksma | 12,941 | 74.5% | Michael Oliver | 3,234 | 18.6% | Tony Ullrich | 1,186 | 6.8% |
Year | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Candidate | Votes | Pct | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 Primary [12] | Megan Blanksma | 6,995 | 100% | ||||||||||
2022 General [13] | Megan Blanksma | 12,604 | 83.6% | Tony Ullrich | 2,482 | 16.5% |
Mike Moyle is a Republican member of the Idaho House of Representatives since 1998 in the District 10 A seat. Moyle has served as Idaho House Speaker since 2022. Moyle was the House Majority Leader from December 7,2006,to 2022. As of 2022,he is the longest serving current member of the Idaho House of Representatives.
Lawerence Denney is an American politician from Idaho who served eight years as the state's secretary of state. A Republican,Denney previously served eighteen years in the Idaho House of Representatives,which included three terms as Speaker.
Scott Conrad Bedke is an American politician serving as the 44th lieutenant governor of Idaho since 2023. A Republican,he served as a member of the Idaho House of Representatives for the 27A district. In December 2012,Bedke defeated fellow Republican Lawerence Denney to become speaker of the Idaho House of Representatives.
Noy Elbert "Bert" Brackett III is an American politician who served as a member of the Idaho Senate for the 23rd district from 2008 to 2020.
Cherie Buckner-Webb is a Democratic politician from Boise,Idaho. In 2010 Buckner-Webb was elected to a single term in the Idaho House of Representatives representing the north Boise-based District 19. In 2012 Buckner-Webb won the district's Idaho Senate seat,succeeding the retiring Nicole LeFavour. She is Idaho's first elected African-American state legislator,and its first African-American woman legislator.
Stephen Anthony Hartgen was an American politician who was a member of the Idaho House of Representatives,serving from 2008 to 2018. He was a member of the Republican Party.
Todd M. Lakey is an American attorney and politician. A Republican,he has represented district 12 in the Idaho Senate since 2012. He currently serves as chair of the Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee. He now represents district 23.
Fred S. Martin is an American politician and a Republican former member of the Idaho State Senate,representing District 15 from 2012 until 2022.
Janie Ward-Engelking is an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the Idaho Senate,representing District 18 since December 2013. She previously represented District 18 Seat A in the Idaho House of Representatives.
Kelley Packer was a Republican Idaho State Representative from 2012 to 2018 representing District 28 in the B seat and was a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor in the 2018 primary election. In 2019,Packer was named head of the Bureau of Occupational Licenses (IBOL) by Governor Brad Little,a position she held until April 2020.
Clark Kauffman is an American politician from Idaho. Kauffman is a former Republican member of Idaho House of Representatives representing District 25 in the B seat from 2012 to 2022.
Terry F. Gestrin is an American politician who served as a member of the Idaho House of Representatives from the 8th district. He assumed office on August 2,2012.
Lance W. Clow is a Republican Idaho State Representative since 2012 representing District 25 in the A seat.
Robert Anderst is a politician who served as a member of Idaho House of Representatives from 2012 to 2020. Anderst announced he would not run for re-election in 2020.
Jim Rice is an American politician serving as a member of the Idaho Senate from the 10th district. He was appointed to the seat in March 2012 by Idaho Governor Butch Otter.
Patrick McDonald was a Republican member of the Idaho House of Representatives,representing the Boise-based District 15 from January 2014 to January 2019. He was appointed to the position by Governor Butch Otter to serve the remainder of the term of Mark Patterson,who resigned due to scandal regarding his past criminal record.
Mark Harris is an American politician serving as a member of the Idaho Senate from the 32nd district. He assumed office on July 22,2015.
A general election was held in the U.S. state of Idaho on November 6,2018. All of Idaho's executive officers were up for election as well as both of Idaho's two seats in the United States House of Representatives.
Walter Marcus William Nye was an American attorney and politician who served as a Democratic member of the Idaho Senate from the 29th District. Nye previously represented the same district in the Idaho House of Representatives from 2014 to 2016.
Ronald M. Nate is an American politician and economist who has previously served as a member of the Idaho House of Representatives from the 34th district. He was an economics professor at Brigham Young University–Idaho and is now president of the Idaho Freedom Foundation,a conservative think tank. He is part of the far-right faction of the Idaho Republican Party.