Saluting Idaho’s Unsung Political Heroes

The Idaho May primary is less than two weeks away. Idahoans can only escape the overwhelming campaign fever if you're a politico, campaign signs, ads, shirts, and anything used to promote someone's political ambitions. I was hit with three candidate text messages while writing this paragraph. 

Although the candidates running for office, big or small, get attention, they can only succeed with the support of a small, unrecognized, and often overlooked group of people.

One crucial element a candidate must have when running for office is the unwavering support of their family. The election campaign demands a multitude of tasks-knocking on doors, raising funds, working the phones, attending endless forums, developing a platform, and yes, more knocking on doors. (After all, who likes to be disturbed at home?) This means that the candidate's family often sacrifices their own time and comfort for the sake of the campaign. 

Family support is crucial because running for office in Idaho is no longer cheap. In a few races, both candidates have spent more than one hundred thousand dollars. This includes costs for campaign materials, advertising, and event hosting. Often, candidates rely on personal savings, loans, or fundraising efforts to cover these expenses. 

Whether you're running for Congress, governor, or dog catcher, candidates have to have support from their employers. Running for office in Idaho requires a 'side hustle'-an additional job or source of income-and three other part-time jobs. We only have so much bandwidth, so time on the streets is time away from the job that pays the bills.