On Monday, December 15, 2025, Nez Perce County Democrats hosted a Zoom call with Terri Pickens, Democratic candidate for Idaho Governor.  31 people from the five counties making up the North-Central Idaho Democratic Coalition* attended the 90 minute call.

The agenda for the call was divided into three parts:

• Terri talked about her campaign – her platform, vision, and key issues she wants to address
  
  
• A question-and-answer session
  
  
• Terri talked about the support she needs from Democrats in North-Central Idaho
  
  

Terri’s campaign and key issues

Terri began by introducing herself as a lifelong Idahoan. Her career as an attorney includes time as Nez Perce County Public Defender and running her own law firm in Boise since 1999.  She mentioned that she has two children, a 21 year old daughter and a 16 year old son, and that together they have enjoyed travel and recreation in practically every part of Idaho. 

She said her current campaign will be different from her last run (for Lt. Governor in 2022) because the political climate today is different.  She said that current Governor Brad Little has decided to “hitch his wagon to Donald Trump” and has “abdicated his job as governor for all the people of Idaho and just do the bidding of the President of the United States, who has zero interest in Idaho and has never been here”.

Terri said she intends to focus on issues that are impacting everyday Idahoans, including:

• Making life affordable for Idahoans.  She noted that many Idahoans are having problems affording the basics of living, like buying a house, paying for rent and utilities, and buying groceries.  Ways of addressing the affordability issue include creating a budget that works for all of Idaho and that avoids creating deficits.  Eliminating the grocery tax was another idea.
  
  
• Adequately funding public education.  Terri said that “The legislature and the governor have failed to budget adequately to protect the public education system in the state, despite the fact that it is constitutionally mandated.  Every single child in this state has a constitutional right to a free education.” 
  
  But programs like the school voucher initiative take funds away from public schools that are necessary for upkeep and repair, teacher salaries, after school programs, and student services like counseling. 
  
  
• Protecting individual freedoms.  Terri called out the Idaho GOP and the current administration for promoting “culture war” legislation that strips away the fundamental freedoms of Idahoans.  She mentioned resolutions that would ban gay marriage, eliminate bodily autonomy for women, and limit parents’ options for medical care for their children.  She said it would be her “fundamental mission” to undue these policies when she is governor.
  
  
• Protecting public lands .  Terri criticized the current governor, Congressman Russ Fulcher, and others for proposing that public lands now owned by the federal government should be transferred to state control.  Because Idaho doesn’t have the budget or resources to manage and maintain the lands, she said this was a thinly-veiled approach that would lead to the sale of these lands as a way to reduce the budget deficits.
  

Terri said she is working with the Idaho Democratic Party to run a coordinated campaign for the entire state that will provide staff and resources for her campaign and for down ballot candidates, including those in county races.  She stressed the importance of contesting every race because “every single race matters and if there are [Democrats] on the ballot then there is no mandate for the Idaho GOP to just do whatever they want”.

She wants to connect with local candidates to help get the message out that “there is a choice in Idaho”.  We’ve learned, she said, that if you put candidates up everywhere, you can win anywhere.

Q&A

In the second portion of the call, Terri took questions from attendees.  The questions covered a variety of topics, including health care costs, housing costs, protecting family farms, and finding support from Independents and moderate Republicans.  

• Affordable health care.  Terri predicted that the elimination of ACA subsidies and Medicaid expansion would lead to many Idahoans seeing increased costs for health insurance, leading some to drop insurance altogether.  This would increase other costs, as people turn to emergency rooms for care.  In response to a follow up question on how to afford health care and food assistance (SNAP), Terri suggested that immediate action could be taken to eliminate tax breaks for billionaires and billionaire companies along with eliminating the education voucher program.
  
  
• What can be done at the state level to reduce housing costs?  Terri suggested several approaches.  First is to eliminate the levies that are added to property tax bills for school repairs, infrastructure, and social services – areas that are otherwise inadequately funded.  Second is to address the problem of corporate interests buying up blocks of property, like entire subdivisions, raising rents and pricing people out of the market.  She said the state should intervene to make it less attractive for conglomerates and hedge funds to operate.  Third is to regulate energy costs to be more in line with other states. 
  

• Protecting family farms.  Several questions touched on this area.  Terri said she has seen more farmers, especially small farmers, whose livelihoods “have been decimated by the tariffs”.  They’ve seen their crops rotting in the fields, have been unable to find sufficient labor to harvest, and then faced reduced prices when crops are taken to market, if the markets were even still there.   Many of these small and family farmers have now gone bankrupt.
  
  She also commented on the impact of giant agribusiness firms that are buying up family farms that have gone under.  She believes we need a balance of industry in agriculture, with small farmers adding diversity and innovation for Idaho.  She advocated for “leveling the playing field” and making it easier for small farmers to manage costs and compete more effectively.  One way to do this, she said, would be to implement a .“Right to repair” law.
  
  She also suggested taking lessons from other states, like California, who protect land and resources needed for farming to ensure sustainability.
  
  
• What evidence has Terri seen that Democrats are now perceived more favorably by voters?  Terri said she has seen several groups begin to voice concern about the current state of affairs.  The Latino community is reacting to ICE raids and support provided by state and local officials, including Governor Little, and are beginning to swing toward Democrats.  
  
  She also expects that women across Idaho will be supporting Democratic candidates and will show up to vote for the referendum on womens’ reproductive health that will be on the ballot in 2026.
  
  
• How would she get things done if she is elected, but the legislature remains in Republican control?  First, she said she would do everything in her power to break the supermajority, including using her veto power.  Failing that, she said, she would take issues to the people of Idaho.  We are not a “red state”, she said, we are a “politically inactive state” and she will use the bully pulpit of the governor’s office to let Idahoans know their legislators are not looking out for the interests of the people.
  
  
• How will you reach Independents and moderate Republicans?  Terri talked about various ways for reaching independent voters and moderate Republicans in Idaho, highlighting that independents are disillusioned with current leadership while moderate Republicans are disappointed with Governor Brad Little’s broken promises. She plans to make a concerted effort to reach people through the channels where they get their information, like conservative social media and television networks.  She said she is not afraid to go into “hostile territory” to prove to voters that their issues matter, that they are being listened to, and that we have many shared values in common. 
  
  Having face-to-face conversations is critically important, she said, as it gives us a chance to talk about how Democratic policies will benefit all people.
  

A common theme that Terri mentioned several times is that it’s important to keep people involved in finding solutions.

How we can help Terri’s campaign

Terri suggested several ways that interested individuals can assist her campaign.

• Engage with Terri’s digital campaign.  Follow her on social media:
  • Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/terriforidaho/
  • Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TerriForIdaho/
  • Threads – https://www.threads.com/@terriforidaho
  • Like, subscribe, and share!
    
  • Also her web site: https://www.terriforidaho.com/
    
    
• Donate money.  Will require millions of dollars to successfully campaign against Brad Little.  Max $5K for primary and $5K for general, but any contribution goes a long way.  You can click on the Donate button on her website.
  
  
• Dedicate time and effort by volunteering.  Opportunities will include door knocking, phone banking, registering voters, and helping to get the message out.  They are also interested in talking with people who have skills in digital marketing and social media, but are open to talking to anyone with skills they think could be useful.  See the Volunteer link at terriforidaho.com.
  
  
• Vote!  And take some friends with you.  Terri needs a 20 percentage point shift from the last election to tie, and a 20.1 percent increase to win.  She said,
  
  “Everybody has to show up this election cycle for us to have some fundamental change in the statehouse.”

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* The North-Central Idaho Democratic Coalition is a collaboration of Democrats from Lewis, Idaho, Clearwater, Latah, and Nez Perce Counties sharing resources funded by an Innovation Grant from the Idaho Democratic Party. The coalition aims to gather information and inform the public about government actions affecting rural communities.

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