The Four of 14A
Why you should vote for each candidate in this race
Idaho’s redistricting battle left an open seat in District 14, where four people threw their hats into the ring. None has held elective office before. Each has similar views on conservative issues such as taxation, guns, and abortion, but differ in a few key areas, and they come from four very different backgrounds.
Evaluating this race has been both a pleasure and a burden. A pleasure because I have really enjoyed sitting down with all four candidates and having conversations about their stories, their views, and their priorities; a burden because I can only choose one to vote for. I feel obliged to come to a conclusion that I can share with you before the election on May 17th.
Today I will explain why you should vote for each of the four candidates. I will present them in as objectively and positively a manner as possible, giving you their background, their priorities, and what unique qualities they would bring to the legislature. Perhaps you will feel a strong connection to one of the four. Remember, one of them will be our representative next year.
I will share who I plan to vote for in this race tomorrow, but for now, I present the candidates for 14A, in alphabetical order:
Why you should vote for Ted Hill:
Ted Hill embodies the archetype of the American warrior. Having only just retired from an astonishing 38 year career as a US Navy aviator, Captain Hill wants to use his tremendous drive and energy to save the country he loves. He grew up in Idaho, graduating from BSU in 1979. No matter where he has gone in his long career, from flying missions over the South China Sea, to joint operations with our allies in the Middle East, to interdicting drug cartels in the Caribbean, Idaho has always remained Ted Hill’s home.
When his daughter was killed in an awful traffic accident on SR-16 ten years ago, Captain Hill lobbied to install a traffic light on that highway that would save lives in the future. Making that happen required navigating complex bureaucracies, from ITD and ACHD, to the cities of both Star and Eagle, and even the state government itself. But he made it happen. That is the sort of tenacity that Captain Hill would bring to the legislature. He has never shied away from telling people the truth, whether they are bureaucrats in Idaho or flag officers at the Pentagon. Many conservative voters are frustrated with our government, feeling like they never get as much done as we want. Captain Hill’s relentless energy would be a renewed fire in that engine.
I was impressed with Captain Hill’s deep knowledge of history and geopolitics when we sat down for tea a few weeks ago. Our discussion covered a lot of ground": the just war doctrines of St. Thomas Aquinas, the cultural differences between Americans, Muslims, and the Chinese, and the sorry state of American masculinity today. Captain Hill believes that his adaptability is his greatest strength. He has had to become an expert in many areas over the course of his military career and he wants to bring that versatility to state government.
Ted Hill worries about the downward trajectory of our society, but he says, “I think we can stop this thing.”
Why you should vote for Caleb Hoobery:
Caleb Hoobery has been fascinated by the process of governing since he was in high school. His civics teacher was passionate about the subject, but never used his influence to indoctrinate his students. The young Mr. Hoobery participated in mock legislature, learning the process of making law from beginning to end. Activists like me often get frustrated with the slow pace of change in government, but how many of us truly understand how to actually make a difference in the legislature?
Caleb Hoobery works a regular day job but has still found time to be involved in his community. As chairman of the District 8 Republican Party, Mr. Hoobery has experience navigating the political system and working with other Republicans from throughout Idaho. He managed Steven Thayn’s last two successful races for State Senate, campaigning throughout a district that extended from Emmett to the Montana border. Now he is running for State House in the new District 14, hoping to be a voice for Gem County in the legislature.
Mr. Hoobery prefers the term statesman rather than politician. A politician makes promises while a statesman fulfills them. A politician is concerned with the next election, while a statesman focuses on the work at hand. A politician grandstands for Facebook likes, while a statesman does the quiet work of building coalitions in the legislature. Mr. Hoobery wants to be known as a common sense statesman. When he is not working or campaigning, Hoobery is negotiating with Emmett School District to allow students the ability to take a government course created by Hillsdale College or spending his time teaching gun safety to children.
Caleb Hoobery would bring a measured and thoughtful presence to our state legislature.
Why you should vote for Tracey Koellisch:
Tracey Koellisch is no stranger to politics. Whereas none of the candidates for this open seat have a legislative record to defend, Mrs. Koellisch has the closest thing to it. As a PC for District 14 as well as Ada County’s state committeewoman, she took the lead in pushing many measures through the Republican Party infrastructure. When Idaho hospitals imposed a vaccine mandate on their employees, she was part of the effort to unify the GOP against these mandates and demand that the legislature return to the Capitol to address the issues. When the 2020 election revealed flaws in our voting systems, Koellisch spearheaded the creation of a citizen’s commission on election integrity. She did not stop at the first roadblock, when party leadership wanted nothing to do with the plan, but instead kept at it until the commission’s resolutions were adopted by the state Republican Party and even read into the congressional record.
Tracey Koellisch believes her calling is to inform citizens about what their government is doing. When she saw that the city of Eagle was going down the same road as many other big cities - high density development, a council that was increasingly sequestered from citizen influence, leftists winning technically nonpartisan races - she took action. Mrs. Koellisch helped organize a coalition of concerned citizens that resulted in a tremendous increase in voter turnout for the 2019 mayor and council elections, and a resounding victory for conservatives. She built on that organization by creating FreedomStand, bringing commentator Charlie Kirk to Eagle and raising thousands of dollars for conservative causes.
Tracey Koellisch is worried about the influence that big businesses have on the Republican Party and the government of Idaho. She believes that the GOP has been too lenient on business because of our long-held belief that government should not interfere with private companies. Yet today the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction, as corporate lobbies are writing their own legislation, receiving huge tax breaks and subsidies, and using their influence to stop good laws that protect the rights of the people.
The next big fight is over ESG scores, which are already being used in the banking industry to grade companies on how well they support progressive causes. It is a fight that Tracey Koellisch is ready for.
Why you should vote for Mike Olsen:
This race is Mike Olsen’s first foray into politics, but he has accomplished more in his time than many people do in their entire lives. He graduated from BSU in 2010 and interned for US Senator Jim Risch in Washington DC that summer. He attended law school at both the University of Houston and Georgetown. He worked for a large accounting firm and later Shell Oil, where he led a complex project that recovered a billion dollars for the company. He then returned to his homeland of Idaho to work for the family business, a hearing aid company that has 123 locations in ten states.
Mr. Olsen is ready to put his extensive experience with tax law and regulatory policy to work in the state legislature. I was extremely impressed with the depth of his knowledge when we sat down for tea a few weeks ago. As in-house counsel for his family business, Mr. Olsen must work with ten different states that have ten different levels of regulation. He has seen how byzantine regulations and high taxes can make doing business miserable in one state while low taxes and simple regulations make it a pleasant experience in another. He wants to see Idaho be a more friendly place to do business - not with handouts, but with simple, straightforward regulations and low taxes.
Mike Olsen has written countless contracts in his role as a tax law specialist. He sees the law as a sort of contract in that it must be clear, unambiguous, and written to accomplish a specific goal. If the legislature wants to do something, it must pass a law that makes it happen, rather than leaving it to chance or to the whims of executive branch bureaucrats. Mr. Olsen is very concerned with something called Chevron Deference, which is a legal doctrine that gives bureaucrats tremendous leeway in interpreting the law. He wants to make sure that laws are crafted in such a way that they reflect the needs of the people of Idaho instead of catering to an ever-growing bureaucracy.
Mike Olsen would bring both a very sharp mind and an abundance of youthful energy to the legislature.
I hope this has helped clarify this race for you. Each of these four candidates brings a different perspective and set of experiences to the table, and each one has a different talent stack as Scott Adams likes to say. One of these four will be our next representative. Consider their positions and their stories, read their websites, and watch their videos. Tomorrow I will share who I plan to vote for. Subscribe now so you won’t miss it!
Nice work covering the backgrounds, unique skills, and goals of each candidate. Much appreciated. Thank you!
In future evaluations, especially for crowded or hotly contested races, could you also mention major funding sources and organizations (or PACs) that support or oppose each candidate? Sometimes those two items can tell stories the candidates themselves bypass. Following the money and knowing the supporters can be beneficial in a hotly contested race.
Example: Sam Smith seems well-qualified and well-intentioned. However, Smith is strongly supported by PAC-A, which also supports Jo Brown for another office. Brown’s values conflict with my own. Worse, PAC-A falsely portrays Mo Green, another candidate whom I know and support. This activity by PAC-A could then sour my opinion of Sam Smith using the “birds of a feather” principle.
I hope this makes sense!
Thank you. We needed this.