BLACKFOOT — The Greater Blackfoot Area Chamber of Commerce and the Bingham County Senior Center recently co-hosted a primary candidate forum featuring two state legislature races, two county commissioner races, the county coroner race and the county assessor race.

Former Blackfoot Mayor Marc Carroll moderated the event before a packed crowd at the senior center. Candidates had two minutes to introduce themselves, then answered five predetermined questions in one minute or less before delivering one-minute closing statements.

The forum opened with the state legislative races, followed by the county commissioner races and concluded with the coroner and assessor races. All of the candidates who participated in the forum were Republicans because there are no Democratic primary contests for those races in the May primary.

State Senate District 30Republican candidates are challenger Ethan Neff and incumbent Julie VanOrden.

Neff is a conservative who believes in Christian values and constitutional governance. He is concerned about rural agriculture issues and school funding. He believes the state’s water decision-making process needs reform to give all stakeholders an equal voice and said reducing regulations on physicians would help address Idaho’s doctor shortage. He also said the state’s current budget situation warrants tapping into rainy-day funds.

VanOrden comes from a deep agricultural background and has served three terms in the Idaho House and two and a half terms in the Idaho Senate. She currently chairs the Health and Welfare Committee and serves on the Agriculture and Resources and Conservation committees.

She described her Republican values as pro-life and pro-adoption with a commitment to balanced budgets. On the physician shortage she highlighted the World Health Initiative’s potential to bring a medical school to Idaho and a nurse tuition forgiveness program. She said she prefers alternatives to rainy-day funds — such as opioid settlement money and Millennium funds — when general funding is cut.

Idaho House District 30B

Republican candidates are incumbent Ben Fuhriman and challenger Julianne Young.

Fuhriman describes himself as a common-sense conservative who sets aside emotion and focuses on facts. He said he is not beholden to any outside organization. His background is in financial planning and he said he uses that expertise to support sound fiscal policy even when it affects his own profession. He criticized the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee’s decision to cut programs rather than draw on money held in budget stabilization reserves.

Young is a fiscal and social conservative who previously served eight years as a state representative. She said her voting record reflects her commitment to protecting families, private property, children’s online safety, free speech and clearly defined genders.

On rainy-day funds Young said the solution is straightforward — ongoing spending must match incoming revenue and emergency reserves should be preserved for true emergencies. On the physician shortage she disputed the notion that Right to Life policies are driving doctors from Idaho, instead blaming excessive regulations on medical practices.

Bingham County Commissioner District 1

Incumbent Republican Drew Jensen and challenger Tim Shurtz are seeking the seat.

Jensen served 13 years on the Firth School Board before winning his current commissioner seat. He said he believes in listening to all perspectives before pursuing solutions that benefit the broader community. A former water board member and current Eastern Idaho Cattle Association president, Jensen called the new water agreement an improvement but not ideal. He supports additional water storage solutions and radar detection lights on wind turbines.

Schurtz served 12 years on the Firth City Council. He believes developers should pay impact fees to fund school construction so local taxpayers are not burdened by growth-related costs. He said local government leaders should carry out the will of the people. He voluntarily limited himself to three terms on the city council after accomplishing his goals there.

On water allotments Schurtz said distribution should be fair and balanced for all. He is opposed to wind turbines, saying residents have made their position clear.

Bingham County Commissioner District 2

Republican incumbent Whitney Manwaring and challenger Victor Salinas are vying for the seat.

Manwaring served as a firefighter for 24 years before his 15 years as commissioner. He has also served on the Riverside Water Board and believes there are better methods for measuring water usage. He noted tribal water rights must also be factored into water discussions.

On term limits Manwaring said it takes several terms to fully understand the job and that voters can remove officials who are not performing. On wind turbines he said location and compliance with county regulations are the determining factors — noting the county has rejected turbine proposals that did not qualify.

Salinas has worked as a farmer, welder, certified nursing assistant and for the past 18 years in construction. He is concerned about school funding and believes growth-related costs should be borne by developers and newcomers rather than existing residents.

On wind turbines Salinas said he has never supported them and sees no community benefit — noting that power bills have not decreased as a result. He supports term limits as a way to bring fresh ideas and new perspectives from younger generations.

Bingham County Assessor

Republican incumbent Donavan Harrington and challenger Jonathan Stimens are running for the seat.

Harrington described his role as managing a skilled staff of GIS surveyors, assessors and DMV clerks. State law requires the office to assess 20 percent of the county annually on a five-year rotating schedule. His top priority is responding to property valuation questions promptly — before penalties and interest begin accruing. He also encouraged residents to apply for the Circuit Breaker property tax reduction program.

Stimens believes property taxes should accurately reflect market values and that developers should pay for infrastructure such as roads. He said improved communication from the assessor’s office would reduce the shock residents feel when valuation letters arrive. He wants to help build a stronger future for Bingham County.

Bingham County Coroner

Republican incumbent Jimmy Roberts and challenger Scott Tweedy are seeking the position.

Roberts has a background as a firefighter and EMT and is certified by the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators. He now teaches best practices for coroners across Idaho and said he has transformed the office from a basement closet operation into a professional space where he can meet with families.

He said the key skills for a coroner are attention to detail, thorough documentation, respect for the deceased and their families and the willingness to ask difficult questions. To stretch the office budget Roberts said he takes half pay and no benefits to free up funds for staff, training, autopsies and equipment.

Tweedy has 30 years of experience as a firefighter and EMT. He said he brings compassion, empathy and a strong work ethic to the race. He said he would tighten a budget that has doubled in recent years by utilizing funeral homes more extensively. He said he has the time and commitment to learn the role and perform it well.

The forum closed with a reminder of the importance of voting. Jensen recounted a school board race in which a 30-30 tie was broken by a mail-in ballot that had not yet been counted. That single vote won him the seat.

“Every vote counts,” Jensen said.