Republican Rep. Jerald Raymond running against Democrat Connie Delaney for Seat 31A
Published at
SALMON — Republican Rep. Jerald Raymond is running against Democrat Connie Delaney for District 31 Seat A in the Idaho House of Representatives.
District 31 covers Jefferson, Lemhi, Clark, and Fremont counties.
Click here to learn more about Raymond’s campaign.
Delaney does not have a website, but there is information about her campaign on Ballotpedia.
EastIdahoNews.com sent the same eight questions to each candidate. Their responses, listed below, were required to be 250 words or less. EastIdahoNews.com is publishing the answers in their entirety, and without any grammatical or style editing.
EastIdahoNews.com reached out to Delaney multiple times but did not get a response. If we do, we will post it below.
The general election is Nov. 5.
Candidate Questions & Responses
Tell us about yourself — include information about your family, career, education, volunteer work, and any prior experience in public office.
Raymond: I am a fourth generation Idahoan. My wife (Cheri) of 47 years and I have 6 married children and 25 grandchildren. We have both lived in Jefferson County our entire lives and educated our children in the Jefferson School District. We both graduated from Rigby High School and attended Ricks College. We are engaged in the livestock industry and own/operate a feedlot near Menan. In addition to parenting and church service opportunities, I have had leadership experience in the Farm Bureau Federation, the Idaho Cattle Association (past president), and as a former county commissioner, serving as chairman for 4 years. I also served in the House of Representatives from 2019-2020 and from 2022-2023.
Why are you seeking political office? Briefly explain your political platform.
Raymond: I am a multi-generation Republican. I am conservative in both my public and private dealings. I believe that our Constitutions, both Idaho and U.S., are inspired documents. I am Pro-Life, Pro 2nd amendment, and pro-business. I come from a long line of family members who are service oriented and believe in giving back to their community, and serving in the Legislature is one way that I can “give back”.
What are the greatest challenges facing people and communities in your district? What is your plan to meet those challenges?
Raymond: Many of the challenges we face are a result of federal policies. While we, as state legislators, have little to do with federal legislation we do yield some influence on our Congressional delegation. We work closely with them on natural resources issues as well as tax policies. One of our biggest challenges is inflation. It is real and it hurts! I am hopeful that a new administration will create wise fiscal policies. As a state legislature we have eased the burden of property taxes both years of our last term. We will continue to work on tax reform, allowing Idahoans to retain their hard-earned dollars.
Have you seen any mistakes made by the Idaho Legislature in recent years? How would you work to correct these errors?
Raymond: In 2022 the Legislature inadvertently repealed the law that created the Presidential primary in Idaho. This was due to a drafting error and was NEVER intended to eradicate Idahoan’s right to vote for their Presidential Candidate. The intent WAS to consolidate the March and May primaries saving the taxpayers millions of dollars. Once it was known that there was an error the Senate ran a bill to correct it. I supported that bill, but it died in the House State Affairs Committee, never making it to the House floor for a vote. I support a renewed effort to restore the presidential primary for Idahoans.
What parts of the state budget could use more funding? Are there places in the budget where cuts could be made?
Raymond: I prefer to use the term “appropriate funding” rather than cutback or additional funding. Every government entity can, and should, seek to cut excess expenditures and utilize every dollar fully appropriated to their fullest extent. Education must be a high priority. Our children are our future! Education displaces poverty. We must invest in infrastructure, i.e. roads and bridges. We cannot leave this to our children to “figure out”. Deferred maintenance is deficit spending. As our state grows, so will challenges associated with law enforcement. Appropriate funding for our men and women in blue is a must, including our local elected law enforcement officers. In Idaho, we produce more food products than we consume. Therefore, export markets beyond our borders are essential. I currently serve as Vice-Chairman of the House Agricultural Affairs Committee and have successfully sponsored and supported legislation that benefits the state’s larges economic contributor. Tax dollars are the people’s dollars and are to be guarded and appropriated wisely.
What is your position on Idaho’s Proposition 1 ballot initiative that would end closed-party primary elections and create ranked-choice voting?
Raymond: I am opposed! Idaho has secure election laws and very high election integrity. I am opposed to any voting alternative that could possibly compromise election integrity.
What is your position on Gov. Brad Little using Idaho State Police resources to bolster security at the United States southern border? How does illegal immigration impact the constituents in your district?
Raymond: The Governor was wise in providing training opportunities for ISP. We MUST stop the flow of illegal drugs and human trafficking into our country/state! Furthermore, we MUST NOT legalize drugs that are currently illicit. The federal government has failed us regarding immigration policy. We need foreign born workers, but we need them to be here legally. The H2A program is not comprehensive enough. Idaho’s leaders must assist our congressional partners in drafting meaningful immigration reform.
A battle over the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer recharge led to a temporary water curtailment for thousands of acres of farmland in 2024. How should the the legislature respond to this issue?
Raymond: I have been engaged in meetings between the Surface Water Coalition and the Idaho Ground Water Appropriators since the beginning of their negotiations. They last met yesterday. I am hopeful that the current draft of the settlement agreement is the final one. There has been give and take on both sides. Many new and innovative ideas have come forth as solutions to this great challenge. I do not believe we will ever see valley wide, or region wide, curtailment orders again. I know of no irrigator who wants that! This settlement agreement, if signed by all parties, will be legally binding. However, if there is anything in the agreement that requires codification, I will do all in my power as a member of the House Resources and Conservation to bring it to fruition.