Op-Ed: The Real Extremists of Southeast Idaho Politics

The following Op-Ed was submitted by Jake Stevens. Note: Op-Eds do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of those at the Idaho Dispatch. 

I was very disturbed to hear that Pocatello’s mayor, a registered Republican, recently contributed the maximum allowable donation to district 29’s staunch Democrat representative, James Ruchti.

Representative Ruchti is no moderate Democrat. I believe Ruchti’s voting record egregiously contradicts the wishes of the overwhelming majority of Pocatello residents who support family values.

Advertisement

Some examples include:

· voting against a bill that would curb the governor’s power to deem certain businesses “non-essential” and force them to close (Idaho House Bill 135)

· voting against a bill that would prohibit the killing of an unborn child once a heartbeat can be detected (Idaho House Bill 366),

Advertisement

· voting against a bill that would ban males from completing in girls’ sports (Idaho House Bill 500), and

· voting against a bill that banned Marxist racial propaganda such as Critical Race Theory from being taught in public schools. (Idaho House Bill 377)

As a man of Christian faith, the subject of protecting the lives of unborn children is non-negotiable when it comes to deciding which political candidates I will support. Based on my conversations with friends, family, and neighbors here in Pocatello, it appears most of our community feels the same way. I would also argue that most of our community opposes males competing in girls’ sports, as well as radical gender, sexual, and racial propaganda poisoning the vulnerable minds of our youth.

James Ruchti has actively supported efforts to implement measures to allow forced business closures and vaccine mandates that come with threats of job loss and occupational licensure revocation. I have personally spoken with over one hundred small business owners in the Pocatello area over the past month and every single one of them told me they ardently oppose these policies.

To Mayor Blad’s credit, when I called him to inquire as to why he is supporting a candidate who’s voting record reflects radical leftist ideology that is misaligned with the predominant values of our community, he did return my call.

He told me he contributed to Representative Ruchti’s campaign because he believes Ruchti has always represented our community’s best interests. When I asked for a specific example, he could not provide one. He did however say, “In the past I have asked other legislators such as Randy Armstrong and Kevin Andrus to vote a certain way and they would not. James has voted the way I’ve asked him to.”

I then asked Mayor Blad very bluntly if the reason he contributed to Ruchti’s campaign had anything to do with the fact that Ruchti was instrumental in planning for the Democrat party to endorse Mayor Blad in his recent bid for re-election as Mayor. He claimed James Ruchti had nothing to do with that plan. Ruchti’s own Facebook page tells a different story.

Members of both sides of the political establishment of Pocatello have colluded to ensure career politicians with extremist, radical left ideologies remain in power. And no one is talking about it.