Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. She protested at rallies, in direct violation of the orders, before showing up to the reopening of a brewpub in North Idaho that defied the governors requirements. McGeachin named Margaret Thatcher, the former prime minister of the United Kingdom, and former Republican U.S. Rep. Helen Chenoweth-Hage, of Idaho, as two women she admires. A few challengers ran spendy races and unseated Statehouse incumbents. [66], In May 2021, McGeachin filed as a candidate seeking election as governor of Idaho in 2022, challenging incumbent governor Brad Little in the Republican primary. appears in video slamming virus rules, whether 'a pandemic may or may not be occurring', Idaho Lt. To Montana the shot buyer offers to his group of new best friends. His pick for governor in Nebraska, alleged sexual abuser Charles Herbster, failed to make it through the primary last week. Idaho Senate President Pro Tem Chuck Winder, R-Boise, said McGeachins relationship with Republican leadership has soured during her time as lieutenant governor. [31] The Idaho Statesman editorial board described the effort as "a manufactured witch hunt" driven by the "far-right fringe of Idaho's politics. Idaho Lt. Gov. Rev. The two positions run for election separately, rather than as a unified ticket. [18] In the voter pamphlet she wrote, she hoped to help the governor "by increasing our freedoms and liberties, free from the bonds of excessive government regulations. Supporters and opponents acknowledge, though, she and her growing persona are anything but, with McGeachin increasingly invoking militarized rhetoric and a blend of patriotism and faith as rival political factions signal an intensifying culture war. Because sin is progressive, right? Brown told the congregation. She said she does not dispute that masks are effective in preventing the spread of the virus, particularly N95s and hospital surgical masks. McGeachin is advocating for a nationwide audit of each states voter rolls as part of her gubernatorial platform, and also elimination of all mail-in ballots in Idaho elections. A representative from the Idaho School Boards Association, ISBA President-elect Jason Knopp, withdrew from the task force after its first meeting, objecting to its lack of education professionals. After the task force completed its summer meetings, Knopps replacement died of COVID-19. [63], In December 2020, the month after Donald Trump lost the presidential election to Joe Biden, McGeachin, along with Little, Idaho's two Republican U.S. House members, and other Idaho Republican election officials, signed on to an amicus brief supporting Texas' attempt to overturn the results of the presidential election by rejecting millions of votes in four key states won by Biden. The McGeachins had their first child, a daughter, the year after they married. Idaho governor and lieutenant governor get into Twitter fight over state's executive orders, Idaho's 4 electors cast votes for Trump and Pence, "Motion For Leave (1) To File Brief Of Lieutenant Governor Janice Mcgeachin, Senator Lora Reinbold, Representative David Eastman, Et Al (Elected State Officials) As Amici Curiae In Support Of Plaintiff, And (2) To Do So In An Unbound Format On 8 12-By-11-Inch Paper, And (3) To Do So Without Ten Days' Advance Notice To The Parties", "Texas wants to overturn millions of votes. Members of her initiative claimed, without substantiation, that Idaho schoolchildren were being indoctrinated. After four meetings, the task force delivered a set of vague recommendations. In 2012, she and her family . President, how do you deal with some of this stuff when you were kind of under fire? He said: Never back down. . Idaho is one of 20 U.S. states that has never had a female governor. His research focuses on the politics of families and marriage. Just put your head down and keep going. I know she liked to have a good time, said Sen. Jim Patrick, R-Twin Falls, who served three terms with McGeachin in the House and used to rent a place on the same floor of a building three blocks from the Capitol. On an early April evening, theyre there for dinner and a few rounds of drinks, while the familys matriarch is home from the campaign trail. PHOTOS: Lt. Gov. As I have traveled across our beautiful state, I have listened to our people, McGeachin said in a speech from the Capitol steps in March. In her statement, she challenged news outlets for accusing conservatives of believing everything ever said by anyone with whom they share a stage, adding that she does not support identity politics or other discriminatory views.. She spoke of a rift between her and her daughter, which she attributes in part to critical race theory teachings at her daughters former college in California. 3-2-1, he says, tapping the phones touch-screen shutter. [42] During the pandemic, McGeachin repeatedly criticized Little for taking steps (such as closing physical businesses) to prevent the spread of the disease. Janice McGeachin stands with her husband Jim in front of the Idaho Capitol building prior to taking the podium to announce her run for governor on May 19. Little and McGeachin have become famously locked in disharmony. Former state Rep. Jeff Thompson, an Idaho Falls Republican who served two terms in the House with McGeachin, drew a parallel between his old friends political shift and Trumps unexpected ascension in the Republican Party in 2016, all the way to the Oval Office. July fundraising reports will trickle in over the next few days, as candidates report their monthly activity. She was elected lieutenant governor in the 2018 election, to serve with the governor, Brad Little. BOISE (Idaho Statesman) Idahos lieutenant governor opened the front door of her campaign headquarters mid-morning on a Wednesday, the lone occupant at the converted office space neighboring a dry cleaning facility and a pest control company. Idaho Education News Data Analyst Randy Schrader contributed to this report. Other priorities under a McGeachin administration, she said, include seeking the end of the states tax on groceries, opening public lands for mining of rare earth minerals and managing the states growth. The pop-up ministry has since grown, and now takes up weekly Sunday residency in the conjoined convention center at the Shilo Inn Hotel, a stones throw from the highway interchange of Interstate 15 and U.S. 20. McGeachin and her husband, Jim, also own the wholesale automotive parts supplier store Idaho Transmission Warehouse, which has two Idaho locations, as well as a torque convertor remanufacturing. In recent months, she has testified in favor of policies targeting critical race theory and social justice in the classroom, at one point saying a controversial bill dealing with critical race theory did not go far enough to oust the content from public schools. On Palm Sunday, the week before Easter, several hundred people arrived at the Cowboy Church well more than the sign on the wall listing a maximum occupancy of 100. A member of the Idaho Liberty Dogs, a right-wing citizen group, stands guard with a holstered handgun, walkie-talkie and earpiece at a campaign rally for Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, 57, received $314,727 through two different PPP loans for J.R. McGeachin Inc in April . Lt. Gov. We are in a Marxist takeover, a communist takeover (in) this country. She more often drops into one in the Wood River Valley, she said, and another, more worship-based congregation in Idaho Falls called Watersprings Church. | Sarah A. Miller smiller@idahostatesman.com. "[47][39], In November 2020, McGeachin submitted a proposal to Governor Little's Coronavirus Financial Advisory Committee, seeking to spend $17 million in federal COVID-19 aid funds to purchase and operate two "walk-through disinfectant cubes" at the Idaho state Capitol. [58] McGeachin also opposes vaccine mandates. She unsuccessfully challenged Little in the Republican primary for governor in the 2022 election. Janice McGeachin launches bid for governor, challenging. He recently served as principal of Marsh Valley Middle School in East Idaho, but split from the school after one school year after signing a separation agreement May 13, a week before his membership on the task force was announced, EdNews reported. A federal district court later shot down the practice in 2011, the Associated Press reported. [40][46] At the rally, McGeachin criticized Little and other state officials. Janice McGeachin said Wednesday she was running for governor of Idaho . And thats whats not fair., Lt. Gov. I was hoping that he would see the virtue of keeping it in place, she said. Janice McGeachin is the lieutenant governor of the State of Idaho. [31] Idaho teachers described McGeachin's committee as a McCarthyist attack on teachers and a distraction from the challenges faced by Idaho's education system in reality. Were getting to be too much of a centralized government on the federal level and getting away from what I believe our Founding Fathers intent was, McGeachin said, seated in her campaign headquarters office flanked by a framed photo of her firing an assault-style rifle. McGeachin said she was an early adopter of Trump leading the Republican Party. One carried the Betsy Ross American flag, with 13 stars in a circle, which today is used as a symbol for several hate and anti-government movements, the Southern Poverty Law Center reports. [41][38][50] McGeachin issued the order without consulting Little,[38] and against the wishes of state health officials who had sought a statewide mask mandate,[51] which Idaho has never had. Janice McGeachin (@JaniceMcGeachin) November 8, 2016 McGeachin, 57, was a delegate for Donald Trump during the 2016 Republican National Convention, and vice-chair of Idaho's statewide. McGeachin was born Janice Kyes on January 18, 1963, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. [53][54] By fall 2021, Idaho had among the nation's lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates. Brian Myrick / Idaho Press. Janice Kyes McGeachin ( / mi.n /; born January 18, 1963) [1] is an American far-right [2] [3] [4] politician and businesswoman who served as the 43rd lieutenant governor of Idaho from 2019 to 2023. Following a stint in Arizona, the family moved to Idaho Falls when she was a child after her father took a job at the Idaho National Laboratory, the nuclear energy research hub run by the federal government. [29] McGeachin's speech to the conference was criticized by Democrats and some Republicans for its antisemitic and pro-Putin contents. [82] She won the general election with 73% of the vote against Scott Cannon. Janice McGeachin Thursday unveiled the membership list of her new "Task Force to Examine . Janice McGeachin (then Kyes), lower right, appears in her sophomore year portrait in the 1979 yearbook for Skyline High School, located in Idaho Falls. The Janice McGeachin for governor campaign displays signs and pamphlets that prominently show former President Donald Trumps endorsement. McGeachin, through a campaign spokesperson, declined a follow-up request from the Statesman for comment about her churchs positions on same-sex marriage and the LGBTQ community. McGeachin said she doesnt concern herself with unflattering characterizations, or any of the other things people say about her. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from Loyola University in Chicago. The family spends leisure time skiing, camping and playing golf, although McGeachin calls herself more of a hacker out on the fairways. We can never give up. Professor Scott Yenor is a professor of political philosophy at Boise State University. Her husband is Jim McGeachin Janice McGeachin Net Worth Her net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. Joseph Kren was the principal at Priest River Lamanna High School through last spring, when he left the school after 34 years in Idaho education. McGeachin is asking taxpayers to cover $50,000 worth of her legal costs, Boise State Public Radio reported. Stationed along the perimeter of the parks amphitheater lawn were members of the right-wing citizen group the Idaho Liberty Dogs, wearing holstered handguns, walkie-talkies and earpieces. We need you, youre a fighter, she said, spurring McGeachin to dash on stage to embrace her booster. After Little backed out of a scheduled debate, McGeachin organized the event for the same night with a slate of fellow far-right candidates. Unseating an incumbent is no easy task, and McGeachin is up against an opponent in Little who has fundraised more than $2 million, or roughly triple her donation haul, according to Idaho secretary of state records. [80] She won the general election with 71.19% of the vote against Democratic nominee Scott Cannon. Pete Coulson worked as a coach and counselor for children. McGeachin also garnered criticism after federal records revealed that she applied for and received more than $314,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, even though she previously said she is opposed to government programs that foster dependency. In a social media post, she defended accepting the coronavirus relief payments for her familys businesses, saying that their employees needed the funds because they had been harmed by government shutdowns and other public health requirements. Brian Myrick / Idaho Press. [11][43] In late-April 2020, McGeachin urged reopening all businesses in Idaho by April 30,[44] and also spoke at a protest in eastern Idaho against stay-at-home directives. She committed to tightening voting requirements, protecting individual liberties, eliminating leftist ideology she claimed is being taught in public schools, and ending the barbaric practice of murdering pre-born babies unconditionally, she said. Its in our homes, she said. Thats where the battle is going to be, and thats why Im running for governor.. Its not all about I am woman, hear me roar, she said. Governor candidacy", "May 15, 2018 Primary Election Results: Statewide Totals", Candidate's security team seen as unusual for Idaho politics, "Lt. Gov. Their son followed three years later. The McGeachins are known for frequenting their pub. [85] She announced on February 24, 2012, that she would not be seeking re-election. I believe shes the best person for the job, and the fact that she is a woman is a bonus.. A month later, she administered an oath to members of the Real Three Percent of Idaho, including Eric Parker, the groups leader, who said she once told him if she were elected, he would have a friend in the governors office. Parker endorsed McGeachin for governor last year. Henry said she was also a supporter of the task force McGeachin launched last spring when she thrust herself and the state into the fray of national turmoil over the content taught in public schools. We will restore health freedom and end the threat of medical tyranny. What is Janice McGeachin Net Worth? In each case, Little returned the next day and rescinded McGeachins order, calling the first instance an irresponsible, self-serving political stunt.. Janice McGeachin's income source is mostly from being a successful Politician. However, McGeachin's Idaho Falls-based business accepted two partially forgivable loans, totaling $314,727, from the federal Paycheck Protection Program. [55] A surge in COVID-19 cases first strained, and then surpassed, the capacity of the state's health care system. It defines homosexuality as a form of sexual immorality, grouping it with adultery, incest and bestiality. However, McGeachin declined to say whether she has been vaccinated for COVID-19, or if she has ever contracted the virus, calling both personal questions.. "[33], In August 2021, a state judge fined McGeachin $750 for violating the Idaho Public Records Act by failing to turn over documents requested by the Idaho Press Club. Since 2016, Beck and his family have donated the second-most money among Idaho residents directly to Trumps campaigns and political action committees, eclipsing $250,000, according to Federal Election Commission records. After library bill vote, Boyle abruptly steps down from House Education, Lawmakers reject new ESA proposal in frustrated debate, Statehouse roundup, 2.27.23: Parental rights bill passes House easily, Coeur dAlene trustee calls anti-levy campaign disgusting and un-American. Lt. Gov. Fundraising allowed some successful statewide candidates to dominate the airwaves. [9] Trump endorsed McGeachin's candidacy. The two got more serious when she moved back to their hometown. Janice McGeachin presented her 10-point gubernatorial platform for her first 100 days in office during a press conference on the Idaho Capitol steps in March. Janice McGeachin stands with her husband Jim in front of the Idaho Capitol building prior to taking the podium to announce her run for governor on May 19. McGeachin Signs Executive Order on Mask Mandates, "Idaho healthcare leaders plead for coronavirus mask mandate", Idaho lieutenant governor keeps focus on vaccine mandates, McGeachin's office used misleading number to disparage COVID vaccines, Idaho hospitals begin rationing health care amid COVID surge, Idaho under statewide 'crisis standards' for rationing care, Idaho morgues are running out of space for bodies as covid-19 deaths mount, Idaho governor asks people to get COVID-19 vaccine. Shortly after taking office, she posted and hastily deleted a photo to Facebook posing in front of her Capitol office with two men flashing the movements hand gesture. Pull open the door on a Saturday evening dinner rush at The Celt Pub & Grill in Idaho Falls, and youll find nary a seat, except for maybe one at the bar. Janice McGeachin takes a question from an attendee during a meet-and-greet campaign fundraiser at a Caldwell-area winery in April. This is our country, and were going to take it back! Rogers shouted to the crowd. All three politicos now carry the highly sought-after endorsement of Americas polarizing 45th president. [79], McGeachin was unopposed for the Republican primary. Idaho Lt. Gov. Also in 2020, McGeachin appeared in a video montage, along with other Idaho elected officials, posted to YouTube by the Idaho Freedom Foundation. Hes a career firefighter who has also represented his school district in the Idaho School Boards Association. Janice McGeachin attends a rally to support semi-truckers and protest against COVID-19 vaccination mandates for employment held in Boise in March. Dark wood moulding with ornate Celtic inlay pay tribute to the pubs overarching theme, as do a row of soccer scarves and flags from the nations of the United Kingdom hanging overhead. [26], In February 2022, McGeachin appeared as a surprise video guest speaker at the America First Political Action Conference, hosted by prominent white nationalist Nick Fuentes. Beck said hes never spoken to Trump about McGeachin the three or four times theyve met, and thought his prior campaign donations to the former president played no role in McGeachin earning Trumps endorsement. It didn't last, Republican infighting in Idaho over the coronavirus has reached a new low, Low Turnout For COVID-19 Skeptic Rally Headlined By Idaho Lieutenant Governor, 'Loss of hope': Idaho hospitals crushed by COVID-19 surge, Gov. "[59], McGeachin was an Idaho presidential elector for the Republican slate in 2020, casting one of Idaho's four electoral votes for Donald Trump; the other Idaho electors that year were Melinda Smyser, Raul Labrador, and Rod Beck. "[25] The Idaho Falls Post Register editorial board criticized McGeachin for embracing the 3 Percenters and militia movement. When I am struggling, I know where I need to go to get strength, wisdom, encouragement. [29], In 2021, McGeachin convened an "education indoctrination task force" co-chaired by fellow Republican Priscilla Giddings. [6][74][75] She opposes minimum wages, believing that government should play no role in determining wages. A group of retired Idaho county sheriffs and police say Lt. Gov. I thought it was a perfect saying for Janice, because of everything shes going through, and how much everyone makes her something she is not, Hamilton said by phone. Ask Nampa resident Amy Henry, and shell eagerly explain how McGeachins one-day executive order banning masks was overdue, and a game-changer for Idaho schoolchildren. All rights reserved, If you choose local pickup, please get your gift certificate at our office at 400 W. Sunnyside in Idaho Falls Dismiss, defended accepting the coronavirus relief payments, Man charged with murder in Dylan Rounds case, Caught on camera: Moose charges snowmobilers by Palisades, Man allegedly kidnapped woman, held air freshener to her nose and mouth, Giant flying insect found on Walmart building turns out to be Jurassic-era find, Video shows suspect with blood stains as he cleaned gun following Dylan Rounds disappearance, charges say. But in some legislative races, outside political groups might have played a bigger and more far-reaching role. One of the bartenders approaches the party of three to enlist use of a cellphone to take photos of the family from behind the bar. [68] While addressing a crowd of fellow Republicans at a campaign appearance, McGeachin criticized the Boise Police Department and Boise State University for holding a conference to study right-wing extremism, and said of Anthony Fauci (the U.S. government's top infectious disease scientist): "we'll lock him up. The fowl-named drink is a layered shooter, made of one part Kahlua, one part Irish cream and one part whiskey. The couple has two children. Lt. Gov. Delivering the phone back to McGeachins daughter, he has some advice. The rotation of bartenders appears to be playing to their VIPs, frequently stopping to check in on the McGeachins and their daughter. But the media likes to continue to try to destroy my character and my reputation, and, I dont know, it may be in an effort for us to maybe back down. It was an affirmation to me when I won the lieutenant governors race, McGeachin said, before referencing her status as the first woman in the position, and chance of making history again as governor. [6] An ally of the Tea Party movement, McGeachin was considered a possible Republican primary challenger to U.S. Representative Mike Simpson in 2010, but chose not to run. Sometimes they refer to us as being extreme for our views, McGeachin said, before reading a quote from the late Republican U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater. The committee was premised on the notion that "the scourge of critical race theory, socialism, communism, and Marxism" was "infiltrating" the Idaho school and college system. Janice McGeachin and her husband, Jim, stand on the steps of the Idaho State Capitol as she announced her run for Governor in Boise on May 19, 2021. However, on Monday, a state budget administrator warned McGeachin state law places limitations on the ability to reduce an elected constitutional officer's salary mid-term . Who is Janice McGeachin Husband? "[6] She accused the Biden administration of seeking to indoctrinate schoolchildren in "Marxist, socialist ideology" and believes that Idaho should promote "state sovereignty" by rejecting federal funds for a variety of programs. Janice McGeachin announces run for governor Brian Myrick/Idaho Press May 19, 2021 1 of 12 As featured on Lt. Gov. Idaho already would ban abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the precedent-setting case of Roe v. Wade. We will make Idaho a sanctuary for life, protecting the unborn and protecting our elderly from abuse., Taking Trumps lead, McGeachin told the Statesman she thinks the former president won the 2020 election over Biden, though no evidence has been produced of widespread voter fraud, as Trump and his allies have claimed. Repeatedly passed off by school district officials, Henry said, she reached out to the governors office for help. Thats all great, but if thats why you can do it, then you open yourself up for people to look at the businesses.. [40] The clashes intensified amid an intra-party split among Republicans on COVID-19 vaccinations, masks, and pandemic-related issues, on which traditional Republicans and the far-right disagreed. Among their favorite ski resorts are Grand Targhee and Jackson Hole, both in Wyoming near the Idaho border, and Sun Valley, where the family also owns a home just south of Ketchum. McGeachin claims the in-house smoked chicken wings are the best in the state. The Republican lieutenant governors candidate backed out after debate organizers would not give her an advance list of reporters on the panel. Janice McGeachin stands with her husband Jim in front of the Idaho Capitol building prior to taking the podium to announce her run for governor on May 19. [71] Of Idaho's 44 counties, McGeachin carried just four, all in the Idaho Panhandle. McGeachin told The New York Times that Trump called her the day after she defended the former president in a June 2021 appearance on Fox News commentator Tucker Carlsons TV show, and she slipped in her intent to challenge Little during the conversation and asked for Trumps support. | Sarah A. Miller smiller@idahostatesman.com. McGeachins tenure in the Legislature included serving as chair of the House Health and Welfare Committee.