The Argonaut interviewed John Stegner, a candidate running for Governor of Idaho, at an open house on Sept. 29. Stegner is a former justice on the Idaho Supreme Court. In the interview, he discusses why he ran as an independent and how perceived overpoliticization has affected the position.
“I was dissatisfied with the political system as it existed and thought throwing my hat in the ring as an independent would give people an alternative that wasn’t being presented in any other way,” said Stegner. He mentioned his dissatisfaction with Governor Brad Little’s State of the State address as his final inspiration to run.
When asked about the experience he had as a justice could bring, he said that “you deal with the governor and the legislature in very real ways … I listened to the facts and the law.” Stegner also said that the position of governor has moved away from fact and evidence-based governing and towards overt politicization.
Stegner mentioned healthcare, education and nuclear waste as his three campaign priorities.
“We’ve lost 35% of our OB/GYNs and half of our maternal fetal medicine specialists … I think directly related to the fact that we have laws that don’t address women’s healthcare in ways that it should,” Stegner said on healthcare. He also said that he would veto a legislative attempt to overrule Prop 1 if it passed.
On education, he brought up a quote regarding the funding of schools: “I heard about a former governor, [who said] ‘we’re not fulfilling our constitutional obligation to the students, but we’re doing the best we can.’” He pointed out the inherent contradiction and how he said he believes public schools are not being properly funded.
Regarding nuclear waste, he stated his concern with efforts that would turn the Idaho National Laboratory into a site for such waste and radioactive material. He called back to former governors Cecil Andrus and Phil Batt, who both fought against efforts in the 90s to store waste in Idaho. “I’m very worried that we’re rushing into this, I haven’t seen why … if we don’t get this right, we can be paying the price for the rest of existence,” Stegner said.
When asked about what he has learned during his campaign, he praised what he learned about American Falls superintendent Randy Jensen, who achieved universal preschool in the town of just over 4,500. “That strikes me as a very good idea,” he said. He also thanked his social media coordinator, a University of Idaho graduate.
Stegner is facing off against incumbent Brad Little (R) and Terri Pickens (D). In his closing remarks, Stegner reflected on Idaho “I’m in this race because I think Idaho is worth fighting for. I think we’ve been on the wrong path for several years, if not, more than that. I’d like to get Idaho back to the Idaho that I grew up in, one that let people live their lives … That’s what I’m fighting for,” he said.
David Galindo can be reached at [email protected]