Simpson takes on challengers in 2nd Congressional District GOP election

Clark Corbin, Idaho Capital Sun

IDAHO FALLS (Idaho Capital Sun) — A brace of Republican challengers is hoping to unseat Idaho’s elder congressman successful nan upcoming May 21 superior predetermination successful Idaho’s 2nd Congressional District. 

Scott Cleveland, R-Eagle, and Sean Higgins, R-Boise, are moving against incumbent GOP U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, who has served successful Congress since 1999.

Idaho’s 2nd legislature territory splits Ada County and includes astir of Boise, arsenic good arsenic nan full counties of Lemhi, Custer, Elmore, Camas, Blaine, Lincoln, Gooding, Jerome, Minidoka, Twin Falls, Cassia, Butte, Clark, Fremont, Jefferson, Madison, Teton, Bonneville, Bingham, Power, Bannock, Caribou, Oneida, Franklin and Bear Lake. 

Voters tin sojourn nan recently redesigned Vote Idaho website that is tally by nan Idaho Secretary of State’s Office to double cheque which legislature territory they unrecorded in. 

The victor of nan May 21 Republican superior predetermination for Idaho’s 2nd Congressional District will beforehand to nan Nov. 5 wide predetermination to tally against Democrat David Roth and nan victor of nan May 21 Idaho Constitution Party superior betwixt candidates Idaho Law – Carta Sierra and Pro-Life, a personification formerly known arsenic Marvin Richardson. 

The Idaho Capital Sun asked each of nan candidates successful nan contested Republican congressional  superior nan aforesaid 5 questions. Continue reference to find their answers.

What are nan apical 3 issues that inspired you to tally for office?

Scott Cleveland: 

“a. Idaho freedoms are nether threat. Washington D.C. is undermining those freedoms pinch unfastened borders, vulnerable and unnecessary subject action and nan betrayal of nan American rule of Federalism by a power-hungry Washington elite.

Idaho resources are nether threat. We must protect our h2o and power astatine nan national level. I powerfully support protecting nan little 4 Snake River dams that Mike Simpson wants to breach. I powerfully support nan Idaho National Laboratory and safe atomic power for Idaho, but reason costly, inefficient upwind farms specified arsenic nan Lava Ridge project. Idaho prosperity is nether threat – Washington D.C. spending is obscene. Mike Simpson voted “yes” to backing student indebtedness bailouts, nan Ukraine warfare and nan Green New Deal. He will not protect your hard-earned dollars. I will.”

Sean Higgins: 

“Term Limits, US Border, US Budget.”

Mike Simpson: 

“I’m moving for re-election because location is still overmuch to do successful Washington, and Idahoans merit an effective Representative who has a proven way grounds of fighting for our blimpish values. My apical privilege is to unafraid our confederate border. This rumor is captious to our nationalist information and information of our communities. The Biden management is failing nan American people, and states and communities crossed nan federation are picking up nan slack.

Another privilege of excavation is restoring American power independence. The volatility astir nan world has shown why we can’t support relying connected overseas oil, and I’ll proceed to usage my position to conflict against nan Biden administration’s warfare connected fossil fuels.  

With nan situation astatine our confederate border, it’s difficult to person immoderate conversations successful Congress astir desperately needed reforms to our ineligible migration processes. Agriculture is nan backbone of Idaho’s economy, and I’ve spent my full profession successful Congress fighting for our farmers, ranchers, and producers. Overwhelmingly, nan biggest rumor facing agriculture is simply a labour shortage. That’s why I’ve doubly projected nan Farm Workforce Modernization Act. Our state urgently needs to betterment its ineligible migration system, and if re-elected, this measure would beryllium a apical priority.”

Idaho relies connected h2o and agriculture for its system and faces longer and much terrible wildfire seasons. Do you judge ambiance alteration poses a threat to Idaho? What policies do you support to reside nan state’s vulnerability to ambiance change?

Scott Cleveland:

“Natural causes of ambiance alteration see volcanic eruptions, fluctuations successful star radiation, tectonic shifts, insignificant changes successful Earth’s orbit and different events. These events effect planetary warming and cooling patterns. Such patterns will proceed to up and down arsenic they

always person – very slowly. One measurement to hole Idaho to beryllium climate-resilient successful nan early is for Idaho to beryllium resilient successful nan present. We request to usage and responsibly support nan earthy resources pinch which we are blessed – our hydroelectric powerfulness and h2o stores, our farmland, our forests and our extractive resources. The National Forest Service has stated that 90% of wildfires are caused by humans, either done carelessness (campfires, powerfulness instrumentality use,

unpruned trees adjacent powerlines, etc.) aliases arson. The effect of specified human-caused wildfires tin beryllium greatly lessened by responsible wood guidance and stewardship which intends we request to bring backmost logging and grazing to our woodlands.”

Sean Higgins: 

“Climate alteration does not airs a threat to Idaho aliases nan world. Let’s return a infinitesimal to spell down representation lane. In 2006, erstwhile vice-president Al Gore projected that unless drastic measures were implemented, nan satellite would deed an irreversible ‘point of nary return’ by 2016. Rajendra Pachauri, caput of nan UN Climate Panel, one-upped Gore successful 2007, insisting 2012 was nan twelvemonth of irreversibility. ‘If location is nary action earlier 2012, that’s excessively late. What we do successful nan adjacent 2 to 3 years will find our future. This is nan defining moment.’ Then, Gretta Thunberg tweeted successful 2018 that said, ‘A apical ambiance intelligence is informing that ambiance alteration will swipe retired each of humanity unless we extremity utilizing fossil fuels complete nan adjacent 5 years.’ Which has now been deleted. Climate alteration is simply a mendacious communicative pushed by nan wide agenda.”

Mike Simpson: 

“As a lifelong Idahoan, I americium profoundly concerned astir protecting our situation to guarantee that we proceed to person cleanable aerial and water, arsenic good arsenic guaranteeing semipermanent sustainability of ecosystems, habitats, and species.

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I powerfully judge that we request to beryllium realistic astir wherever our power will travel from successful nan short and mean term, and to make judge our power policies bespeak those realities. We cognize that fossil and atomic sources supply 85% of our existent power depletion and request cautiously crafted proposals to summation our power independency and trim emissions successful an effective and reasonable way. Instead, galore of nan proposals put distant by nan Biden management person promised ample taxation increases, higher power costs, and awesome occupation losses, each without immoderate existent improvements successful ambiance conditions.

Instead of creating a big of authorities mandates and forcing consumers to ft nan measure for this legislation, I support utilizing technology, incentives, and invention to move our system to sustainable, independent power sources. I judge that to do truthful we must look astatine all nan options, including renewable energy, atomic energy, and home lipid production.”

Which abortion-related policies do you support aliases oppose? Should abortion argumentation beryllium a national aliases authorities issue?

Scott Cleveland: 

“Abortion is now, and should be, a authorities issue. The Idaho authorities legislature and Idaho courts straight addressed nan rumor during nan 2024 legislative convention and tin beryllium expected to proceed their deliberations during nan upcoming convention adjacent year. As a candidate, I reason abortion because I judge that life originates astatine conception.”

Sean Higgins: 

“I afloat support nan pro-life policies nan State of Idaho has passed. I americium a blimpish Republican and support a mini national government, and I judge states should person much power. So, abortion should beryllium a authorities issue. If liberals don’t for illustration nan policies that blimpish Idaho has passed, they should move backmost to their wide states and bask precocious taxes, precocious crime, and homelessness. Don’t move to Idaho and effort to alteration our awesome state.”

Mike Simpson: 

“I person ever utilized my spot successful Congress to make judge nan authorities of nan unborn are protected. I americium proud of my 100% standing pinch National Right to Life and of my A+ standing from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. I reason abortion isolated from successful instances of rape, incest, aliases if nan life of nan mother is successful danger. I judge that nan U.S. Supreme Court correctly ruled successful nan Dobbs decision that nan powerfulness to enact pro-life authorities and modulate abortion beryllium returned to nan group and their elected officials.”

Should nan United States proceed to connection financial assistance to Ukraine and Israel? Why aliases why not?

Scott Cleveland:

“a. The United States has already provided much than $75 cardinal for Ukraine’s security, acold much than immoderate different country. Russia cannot spend to suffer a warfare to Ukraine and, successful fact, is not losing. Ukraine has had fewer subject successes. U.S. assistance to Ukraine serves only to prolong a deadly conflict that has already costs some sides hundreds of thousands of casualties. An contiguous negotiated solution is successful nan American Interest. We should extremity this conflict pinch 1) nan threat of dense economical sanctions for Russia and 2) nan assurance that Ukraine will not go a NATO state if Russia agrees to a cease-fire.

In 19 47, nan United Nations voted to partition Palestine and create nan sovereign federation of Israel. The nations of nan world agreed to this. Since then, Israel has go a strategical partner captious to nan American Interest successful nan Middle East. Iran is our force and an force of our ally, Israel. Presidents Biden and Obama took actions during their presidencies that allowed Iran entree to billions of dollars. This money tin beryllium utilized to costs warfare connected Israel and, by proxy, nan United States. We must protect our ain interests successful nan Middle East.”

Sean Higgins: 

“The United States should perfectly NOT connection financial assistance to Ukraine aliases Israel. The US is giving money distant that we do not have. Our state is almost $35 trillion dollars successful debt. Americans are struggling pinch ostentation and are successful a silent slump while our authorities takes our money and gives it overseas. There is nary accountability arsenic to wherever nan billions of dollars are going aliases really that money is really being used. If those countries want to acquisition weapons from us, past I americium good pinch that. Our separator remains unsecured while millions of forbidden immigrants move into our country. US infrastructure needs to beryllium updated, but each of our money goes to overseas countries. 70% of Americans don’t want to nonstop much money overseas. Is Congress listening to nan American group that they represent?”

Mike Simpson: 

“Foreign assistance and support for our friends overseas are cardinal elements successful preserving our nationalist information interests and keeping America strong. I’ve many times voted to supply assistance to Ukraine and Israel to guarantee that they person nan basal resources to take sides their antiauthoritarian beingness and will proceed to support reasonable overseas assistance spending. Continued assistance to Ukraine helps nan state conflict its ain battle, deters Vladimir Putin from advancing his warfare into NATO territory, and keeps American work members retired of nan conflict. Aid to Israel ensures Israel tin take sides its correct to exist, a basal information to proceed negotiated efforts for a serene and unafraid Middle East.”

Should dams on nan Snake River beryllium breached successful an effort to effort to forestall nan extinction of salmon? Why aliases why not?

Scott Cleveland:

“The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stated successful their 2020 study that ‘the Columbia River system, successful nan past decade, has seen nan highest salmon returns since nan first awesome national dams were built successful nan 1930s’ and that nan ‘lower Snake River dams…provide transition to some big and juvenile salmon [via food ladders and spillways].’ ‘[These dams have]…among nan astir precocious and effective food transition systems anywhere.’ ‘Juvenile food walk done nan dams pinch a 70-75% endurance rate.’

I judge location is nary biology justification for breaching nan dams and location is surely nary economical advantage to Idaho citizens. We request reliable hydroelectric powerfulness and h2o catchment systems to support Idaho homes, industries and agriculture. Special interests whitethorn favour breaching nan dams but Idaho citizens do not.”

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Sean Higgins: 

“Dams on nan Snake River should perfectly NOT beryllium breached. Breaching nan dams wounded Idaho and Idahoans. This is simply a unspeakable idea. Why is Mike Simpson successful favour of breaching nan dams? To champion reply that question, we person to travel nan money. 5% of nan money he raised successful 2024 came from Idahoans, while 95% of that money came from extracurricular Idaho, specified arsenic Washington D.C. and California. As a autochthonal Idahoan, I americium highly concerned astir nan extracurricular power being inflicted connected Idaho. Another thought I person is genuinely wondering if, alternatively of giving Ukraine billions of dollars, Idaho received 1 cardinal dollars. We could look astatine what options are disposable to thief nan salmon and NOT breach nan dams. What if we put Americans first and utilized payer money to thief Americans?”

Mike Simpson: 

“For complete 30 years, nan Northwest has been caught successful an unsustainable rhythm of conflict complete salmon and energy. As salmon type listed nether nan Endangered Species Act diminution successful number, liking groups writer nan national authorities to protect them. The national authorities past changes really nan little Snake River dams must operate, which makes them much costly to run, reduces nan benefits they tin provide, and requires farmers successful Eastern Idaho to nonstop hundreds of thousands of acre-feet of h2o they could different usage to irrigate their crops down nan Snake River to thief salmon done nan strategy of dams. Despite these changes, salmon numbers proceed to spell down, starring to much lawsuits. Under this existent authorities of affairs, nan only winners are proceedings lawyers and endless authorities spending. Salmon, energy, agriculture, and proscription interests each suffer.

The relationships betwixt our Pacific Northwest communities, Idaho salmon, and nan 4 little Snake River dams are complex. Any effort astatine approaching this rumor must beryllium a collaborative effort, which is why I released my original model to statesman nan speech of what nan Northwest could look for illustration successful 30, 40, aliases 50 years”