| Sarah A. Miller smiller@idahostatesman.com. [58][52], In October 2021, while Little was out of state touring the Southern border, McGeachin, claiming power as acting governor in Little's absence, issued an executive order banning state officials from requiring proof of vaccination from employees and sought to ban employers from requiring vaccinations altogether. In February, McGeachin made national headlines after she appeared in a recorded video at a right-wing political event founded by a man who has repeatedly made antisemitic statements and is associated with white supremacists, according to a U.S. Department of Justice court filing. Its not enough to just silently nod along, McGeachin told rallygoers. In addition, McGeachin threw open the doors of her familys pub in Idaho Falls before the order preventing bars from reopening lapsed. Its pronounced Ma-Gee-in.. And thats whats not fair., Lt. Gov. [59][73] She appeared at a rally for the Three Percenters, an anti-government militia movement group. She said she took a pair of trips, to Trump Tower in New York City and his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, to explain her role as vice chair of his presidential campaign in Idaho before serving as a delegate at the Republican National Convention in 2016 and 2020. No matter how much people are trying to tear her down, she just has an ability to ignore it and move on with what she feels is right., Machele Hamilton, left, a House District 12 Republican primary candidate, and Lt. Gov. in finance and accounting from the University of Arizona. Just put your head down and keep going. In each case, Little returned the next day and rescinded McGeachins order, calling the first instance an irresponsible, self-serving political stunt.. It remains the only election McGeachin has lost. Assorted $1 bills folded into origami shapes, including hearts and bow ties, decorate the side of a Jameson Irish Whiskey mirror above the bar. [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. Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. We will restore health freedom and end the threat of medical tyranny. He founded the congregation, according to its website, after he went on a solo, three-day horseback ride through five Idaho counties to connect with God and receive his guidance. The men wore shirts promoting Todd Engel, who was sentenced to prison in connection with the Bundy standoff fatal encounter with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). But I think that this is the time that if we dont make the changes that need to happen, Idahos gone for our kids. Janice is a former State Representative and a successful business owner from Idaho Falls who, along with her husband Jim McGeachin, own and operate multiple businesses in the automotive industry, with stores in Idaho Falls and Boise. 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. Janice McGeachin Thursday unveiled the membership list of her new "Task Force to Examine . Thats where the battle is going to be, and thats why Im running for governor.. Ive said many times, Id jump in front of a bus for her, she told the audience at the winery fundraiser. Who Is Janice McGeachin's Husband? The McGeachins two adult children run an Irish pub the family owns in a historic building they restored in downtown Idaho Falls. She also inquired with the Idaho National Guard about ordering troops to the U.S.-Mexico border that Little was visiting. [14][15][16][17], In April 2017, McGeachin filed to run for lieutenant governor of Idaho. "[23][24] McGeachin faced public criticism for the photo and quickly deleted it. 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. [55][56] In August 2021, after announcing that she would challenge Little in the Republican primary for re-nomination as governor, McGeachin said that it was "shameful" for Little to ask Idahoans to show love for neighbors by getting vaccinated against COVID-19. However, McGeachin's Idaho Falls-based business accepted two partially forgivable loans, totaling $314,727, from the federal Paycheck Protection Program. He replaced Knopp, following his withdrawal from the task force. Each rode the Make America Great Again wave under former President Donald Trump that propelled a number of far-right candidates into office. You know, Mr. Throwing her hat in the ring for governor, McGeachin appealed to Trump for his endorsement over Little. "[34] A civil suit brought against McGeachin by the Idaho Press Club was settled in November 2021, with a court ordered McGeachin to pay the club almost $29,000 in fees and costs. A cadre of Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group with links to white supremacy, also stalked the grounds. 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. Traditionally the officeholder in the bench-warmer spot has waited until the governor chose to end his run, or transitioned to a federal position. 3-2-1, he says, tapping the phones touch-screen shutter. Sometimes, a contrarian candidate wins in a closed Republican primary. McGeachin has been married to Jim McGeachin for quite some time. 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. Janice McGeachin, the renegade lieutenant governor of Idaho who is running for governor, likes to portray herself as a law-and-order candidate. Janice McGeachin spoke virtually at an event organized by White nationalist Nick Fuentes in Florida at the end of February.. [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. He has scored some big wins,. Idaho Lt. Gov. Henry, who founded a conservative activist group that she calls Parents for Freedom and Liberty, has since gone all-in on McGeachins run for governor. Rev. Sonya Harris is a politically active Blackfoot school board trustee. The Republican is the first sitting governor in more than 30 years to refuse to take part in the Idaho Debates, which air statewide on Idaho Public Television. Shortly after, the McGeachins settle up with a crisp $100 bill, and make their exit. 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. Shes no longer shown herself to be the very personable, outgoing, kind lawmaker he knew when she was a member of the state House and the two would occasionally collaborate on bills, he said. She committed, however, to accepting the results of the states May primary, believing voting irregularities in Idaho where Trump won big were not large scale. 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. We can never give up. One more for prosperity.. 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. I stood with them then, and I stand with them today., Lt. Gov. Her relationship with Little finally boiled over last year when McGeachin leveraged the Idaho Constitution, which bestows power upon her position when the governor is out of state, and issued a pair of pandemic-related executive orders. [71] Of Idaho's 44 counties, McGeachin carried just four, all in the Idaho Panhandle. It worked, despite Littles own past support for Trump. But, then again, McGeachin, 59, is a surprise candidate, having emerged from relative anonymity after years away from public office to win the lieutenant governors race four years ago as an underdog. Her husband is Jim McGeachin Janice McGeachin Net Worth Her net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. McGeachin said she leans on her Presbyterian faith and her trust in God when she encounters obstacles. Mark Hand, a retired Marine, said he joined the task force after he had to sit through a privilege and oppression class while attending school for social work in Washington. A federal district court later shot down the practice in 2011, the Associated Press reported. Educated at the University of Arizona, McGeachin owned several businesses in Idaho Falls. [6][7], McGeachin unsuccessfully ran for Bonneville County commissioner in 2000, her first bid for elected office. McGeachin was born Janice Kyes on January 18, 1963, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. 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.. President, how do you deal with some of this stuff when you were kind of under fire? He said: Never back down. . It makes us feel happy that they want to continue to be part of our companies and continue to stay in our community.. She entered politics in 2002 when elected to a seat in the state house. The Republican gubernatorial race also stands to have national implications, given Trumps involvement, as well as the likelihood that its victor will steer the direction of the state for at least the next four years after Novembers general election. But, at that time, McGeachin also wasnt known for bucking the rules and norms of government, as shes more closely associated with today. Hamilton, also McGeachins part-time director of communications this past legislative session, said the pendant epitomized her feelings toward the lieutenant governor, and is also a message she hoped her friend would keep close to her heart out on the campaign trail. Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin walks down the front steps of the Idaho State Capitol building, with her husband Jim, prior to taking the podium to announce her run for Governor,. Elaine King previously ran for the Idaho House of Representatives in District 34, which covers the Rexburg area, in 2018, but lost in the Republican primary. The two got more serious when she moved back to their hometown. A spokesperson for Little said staff has no record or recollection of Henry contacting the governors office. McGeachin now appears to be following the same political formula that led to Trumps rapid rise, Thompson said, including his defeat of President Joe Biden in Idaho in 2020 by nearly 31 percentage points, despite losing the national election. 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. McGeachin is asking taxpayers to cover $50,000 worth of her legal costs, Boise State Public Radio reported. "[52], McGeachin has used her office to promote misinformation to disparage COVID-19 vaccines. The governor and lieutenant governor publicly feuded,[59][60][61][62] and Little rescinded McGeachin's orders while he was still in Texas, saying that McGeachin's order was unauthorized because his "temporary presence in Texas on official business" did not impair his "ability to represent the people of Idaho thus necessitating action by another executive to ensure the continuity of state government. 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. Critics, including State Board President Kurt Liebich say theyve seen little evidence of widespread indoctrination. Liebich doubled down during the task forces second meeting in June, saying he had not seen any evidence of indoctrination in our public education system to date, via a written statement. As a result of many of her more controversial decisions, McGeachin has become a third rail of Idaho politics. | Sarah A. Miller smiller@idahostatesman.com. Little and McGeachin have become famously locked in disharmony. About . I admit, to a certain extent, it was a little bit surprising, Little told the Statesman during an April phone interview, adding he didnt know why Trump endorsed his chief rival. [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. Ive been pregnant twice. 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. Idaho deserves law-abiding leaders, not divisive leaders. 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. 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 Republican lieutenant governors candidate backed out after debate organizers would not give her an advance list of reporters on the panel. And this is a manifestation of it in our face. Also in 2020, McGeachin appeared in a video montage, along with other Idaho elected officials, posted to YouTube by the Idaho Freedom Foundation. [6][74][75] She opposes minimum wages, believing that government should play no role in determining wages. McGeachin has the endorsement, which is something she has really highlighted in her campaign materials. Its a daily process, she said. The two got more serious when she moved back to their hometown after graduating from the University of Arizona in 1985 with a degree in business administration, majoring in finance. "[49], In May 2021, after Little left the state to attend a Republican Governors' Association conference in Nashville, Tennessee, making McGeachin acting governor in his absence, she issued an executive order that barred the state and Idaho counties, cities, public school districts, and public universities from adopting mask mandates. Jason Knopp is the vice chairman of the Melba School Districts board. Governor to serve the state of Idaho. 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. McGeachin criticized the governor's coronavirus policies while touting the technology, although a National Institutes of Health study published months earlier determined that the use of "walk-through sanitation gates" was ineffective, possibly dangerous, and violates global health standards. Clearly the campaign believes its an important credential to highlight, she added. The federal government has gotten to be so big and is interfering so much in all of our lives as states. Janice McGeachin, who's running for governor, has thrown some of her political weight into a child welfare case involving a 10-month-old baby. [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. Each was the first woman to serve in their positions, too, and she credited them both for their fearlessness and no-nonsense approach to politics. In one case this spring, a touring musician took to social media to announce a last-minute cancellation of his scheduled concert there when he found out McGeachin was a co-owner. McGeachin attended Skyline High School, home of the Grizzlies, where she followed in her older sisters footsteps and was voted homecoming royalty. COEUR d'ALENE With an American flag and two crosses in the background at Candlelight Christian Fellowship, Lt. Gov. And I have had two healthy pregnancies, said McGeachin, long a vocal advocate against a womans right to obtain an abortion. 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. She found herself embroiled in controversy when she posted - and deleted - a photo on her Facebook page that appears to show her. [13], McGeachin was a delegate for Donald Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention, and was vice-chair of Trump's Idaho campaign committee. [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. Beck is second only to businessman Frank VanderSloot, who, as owner of Melaleuca Inc., a personal health company also based in Idaho Falls, is ranked on the list of the worlds 400 wealthiest people by Forbes. Conservative Republican & Principled America First Warrior who always stands up for individual rights Janice McGeachin's association with extreme, anti-law enforcement factions has prompted them to oppose her run for governor. Because of some of the media attacks Ive had recently, I asked him for some advice, McGeachin recalled. Also joining were nationally known special guests freedom fighters, as McGeachin dubs them including former Fox News commentator Michelle Malkin and Arizona state Sen. Wendy Rogers, who each endorse McGeachin. Without naming McGeachin, Little disavowed her appearance at the conference on social media, saying it was extremely unfortunate anyone in elected office in Idaho must make statements like these., Idaho Lt. Gov. She does not cave with pressure, and stands up for what she believes, Hamilton told the Statesman in a phone interview. Janice McGeachin enters the house chambers at the state Capitol building on Jan. 10, 2022 in Boise, Idaho. [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. After years in the local Rotary Club and Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce, McGeachin made her first run at elected office in 2000, in the Republican primary for Bonneville County commissioner. 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. Lt. Gov. Grace Panetta and Nicole Gaudiano May 17, 2022, 8:00 PM - Idaho Lt. Gov. 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 presented her 10-point gubernatorial platform for her first 100 days in office during a press conference on the Idaho Capitol steps in March. [80] She won the general election with 71.19% of the vote against Democratic nominee Scott Cannon. Trump calls her just about every other week to inquire about the campaign, she said. In one recent check-in, McGeachin said, she sought his guidance. The two positions run for election separately, rather than as a unified ticket. 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. [1], McGeachin has had a number of business ventures. 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. McGeachins May 17 GOP primary is one of Idahos most-watched races, largely because it has determined the governor for the past seven elections in the heavily conservative state. [83], McGeachin was unopposed for the Republican primary[84] and the general election. Janice McGeachin is the lieutenant governor of the State of Idaho.
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