Thats all great, but if thats why you can do it, then you open yourself up for people to look at the businesses.. | Sarah A. Miller smiller@idahostatesman.com. McGeachin was born Janice Kyes on January 18, 1963, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. You know, Mr. Her candidacy was supported by state Senator Dean Mortimer. And this is a manifestation of it in our face. "[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. Governor Janice McGeachin posed with and then posted on Facebook pictures she had taken with two members of The Three Percenters. The federal government has become too restrictive in how we teach our kids, manage health care, build our roads and manage our resources." All Rights Reserved. Idaho Senate President Pro Tem Chuck Winder, R-Boise, said McGeachins relationship with Republican leadership has soured during her time as lieutenant governor. Lt. Gov. | Sarah A. Miller smiller@idahostatesman.com. 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. A boat repair lot sits across the street. Its a daily process, she said. McGeachins family businesses, particularly the pub, have become targets for harassment, she said, on account of her political ideology. calls that 'shameful', Idaho governor repeals political rival's executive order. [85] She announced on February 24, 2012, that she would not be seeking re-election. 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. Its not all about I am woman, hear me roar, she said. But I think that this is the time that if we dont make the changes that need to happen, Idahos gone for our kids. Governor promotes 'walk-thru disinfectant cubes', Idaho lieutenant governor got pandemic loans for business, Acting as Idaho Governor, Lt. Gov. 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. 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. Well, whats after that? We still talk, but havent for a while.. Janice McGeachin Thursday unveiled the membership list of her new "Task Force to Examine . Janice McGeachin announces run for governor Brian Myrick/Idaho Press May 19, 2021 1 of 12 As featured on Lt. Gov. Idaho taxpayer files complaint over Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin's limited [45] In a May 2020 editorial, McGeachin wrote that, "I lose sleep at night because the heavy hand of our government is hurting so many Idahoans. Henry, a former Boise School District junior high teacher, said her 12-year-old daughter was bullied and beaten up, and their home address released online, leading to stalking, death threats and two break-in attempts. We will expand our Second Amendment liberties and secure our state. Excuse me, I really like what youre doing here, he says, to which she thanks him, and chats for a moment. President, how do you deal with some of this stuff when you were kind of under fire? He said: Never back down. . Former Ada County Sheriff Gary Raney, a Republican, recently launched a political action committee with the support of a dozen retired members of Idaho law enforcement to advocate against McGeachin for governor. Sami Edge/Idaho Education News (UPDATED: Oct. 19, reflecting the death of Pete Coulson from COVID-19.) McGeachin was born in southern New Mexico, 35 miles north of the Mexican border, to Allyn and Dorothy Kyes. The two got more serious when she moved back to their hometown. | Sami Edge, Idaho Education News. Janice McGeachin: The Donald Trump of Idaho Idaho Tribune [20] During the 2018 campaign, McGeachin took security guards with her to a debate at the Idaho Public Television station in Boise, although there was no known threat against her, and characterized them as "friends. She is the first female lieutenant governor of Idaho. In one recent check-in, McGeachin said, she sought his guidance. We are in a Marxist takeover, a communist takeover (in) this country. 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. [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. in finance and accounting from the University of Arizona. "Critical Race Theory (CRT) is a religion of . Janice McGeachin said Wednesday she was running for governor of Idaho . 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. He can be reached by email at [emailprotected]. 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. Who is Janice McGeachin? Age, Husband, Net Worth. 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. Lt. Gov. Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin received over $300k in federal COVID 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. [38] In July 2021, when Little was out of state on a different trip, McGeachin wrote a letter to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, demanding information on what incentives Idaho healthcare providers may have "to impose vaccine mandates on their employees. Grace Panetta and Nicole Gaudiano May 17, 2022, 8:00 PM - Idaho Lt. Gov. [5] [74] In the voter pamphlet, she contended, "The federal government has become too restrictive in how we teach our kids, manage health care, build our roads and manage our resources. 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. [81], McGeachin was unopposed for the Republican primary. | Kevin Fixler kfixler@idahostatesman.com. [82] She won the general election with 73% of the vote against Scott Cannon. His lieutenant governor took power and banned state vaccine mandates. Late last week, Idaho Lt. Educated at the University of Arizona, McGeachin owned several businesses in Idaho Falls. Brian Myrick / Idaho Press. However, McGeachin's Idaho Falls-based business accepted two partially forgivable loans, totaling $314,727, from the federal Paycheck Protection Program. He spoke about the forgotten man in this country and how the government in Washington, D.C., was too beholden to the corporations and the special interests and that we needed to return the government back to the people, McGeachin said. She met her husband, Jimmy McGeachin, while she was in high school and he attended college at the University of Idaho, she said. In addition, Beck is the state committeeman for the Bonneville County GOP and a board member for the Idaho Freedom Foundation, a powerful right-wing lobbying group. 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 need Janice McGeachin. 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. [41], In May 2020, Little said he had not spoken to McGeachin in weeks. Idahoans have a critically important choice to make a choice that will determine the course of our state for years to come. McGeachin remembers the city back then as a great place to grow up a small and supportive community. McGeachin attended Skyline High School, home of the Grizzlies, where she followed in her older sisters footsteps and was voted homecoming royalty. 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. Also in 2020, McGeachin appeared in a video montage, along with other Idaho elected officials, posted to YouTube by the Idaho Freedom Foundation. Janice McGeachin's association with extreme, anti-law enforcement factions has prompted them to oppose her run for governor. Since winning the lieutenant governors office, McGeachin has regularly garnered the spotlight for her combative relationship with Little. In addition, McGeachin threw open the doors of her familys pub in Idaho Falls before the order preventing bars from reopening lapsed. His pick for governor in Nebraska, alleged sexual abuser Charles Herbster, failed to make it through the primary last week. After the company's acceptance of the PPP funds was publicized, McGeachin said that the company accepted the funds to counter what she called harm "by the heavy hand of government in 2020. She courts people who use intimidation and violence to terrorize other people, said Raney, who retired after a decade as sheriff in 2015. 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. Today, hers is a household name throughout Idaho, even if many people are still unsure how to say it. Laura van Voorhees recently moved to Kootenai County from California. 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. | Sarah A. Miller smiller@idahostatesman.com. I sure hope she becomes our next governor.. Thats where the battle is going to be, and thats why Im running for governor.. During one of her final pitches to voters, McGeachin closely followed the path laid out before her by right-wing conservatives in the Trump era. 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. The rotation of bartenders appears to be playing to their VIPs, frequently stopping to check in on the McGeachins and their daughter. His actions were stepping over into a different branch of governments purview, and thats pretty serious to me.. [64][65] Legal experts dismissed the suit as meritless,[65] and it was rejected by the Supreme Court. 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. [9] Trump endorsed McGeachin's candidacy. | Sarah A. Miller smiller@idahostatesman.com. 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. 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. I was hoping that he would see the virtue of keeping it in place, she said. 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. [31] The Idaho Statesman editorial board described the effort as "a manufactured witch hunt" driven by the "far-right fringe of Idaho's politics. Governor candidacy", "May 15, 2018 Primary Election Results: Statewide Totals", Candidate's security team seen as unusual for Idaho politics, "Lt. Gov. She defeated four rivals for the job, receiving 29% of the vote to edge former state GOP chair Steve Yates by fewer than 3,000 votes. The violence and intimidation tactics came after the family decided last year that their daughter would go without a mask at her school in the Nampa School District during the middle of the pandemic. 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. [8] As a Republican, she was a member of the Idaho House of Representatives from 2002 to 2012. The two married and are celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary this summer, McGeachin said, fiddling with a thick-banded, diamond-encrusted ring around her right middle finger. Among her longtime supporters, McGeachin counts Doyle Beck, a retired construction company CEO and conservative political activist who also is a fierce backer of Trump. McGeachins push to become Idahos lead executive is her second campaign for statewide office after a narrow margin of victory in 2018s Republican primary for lieutenant governor. She also was a member of the Teddy Bears, the schools choreographed drill team, and involved in student council her sophomore year. They dont know who this is.. Shes not the Janice that people grew up with, Thompson, who is running to rejoin the state House, told the Statesman in an interview. Previously unidentified, five other task force members introduced themselves at the task forces inaugural meeting. [22] In a subsequent statement, McGeachin described the men as "two Second Amendment supporters who were here to support Todd Engel, an Idahoan who was treated unjustly by the court system," and said that she deleted the post after "a few people had begun erroneously assigning sinister motives which are contrary to my true character. [73], McGeachin and Republican Representative Larry C. Bradford were re-districted to 31A. [80] She won the general election with 71.19% of the vote against Democratic nominee Scott Cannon. 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. The unorthodox move was a big part of why she became a passionate McGeachin supporter, and now helps organize some of her campaign events. I stood with them when Mr. Little sent his law enforcement into their business and threatened to take their license away, she told a crowd at a rally last week in Meridian. A federal district court later shot down the practice in 2011, the Associated Press reported. McGeachin lists the First Presbyterian Church of Idaho Falls on her campaign website, but said she hasnt regularly attended the church for a couple years. FILE . 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. Janice McGeachin enters the house chambers at the state Capitol building on Jan. 10, 2022 in Boise, Idaho. With campaign signs and rolled banners tucked in different corners of the space giving it a just-moved-in ambiance, McGeachins wood-paneled operations base is nondescript. Janice McGeachin, America First Warrior - Facebook Janet Adams is a retired Coeur dAlene lawyer. Lt. Gov. Its pronounced Ma-Gee-in.. Janice McGeachin does not do that.. In the past, shes advocated for a sex education opt-in bill and has decried Common Core standards, at one point saying curriculum and textbook providers use Common Core to recommend pornographic books for use in schools, EdNews previously reported. Janice McGeachin, take questions during a meet-and-greet campaign fundraiser at a Caldwell-area winery in April. It remains the only election McGeachin has lost. The fowl-named drink is a layered shooter, made of one part Kahlua, one part Irish cream and one part whiskey. 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, Wednesday, May 19,. About halfway through, he reminded attendees about various forms of sin in the eyes of God. 3-2-1, he says, tapping the phones touch-screen shutter. [13], McGeachin was a delegate for Donald Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention, and was vice-chair of Trump's Idaho campaign committee. Idahos first woman to fill the lieutenant governors office has fostered a national profile for her unconventional and outspoken approach to the job, drawing comparisons to right-wing firebrands such as U.S. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, and Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado. 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. 30 talking about this. This is our country, and were going to take it back! Rogers shouted to the crowd. [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. 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. Each rode the Make America Great Again wave under former President Donald Trump that propelled a number of far-right candidates into office. When I am struggling, I know where I need to go to get strength, wisdom, encouragement. The soup of the day is beef taco, and the $5 drink special is a melon berry ros sangria. "[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. Shes a former teacher who staked her campaign, in part, on her objections to Common Core, EastIdahoNews.com reported. [53][54] By fall 2021, Idaho had among the nation's lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates. In each case, Little returned the next day and rescinded McGeachins order, calling the first instance an irresponsible, self-serving political stunt.. Who is Janice McGeachin Husband? Colleagues recognized her as a member of the more conservative wing of the Republican Party, sponsoring anti-abortion bills and stridently opposing the Affordable Care Act, passed under Democratic President Barack Obama. [1] She graduated from Skyline High School in Idaho Falls and earned her B.S. appears in video slamming virus rules, whether 'a pandemic may or may not be occurring', Idaho Lt. Wearing a black Stetson, Brown looked out onto the congregation filled with people of all ages and launched into a 40-minute lesson from the Book of Revelation about where to put ones faith, and how to prepare for judgment. Karen McGee is a former Idaho State Board of Education executive director and president. Full Name: Janice K. McGeachin Gender: Female Family: Husband: Jim; 2 Children: Liza, James Birth Date: 01/18/1963 Birth Place: Las Cruces, NM Home City: Idaho Falls, ID Religion: Christian Education keyboard_arrow_down Political Experience keyboard_arrow_down Caucuses/Former Committees keyboard_arrow_down Rogers is outspoken that the 2020 election was stolen, and after making antisemitic statements and calling for the public hanging of political foes in an AFPAC speech was censured by the Arizona Legislature in March. We can never give up. [6], McGeachin supported Mitt Romney in the 2008 Republican Party presidential primaries[12] and the 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries. [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. Hamilton, however, prefers to keep the focus of McGeachins candidacy on her credentials. Idaho attorney general won't support it", "Supreme Court rejects Republican attack on Biden victory", McGeachin becomes 7th candidate to file preliminary paperwork for run for governor in 2022, "Donald Trump endorses McGeachin for Idaho governor", Lt. Gov. 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. 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. Little Says He Hasn't Spoken To Lt. Gov McGeachin In Weeks, Cases of coronavirus in Idaho spike after businesses reopen, Lt. Gov. So, how much is Janice McGeachin worth at the age of 59 years old? Janice McGeachin, her husband and their two adult children share ownership of The Celt Pub & Grill, an Irish-themed bar and restaurant in downtown Idaho Falls. [38] On his return to Idaho one day later, Little rescinded McGeachin's order and said that her decision "to act solitarily on a highly politicized, polarizing issue without conferring with local jurisdictions, legislators, and the sitting Governor" was "simply put, an abuse of power. She argued, however, that her actions did not violate the governors restrictions, because her pub also includes a restaurant. [83], McGeachin was unopposed for the Republican primary[84] and the general election. 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. Machele Hamilton, the state GOP vice chair and a close friend to McGeachin, said that approach is one of the qualities she admires most about the lieutenant governor. [72] She concluded her term as lieutenant governor on January 2, 2023. 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. McGeachin is asking taxpayers to cover $50,000 worth of her legal costs, Boise State Public Radio reported. Her campaign events typically begin with prayer, and she routinely mentions her unwavering belief in God and his plan for the state, and nation, out on the stump. "[23][24] McGeachin faced public criticism for the photo and quickly deleted it. She found herself embroiled in controversy when she posted - and deleted - a photo on her Facebook page that appears to show her. Throwing her hat in the ring for governor, McGeachin appealed to Trump for his endorsement over Little. In her 3 years as lieutenant governor, she has publicly defied the governors pandemic requirements, issued executive orders in his absence and ignored the advice of the Idaho attorney generals office on release of public records. The hourlong service mixed prayers, Christian-inspired acoustic country and a weekly poem, all built around Browns sermon. The state has also paused vendor payments from McGeachin's office, and McGeachin has told state officials to withhold her salary and benefits to avoid a budget shortfall. McGeachin and Cawthorn fell on Tuesday. [22] She opposes abortion, same-sex marriage, and gun control. She was elected lieutenant governor in the 2018 election, to serve with the governor, Brad Little. Its in our homes, she said. The Republican lieutenant governors candidate backed out after debate organizers would not give her an advance list of reporters on the panel. Those arent the types of invites she gets from her old colleagues anymore. The single-story, cinder block building outside of Boise formerly housed a diesel fuel wholesaler. Brian Myrick / Idaho Press. Janice McGeachin fined $750 over public record violations, Lt. Gov. Its just about all women supporting each other, McGeachin said. About . Idaho is one of 20 U.S. states that has never had a female governor. Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin in her bid for governor, held May 4 at Julius M. Kleiner Memorial Park in Meridian. This election asks one simple question: Is my Idaho your Idaho? McGeachin said, to loud applause and supporters standing up from the camping chairs they brought from home. Ive made my statements about who I am and what I believe in, McGeachin told the Idaho Statesman in a sit-down interview.