Mary Shea for Idaho

10/22/2026

Fair Care Idaho recently released its candidate survey responses, showing where legislative candidates stand on funding care for Idaho’s family caregivers, people with disabilities, and direct care workers.

As your legislative candidate for Idaho House Seat 29A, I was glad to participate. Families in Pocatello deserve to know whether the people asking for their votes will protect the care they depend on.

Fair Care Idaho is a grassroots nonprofit fighting to ensure people can receive compassionate care at home and that family caregivers have a real voice in state policy.

This matters because state leaders cut Medicaid and disability care programs last session after significant 2024 cuts to Family and Personal Care Services. Those decisions can mean fewer hours of help for a child with a disability, an aging parent left without reliable assistance, or a family caregiver forced to leave a job to keep a loved one safe. Meanwhile, Idaho already faces a severe shortage of direct care workers, whose essential work too often comes with inadequate pay and support.

Families should not have to choose between earning a paycheck and caring for someone they love. People with disabilities and seniors should be able to live safely and with dignity in their own homes whenever possible. Idaho should restore reliable support, strengthen the direct care workforce, and make it easier, not harder, for families to get the services they need.

Idaho’s caregivers and disability community deserve a strong voice in the Legislature. I will listen to them, oppose harmful cuts, and work for dependable care that allows every family to live with greater security and independence.

Thank you to Fair Care Idaho for making sure these families are heard. 💚

10/21/2026

Want to vote Absentee/by mail? You must request an absentee ballot. Idaho does not issue absentee ballots unless requested.

Request an absentee ballot on voteidaho.gov. You must request your absentee ballot by this Friday, October 23, at 5:00 p.m.

Completed absentee ballots must be received by the Bannock County Elections Office no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3.

10/21/2026

Senator James Ruchti, Mary Shea, and Nate Roberts have officially released "A Contract with Pocatello"—six concrete, written promises to fight for District 29.
"We’re happy to sign this contract in public, but you don't have to wait for the ceremony. Consider this our word. Hold us to it."

1. Lower everyday costs 💲 – Cut the grocery tax, pause the gas tax, and build affordable starter homes.
2. Make data centers pay their own way ⚡️ – Tech giants must pay their fair share of taxes and grid upgrades, not utility payers.
3. Keep Idaho’s promise to public schools 🏫 – Invest state dollars into local classrooms and building repairs to ease the burden on property taxpayers.
4. Make Idaho the place to start and raise a family 🧑‍🧑‍🧒 – Cut childcare costs and create a fund to keep OB-GYNs and maternity care in Idaho.
5. Keep local decisions local 📍 – Keep decisions about Pocatello right here in Pocatello, not overridden by Boise.
6. Keep Idaho’s public lands in public hands 🌲 – Pass a binding law to keep our lands in public hands for hunters, anglers, outdoor enthusiasts and outfitters.

🔗 Read the full breakdown: www.jamesforidaho.com/contract-with-pocatello

10/21/2026

Our Affordability Listening Session last week confirmed what we already know: Idahoans are struggling. Pocatello families are paying more for gas, food, and housing. Idaho’s government is ignoring the problem and making it worse.

We’re committed to making life more affordable through our promises to Pocatello, and we’re putting those promises in writing. Hold us accountable. Read “A Contract with Pocatello” in full: jamesforidaho.com/contract-with-pocatello

10/20/2026

Last Friday, I attended the Legislative Open House at Bright Tomorrows in Pocatello, where I spoke with former prosecutor Erin Tognetti and professionals in Health and Welfare and law enforcement about the difficult work of protecting Idaho’s children.

As a child welfare law specialist and attorney, I have represented child victims and their parents in criminal court, child welfare proceedings, custody cases, and protection order hearings. I know firsthand how difficult child sexual abuse cases can be to prove, particularly when there is little physical evidence and no independent witnesses.

Child advocacy centers do far more than provide therapeutic support. They coordinate investigations, gather critical evidence, and support children and families through an often frightening legal process.

In child sexual abuse cases, specialized forensic interviews are not optional. Trained professionals conduct them, and they provide essential evidence in criminal prosecutions, child protection proceedings, and custody cases. Without this resource, achieving justice and ensuring children’s safety can become nearly impossible.

Bright Tomorrows has thankfully secured funding over the past two years, including through the Millennium Fund last year, a funding source generally intended for one-time needs. There is reason to believe securing funding for this essential service will be difficult in the coming legislative session, putting a critical resource for Idaho’s children and families at risk.

As a legislative candidate, I know this work because I have done it, and I understand what is at stake. Idaho’s children deserve safety, families deserve a meaningful path to justice, and the professionals who make both possible deserve the resources to do their jobs.

Thank you to Bright Tomorrows Child Advocacy Center and everyone across Idaho working hard to protect Idaho’s children.

10/19/2026

As a child welfare law specialist and attorney, I have represented child victims and their parents in criminal court, child welfare proceedings, custody cases, and protection order hearings. I know firsthand how difficult child sexual abuse cases can be to prove, particularly when there is little physical evidence and no independent witnesses.

Child advocacy centers coordinate investigations, gather critical evidence, and support children and families through an often frightening legal process. In child sexual abuse cases, specialized forensic interviews are not optional. Conducted by trained professionals, they provide essential evidence in criminal prosecutions, child protection proceedings, and custody cases. Without this resource, achieving justice and ensuring children’s safety can become nearly impossible.

Thank you to Bright Tomorrows and everyone across Idaho working hard to protect Idaho’s children.

Thank you to the legislators, candidates, and community leaders who joined us for our Legislative Open House!

We appreciated the opportunity to open our doors, share the work happening inside our center, and have meaningful conversations about the important role Idaho's Children's Advocacy Centers play in both justice and healing.

A special thank-you to our incredible board members, dedicated staff, and multidisciplinary team partners who joined us and helped share the importance of this work. Your commitment to the children and families we serve is what makes Bright Tomorrows possible!

We're grateful for the thoughtful questions, meaningful conversations, and opportunity to share why this work and our children matter.

Hear them. Heal them. 🧡

Jennifer Miles for Idaho Nate Roberts for Idaho Mary Shea for Idaho

10/19/2026

Idaho parents pay sales tax on every single pack of diapers. Big Tech gets to dodge sales tax on their data center equipment in-state—and that tax break never expires. Pocatello's Representative, Dustin Manwaring, voted for these giveaways three times [ID 2024 HB 159, ID 2025 HB 315, ID 2025 HB 328].

Working families shouldn’t pay more while the richest companies on earth get a permanent break. Make Big Tech pay its fair share, and tax data centers, not diapers!

10/17/2026

Idaho families pay 6% sales tax on their groceries. We are one of the few states that still taxes food like this! With grocery prices already squeezing family budgets, it’s no wonder people across Pocatello tell me they’re struggling.

Meanwhile, billion-dollar tech companies can claim sales-tax breaks for their data centers, with no end date in sight. My opponent, Dustin Manwaring, voted three separate times to preserve or expand these giveaways for Big Tech while you kept paying taxes at the checkout line.

Working families shouldn’t pay more for basic food while wealthy corporations get special treatment. I’ll fight to end the grocery tax and make billion-dollar data centers pay their fair share. Tax data centers, not groceries!

10/17/2026

Idahoans pay tax on groceries, diapers, gas, and diesel, everyday necessities that already strain your budget. But billion-dollar tech companies dodge paying sales tax on their Idaho data centers indefinitely. My opponent, Dustin Manwaring, voted for these Big Tech tax breaks three separate times. Rep. Manwaring thinks you should cover Big Tech’s share. I think Big Tech should pay their own way in Idaho.

Pocatello families shouldn’t be subsidizing the richest companies on earth. Tax data centers, not working families! Learn more: maryforidaho.com/data-centers

10/14/2026

Early Voting is OPEN, Pocatello! 🗳️
October 13th - 30th, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 141 N 6th Avenue. Bannock County Elections will also collect your absentee ballots, here.

Make a plan, stick to it, and VOTE:

✅ Mary Shea for Idaho House Seat 29A
✅ YES on Prop 1
✅ NO on HJR 4

for voting info, visit voteidaho.gov 🔗