State Representative Seat B District 7 in Idaho State House District 7, Idaho

2026 Primary Election

• Pete Gertonson — Candidate for State Representative Seat B District 7 in Lewiston, ID

  Pete Gertonson, a 74-year-old Lewiston resident and lifelong Idahoan, is a Democratic candidate for Idaho House of Representatives District 7B in 2026. Born in Massachusetts, he has resided in Nez Perce County for over 65 years. A veteran of the Idaho National Guard Army, he also holds a Bachelor of Science degree with a minor in Geographic Information Systems from Lewis-Clark State College. Gertonson, who is married with two daughters, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren, is focusing his campaign on addressing Idaho’s infrastructure, including roads and vital water and wastewater projects, to restore common sense and balance to the state legislature. He is running unopposed in the May 19 primary.

• Charlie Shepherd — Incumbent State Representative, District 7B in Riggins, ID

  Charlie Shepherd is an incumbent Republican State Representative for Idaho House District 7B, first elected in December 2020. Representing a broad rural area including Riggins and parts of Nez Perce, Idaho, Lewis, and Adams counties, he is seeking re-election to his seat. Shepherd highlights his six years of legislative experience, emphasizing a record of achieving conservative goals such as lowering taxes, protecting medical freedom, and safeguarding women's sports. He advocates for increased K-12 funding, fiscal conservatism through balanced budgets and reduced spending, and returning education to core principles, free from "woke" ideologies. Shepherd strongly supports the protection of life from conception and medical autonomy. He also believes in transferring federal lands to state control, asserting that the state can manage resources more effectively. While acknowledging criticism from some for his Idaho Freedom Foundation scores, Shepherd encourages voters to examine his comprehensive voting record.

• Maureen Anderson — Candidate for State Representative in Lewiston, ID

  Maureen Anderson is a Republican candidate for Idaho House District 7B in the 2026 election. A Lewiston resident, she has been active in local politics, including a 2023 Lewiston City Council campaign. Anderson is a wife, mother of nine, and grandmother of 19. Her platform emphasizes fiscal conservatism, economic development, and reducing government spending, with a primary focus on aggressively cutting property taxes, which she believes are an unacceptable burden on homeowners. She also advocates for strong constitutional rights, medical freedom, education reform (opposing Common Core and CRT), and pro-life policies, fiercely defending the Second Amendment. She is challenging incumbent Republican Charlie Shepherd in the May 2026 primary.