Many Idaho legislators may lay claim to the idea that their district is the most diverse; but they would be hard put when comparing their own to Idaho Legislative District 26, including the full boundaries of Blaine, Jerome and Lincoln Counties.
Recreational? Absolutely. Agricultural? Positively. Wealthy? Well, it depends what neighborhood you're in. Economically hard-put? Way too often.
“I’m sure there are other legislators who would like to have a chance to say they are more diverse,” said State Senator Ron Taylor (D-Hailey). “But our district? I think it’s the heart of Idaho. We’re so proud of this district and I’m very thankful that I’ve been chosen to represent this district again.”
But representation doesn’t come easy. First, of course, you have to get through the drama that is Election Night and there were few races more dramatic that Taylor’s.
“I got up early the next morning, and looked at one of our local news outlets that had decided to call the race, and I wasn’t feeling too good about the outcome,” said Taylor. “So, I went to the state website and sure enough, there were still some votes that needed to be counted. I spent most of that day after the election picking up yard signs. It wasn’t till about 5:15 p.m. when the phone rang.”
That call informed the Senator that those uncounted votes swung the election to his favor.
Taylor visited with Morning Edition host George Prentice to talk about lessons learned from that election, and looks forward to the 2025 session of the Idaho Legislature, which he said will have a huge impact on Idaho in general and his district in particular.
Find reporter George Prentice @georgepren
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