Lifelong Idahoan John R. Stegner is an independent candidate running for governor of Idaho this election season.
Stegner, raised in Grangeville, Idaho, is a former Idaho Supreme Court Justice. Before that, he spent 20 years as a district trial judge in Moscow.
Stegner says one of his biggest motivations in running for governor is his interest in laws and the effects they have on people. One of his main focuses is fixing public education.
“We have a constitutional obligation to fund kindergarten through 12, and I don’t think we’re doing that right now,” Stegner said. “We’re 51st in the country as far as our per capita expenditure per student. I find that embarrassing. I think we should be showing more to the people of Idaho that we care about education. Compulsory public education is one of the great American inventions of all-time. It’s raised more people out of poverty than anything else I can think of.”
Women’s healthcare and Proposition 1 are other pressing issues in the eyes of Stegner.
“I signed the initiative,” Stegner said. “I think it’s an issue that should be brought to the public. We’ve given the legislature three years; they haven’t done anything. What we have is an exodus of physicians. I think we ought to make Idaho more welcoming to physicians if we want to have healthcare and our maternity care deserts, frankly. If it’s passed, I’m going to support the will of the people as it relates to Proposition 1.”
Stegner says his first order of business if elected as governor of the Gem State is to fix public school funding.
“If we have $50 million to spend, let’s spend it on our public schools, not on things that are competing with our public schools,” Stegner said.
Stegner gives his final pitch on why Idahoans should give him their vote.
“Neither party has a monopoly on good ideas, and we oughta aspire to finding what the good ideas are and implementing them as best as we can,” Stegner said. “That’s who I am. That’s what I think I bring to this race is somebody who looks at problems differently and that’s why I’m running and I’m hoping to give people another alternative on the ballot. I think Idaho’s worth fighting.”
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. For more information on Stegner, visit his website at stegnerforidaho.com.