The residents came together and pulled through, 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. McGeachins tenure in the Legislature included serving as chair of the House Health and Welfare Committee. 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. Suddenly, the bartender is zipping through the aisle asking those seated if they would like a shot. McGeachin and her husband, Jim, also own the wholesale automotive parts supplier store Idaho Transmission Warehouse, which has two Idaho locations, as well as a torque convertor remanufacturing. Henry then met McGeachin during a rally against requiring schoolchildren to wear masks in the classroom held on the Capitol steps, and explained her familys traumatic experience. Idahoans have a critically important choice to make a choice that will determine the course of our state for years to come. [14][15][16][17], In April 2017, McGeachin filed to run for lieutenant governor of Idaho. Brian Myrick / Idaho Press. Sex with animals.. McGeachin and her husband also own and operate an auto parts distribution center, a machine shop and two transmission repair shops. Janice McGeachin is the lieutenant governor of the State of Idaho. The Republican gubernatorial race also stands to have national implications, given Trumps involvement, as well as the likelihood that its victor will steer the direction of the state for at least the next four years after Novembers general election. [43] In August 2020, McGeachin headlined a rally organized by the right-wing, conspiracist John Birch Society at the rally in Twin Falls, where speakers decried public health measures to combat the coronavirus. The governor and lieutenant governor publicly feuded,[59][60][61][62] and Little rescinded McGeachin's orders while he was still in Texas, saying that McGeachin's order was unauthorized because his "temporary presence in Texas on official business" did not impair his "ability to represent the people of Idaho thus necessitating action by another executive to ensure the continuity of state government. | Sarah A. Miller smiller@idahostatesman.com. Following a stint in Arizona, the family moved to Idaho Falls when she was a child after her father took a job at the Idaho National Laboratory, the nuclear energy research hub run by the federal government. Unseating an incumbent is no easy task, and McGeachin is up against an opponent in Little who has fundraised more than $2 million, or roughly triple her donation haul, according to Idaho secretary of state records. McGeachin said she was an early adopter of Trump leading the Republican Party. The bartender uses a backwards-facing spoon to pour each alcohol into the glass in layers and prevent them from mixing, before handing out the drinks to curious recipients. We can never give up. The two got more serious when she moved back to their hometown after graduating from the University of Arizona in 1985 with a degree in business administration, majoring in finance. 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. Former state Rep. Jeff Thompson, an Idaho Falls Republican who served two terms in the House with McGeachin, drew a parallel between his old friends political shift and Trumps unexpected ascension in the Republican Party in 2016, all the way to the Oval Office. [26], In February 2022, McGeachin appeared as a surprise video guest speaker at the America First Political Action Conference, hosted by prominent white nationalist Nick Fuentes. In addition, McGeachin threw open the doors of her familys pub in Idaho Falls before the order preventing bars from reopening lapsed. Janice is a former State Representative and a successful business owner from Idaho Falls who, along with her husband Jim McGeachin, own and operate multiple businesses in the automotive industry, with stores in Idaho Falls and Boise. [55] A surge in COVID-19 cases first strained, and then surpassed, the capacity of the state's health care system. Idaho Lt. Gov. Idaho deserves law-abiding leaders, not divisive leaders. She lost the primary by just 241 votes to one-term Commissioner Lee Staker, a former state senator who went on to serve 18 years in the post. 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. The McGeachins are known for frequenting their pub. One of the big questions were seeing in general about elections this year is about how much effect Trump will have, said Jaclyn Kettler, a political science professor at Boise State University. Brian Myrick / Idaho Press. calls that 'shameful', Idaho governor repeals political rival's executive order. Two weeks before Idahos primary election, McGeachin stepped onto an outdoor stage on a Wednesday evening in front of a crowd of more than 1,000 people gathered at Julius M. Kleiner Memorial Park in Meridian for a rally in her honor. 30 talking about this. | Sarah A. Miller smiller@idahostatesman.com, If you ask the kids, Henry told a small crowd gathered during a fundraiser at a Caldwell-area winery, the very best day that they had last year, it was the one day that she (issued) the executive order for them to go to school without a mask. The room erupted in cheers and applause, as one attendee shouted, FREEDOM!. 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. Janice McGeachin embraces Rep. Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton, before giving her remarks on Wednesday (Kelcie Moseley-Morris/Idaho Capital Sun). She also inquired with the Idaho National Guard about ordering troops to the U.S.-Mexico border that Little was visiting. The family spends leisure time skiing, camping and playing golf, although McGeachin calls herself more of a hacker out on the fairways. [7][9][10][11] As chair of the state House Health and Welfare Committee, she cut Medicaid funding and voted against legislation to create a state-based health insurance exchange. As a man in the audience yelled a vulgarity about Little referencing the female anatomy, drawing laughter from the crowd, McGeachin accused the incumbent governor of losing touch with Idaho values, and turning his back on residents during the pandemic. McGeachins family businesses, particularly the pub, have become targets for harassment, she said, on account of her political ideology. [58] McGeachin also opposes vaccine mandates. Her relationship with Little finally boiled over last year when McGeachin leveraged the Idaho Constitution, which bestows power upon her position when the governor is out of state, and issued a pair of pandemic-related executive orders. [53][54] By fall 2021, Idaho had among the nation's lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates. [77], McGeachin was unopposed for the Republican primary[78] and for the general election. 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. Sometimes, a contrarian candidate wins in a closed Republican primary. "[25] The Idaho Falls Post Register editorial board criticized McGeachin for embracing the 3 Percenters and militia movement. 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. PHOTOS: Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin announces run for governor President, how do you deal with some of this stuff when you were kind of under fire? He said: Never back down. . It didn't last, Republican infighting in Idaho over the coronavirus has reached a new low, Low Turnout For COVID-19 Skeptic Rally Headlined By Idaho Lieutenant Governor, 'Loss of hope': Idaho hospitals crushed by COVID-19 surge, Gov. Janice McGeachin said Wednesday she was running for governor of Idaho . Janice McGeachin's association with extreme, anti-law enforcement factions has prompted them to oppose her run for governor. [82] She won the general election with 73% of the vote against Scott Cannon. This group is described by Steve Taggart in his most recent Idaho Politics Weekly post as "wacky and extremist at best." 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. Branden Durst hopes to win the May 17 GOP state superintendents primary by running against all things Sherri Ybarra and Debbie Critchfield. Id say shes more withdrawn today, Winder, who supports Little, told the Statesman. 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. McGeachin not only listened to her and other parents, Henry said, but also their children. Today, hers is a household name throughout Idaho, even if many people are still unsure how to say it. After that, she ran unopposed five times in the Republican primary for a state House seat representing Idaho Falls, from 2002 to 2012. Were getting to be too much of a centralized government on the federal level and getting away from what I believe our Founding Fathers intent was, McGeachin said, seated in her campaign headquarters office flanked by a framed photo of her firing an assault-style rifle. Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. Janice McGeachin, America First Warrior - Facebook Janice McGeachin launches bid for governor, challenging. After briefly stepping away from dinner, Janice McGeachin returns, but is stopped by an older patron at the bar, who is enjoying his second beer and identifies himself as Skip. 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 is a well-known figure in the United States. [9][67] In announcing her candidacy, McGeachin attacked public health measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 and said that Idaho should reject federal funding to preserve "state sovereignty," although she did not give details. [41], In May 2020, Little said he had not spoken to McGeachin in weeks. [6][74][75] She opposes minimum wages, believing that government should play no role in determining wages. Janice McGeachin, take questions during a meet-and-greet campaign fundraiser at a Caldwell-area winery in April. (We) broke the glass ceiling, and were going to break another glass ceiling., Lt. Gov. His pick for governor in Nebraska, alleged sexual abuser Charles Herbster, failed to make it through the primary last week. McGeachin has been married to Jim McGeachin for quite some time. 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. Janice's McGeachin's chief of staff has informed McGeachin and a state budget administrator that he will resign when the Idaho Legislature adjourns for the year.. Jordan Watters, McGeachin's chief of staff, gave McGeachin notice of his resignation on Thursday, according to an email from Watters obtained by the Idaho Capital Sun. Lt. Gov. in finance and accounting from the University of Arizona. Its perhaps a surprise location from which to mount a run for the states highest office. 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. [71] Of Idaho's 44 counties, McGeachin carried just four, all in the Idaho Panhandle. As lieutenant governor, McGeachin aligned herself with Donald Trump and frequently clashed with Little. 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. Late last week, Idaho Lt. Pretty soon its just going to be normal and natural to be a pedophile. In 2012, she and her family . [40][46] In October 2020, McGeachin appeared in a video by the right-wing Idaho Freedom Foundation in which she wielded a gun and Bible, railed against COVID-19 public-health measures, and questioned whether "a pandemic may or may not be occurring. Janet Adams is a retired Coeur dAlene lawyer. 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. Crowd of 100 at Idaho Capitol came to support McGeachin for governor Here's what was inside the McGeachin education task force files One more for prosperity.. It is estimated that her net worth is somewhere between $1 million and $3 million. [48], In July 2020, McGeachin condemned federal economic relief granted during the COVID-19 pandemic. 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. The couple has two children. She was elected lieutenant governor in the 2018 election, to serve with the governor, Brad Little. Those who will speak about McGeachins early days in office describe her as friendly, a social butterfly who would host small parties in a rental condo during the legislative session, and go for drinks after work. And this is a manifestation of it in our face. Jason Knopp is the vice chairman of the Melba School Districts board. The two positions run for election separately, rather than as a unified ticket. After Little backed out of a scheduled debate, McGeachin organized the event for the same night with a slate of fellow far-right candidates. "[6][21], In February 2019, McGeachin posted a photo on her Facebook page of her posing in front of her Idaho State Capitol door with two members of the 3 Percenters, an anti-government militia movement group. He founded the congregation, according to its website, after he went on a solo, three-day horseback ride through five Idaho counties to connect with God and receive his guidance. She argued, however, that her actions did not violate the governors restrictions, because her pub also includes a restaurant. [36], As lieutenant governor, McGeachin has had a strained relationship with the governor, Brad Little,[14][38][39] despite the fact that Little is a fellow conservative Republican. Politics isnt always viewed as a place for girls. 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. 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. Briefly serving as acting governor, Janice McGeachin issues order During her segment, she listed Americans inalienable rights while seated in the drivers seat of a truck brandishing a Bible, and then a handgun. Governor Janice McGeachin posed with and then posted on Facebook pictures she had taken with two members of The Three Percenters. [36] The legislature declined McGeachin's request to have the costs of the settlement paid by the state budget. In one case this spring, a touring musician took to social media to announce a last-minute cancellation of his scheduled concert there when he found out McGeachin was a co-owner. A federal district court later shot down the practice in 2011, the Associated Press reported. As I have traveled across our beautiful state, I have listened to our people, McGeachin said in a speech from the Capitol steps in March. That was as true as ever, she said, almost 46 years ago when she was in junior high and the Teton Dam failed, flooding southeastern Idaho. She more often drops into one in the Wood River Valley, she said, and another, more worship-based congregation in Idaho Falls called Watersprings Church. Heres what we know about the members so far: Anna Miller, from the Idaho Freedom Foundation, is an active voice in education policy discussions. [55][56] In August 2021, after announcing that she would challenge Little in the Republican primary for re-nomination as governor, McGeachin said that it was "shameful" for Little to ask Idahoans to show love for neighbors by getting vaccinated against COVID-19. In the second, in October, she prohibited public schools and the states Department of Education from requiring COVID-19 testing or vaccinations. "[49], In May 2021, after Little left the state to attend a Republican Governors' Association conference in Nashville, Tennessee, making McGeachin acting governor in his absence, she issued an executive order that barred the state and Idaho counties, cities, public school districts, and public universities from adopting mask mandates. McGeachin claims the in-house smoked chicken wings are the best in the state. Brad Little wins GOP primary over Trump's pick, Lt. Gov. A month later, she administered an oath to members of the Real Three Percent of Idaho, including Eric Parker, the groups leader, who said she once told him if she were elected, he would have a friend in the governors office. Parker endorsed McGeachin for governor last year. Michael Nelson said hes a former police officer who worked a 25-year career in the San Francisco area. Sometimes they refer to us as being extreme for our views, McGeachin said, before reading a quote from the late Republican U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater. All Rights Reserved. Britney Spears and husband Sam Asghari rock matching outfits for a trip . McGeachin. And were both very grateful for that. McGeachin said she doesnt concern herself with unflattering characterizations, or any of the other things people say about her. 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. Amid a deluge of partisan cheerleading, anti-LGBTQ speech and Trump worship from invited speakers, Idahos lieutenant governor took hold of the mic. 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. I know she liked to have a good time, said Sen. Jim Patrick, R-Twin Falls, who served three terms with McGeachin in the House and used to rent a place on the same floor of a building three blocks from the Capitol. Janice McGeachin Biography, Age, Height, Husband, Net Worth, Family And thats whats not fair., Lt. Gov. During her time at Skyline High, McGeachin was a member of the schools choreographed drill team, involved in student council and also voted homecoming royalty. 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. Ive said many times, Id jump in front of a bus for her, she told the audience at the winery fundraiser. Theres no future for them, and I mean that wholeheartedly., Lt. Gov. [81], McGeachin was unopposed for the Republican primary. Who is Janice McGeachin Husband? 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. 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. The family who drinks together stays together, right? the bartender says. A customer at the end of the bar, from Montana, wants to buy everyone a duck fart.. McGeachin drew similar scrutiny over several incidents that included members of the Three Percenters, which the Anti-Defamation League labels an anti-government militia movement. Janice McGeachin at a meet-and-greet campaign fundraiser at a Caldwell-area winery in April. 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. She found herself embroiled in controversy when she posted - and deleted - a photo on her Facebook page that appears to show her. She owns an Irish pub in Idaho Falls and co-owns a wholesale automotive parts supply store and a torque converter remanufacturing facility with her husband. But the seat also is viewed as a stepping stone for the states next governor, with five of Idahos past seven governors, including Little, 68, having served as second-in-command. She committed, however, to accepting the results of the states May primary, believing voting irregularities in Idaho where Trump won big were not large scale. I just wish she was better in presenting herself, said Dr. John Lee, a retired veterinarian who lives in Nampa, while attending the winery fundraiser with family. [22] She opposes abortion, same-sex marriage, and gun control.
- Text "Hockey" to 618-238-2336 for a Free Demo