I thought it was a perfect saying for Janice, because of everything shes going through, and how much everyone makes her something she is not, Hamilton said by phone. 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 does not do that.. He's a lifelong Idahoan, and holds degrees in Creative Writing and Political Economy from the College of Idaho. Governor promotes 'walk-thru disinfectant cubes', Idaho lieutenant governor got pandemic loans for business, Acting as Idaho Governor, Lt. Gov. Janice Kyes McGeachin ( / mi.n /; born January 18, 1963) [1] is an American far-right [2] [3] [4] politician and businesswoman who served as the 43rd lieutenant governor of Idaho from 2019 to 2023. This group is described by Steve Taggart in his most recent Idaho Politics Weekly post as "wacky and extremist at best." 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. appears in video slamming virus rules, whether 'a pandemic may or may not be occurring', Idaho Lt. She spoke of a rift between her and her daughter, which she attributes in part to critical race theory teachings at her daughters former college in California. "[23][24] McGeachin faced public criticism for the photo and quickly deleted it. Proms and school sports seasons will never again be canceled, she promised. Where men are men, and sheep are scared! Jimmy McGeachin belts back, a joke about bestiality. When they passed gay marriage, they opened Pandoras box. [58][52], In October 2021, while Little was out of state touring the Southern border, McGeachin, claiming power as acting governor in Little's absence, issued an executive order banning state officials from requiring proof of vaccination from employees and sought to ban employers from requiring vaccinations altogether. [86][6], Indoctrination task force and public records violations, COVID-19 pandemic and strained relationship with Governor Brad Little, Last edited on 28 February 2023, at 19:27, 2008 Republican Party presidential primaries, 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries, America First Political Action Conference, misinformation to disparage COVID-19 vaccines, nation's lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates, Texas' attempt to overturn the results of the presidential election, "Republican hopes to ride far-right rage into Idaho's governor's office", "Far-right challengers look to upset the status quo in the Idaho governor's primary", "In Idaho governor's race, a far-right candidate leans into extremism", "Representative Janice K. McGeachin's Biography", 5 things to know about Idaho's 1st female lieutenant governor, McGeachin says business experience will help her in lieutenant governor role, Bonneville County Primary Election, May 23, 2000, Lt. Gov. McGeachin also garnered criticism after federal records revealed that she applied for and received more than $314,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, even though she previously said she is opposed to government programs that foster dependency. In a social media post, she defended accepting the coronavirus relief payments for her familys businesses, saying that their employees needed the funds because they had been harmed by government shutdowns and other public health requirements. McGeachin remembers the city back then as a great place to grow up a small and supportive community. 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. The family who drinks together stays together, right? the bartender says. McGeachin speech played at conference organized by white nationalist, McGeachin delivers taped speech to white nationalist meeting, McGeachins education task force discusses calls to disband State Board of Education, 'A Very McCarthyism Feel': Idaho Teachers Say Indoctrination Task Force Stokes Fear, Idaho's far-right 'indoctrination' witch hunt comes up short in Boise State investigation, ISBA rep leaves indoctrination task force, decrying 'partisan campaigning', Idaho Lt. Gov. | Sami Edge, Idaho Education News. She also inquired with the Idaho National Guard about ordering troops to the U.S.-Mexico border that Little was visiting. Janice McGeachin settles Idaho Press Club Lawsuit, Public records show McGeachin billed nearly $17,000 for her own legal fees in records lawsuit, Idaho leaders don't act on McGeachin legal fee request, Idaho lieutenant governor banned mask mandates while the governor was out of town. The unorthodox move was a big part of why she became a passionate McGeachin supporter, and now helps organize some of her campaign events. The Republican lieutenant governors candidate backed out after debate organizers would not give her an advance list of reporters on the panel. Previously unidentified, five other task force members introduced themselves at the task forces inaugural meeting. Idaho Education News Data Analyst Randy Schrader contributed to this report. [79], McGeachin was unopposed for the Republican primary. Ive already addressed it, and that story just needs to go away, McGeachin told the Statesman, declining to field questions about her appearance at the conference. Hamilton, also McGeachins part-time director of communications this past legislative session, said the pendant epitomized her feelings toward the lieutenant governor, and is also a message she hoped her friend would keep close to her heart out on the campaign trail. Her husband is Jim McGeachin Janice McGeachin Net Worth Her net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. Janice McGeachin's income source is mostly from being a successful Politician. Repeatedly passed off by school district officials, Henry said, she reached out to the governors office for help. 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. The state has also paused vendor payments from McGeachin's office, and McGeachin has told state officials to withhold her salary and benefits to avoid a budget shortfall. Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. McGeachin. "[6] She accused the Biden administration of seeking to indoctrinate schoolchildren in "Marxist, socialist ideology" and believes that Idaho should promote "state sovereignty" by rejecting federal funds for a variety of programs. Among their favorite ski resorts are Grand Targhee and Jackson Hole, both in Wyoming near the Idaho border, and Sun Valley, where the family also owns a home just south of Ketchum. The pastor of the Cowboy Church, Scotty Brown, looks the part. McGeachin herself donned a mask at times around the Capitol during a statewide peak of COVID-19 from the delta variant, telling the Statesman she did so out of respect for others who were there. 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. 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. Michael Nelson said hes a former police officer who worked a 25-year career in the San Francisco area. (VanderSloot and his wife, Belinda, each donated campaign maximums of $5,000 to Little. McGeachin has been married to Jim McGeachin for quite some time. July fundraising reports will trickle in over the next few days, as candidates report their monthly activity. With campaign signs and rolled banners tucked in different corners of the space giving it a just-moved-in ambiance, McGeachins wood-paneled operations base is nondescript. Its a daily process, she said. Also in 2020, McGeachin appeared in a video montage, along with other Idaho elected officials, posted to YouTube by the Idaho Freedom Foundation. [22] In a subsequent statement, McGeachin described the men as "two Second Amendment supporters who were here to support Todd Engel, an Idahoan who was treated unjustly by the court system," and said that she deleted the post after "a few people had begun erroneously assigning sinister motives which are contrary to my true character. Janice McGeachin presented her 10-point gubernatorial platform for her first 100 days in office during a press conference on the Idaho Capitol steps in March. On an early April evening, theyre there for dinner and a few rounds of drinks, while the familys matriarch is home from the campaign trail. Janice McGeachin attends a rally to support semi-truckers and protest against COVID-19 vaccination mandates for employment held in Boise in March. Idaho already would ban abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the precedent-setting case of Roe v. Wade. Since winning the lieutenant governors office, McGeachin has regularly garnered the spotlight for her combative relationship with Little. "[47][39], In November 2020, McGeachin submitted a proposal to Governor Little's Coronavirus Financial Advisory Committee, seeking to spend $17 million in federal COVID-19 aid funds to purchase and operate two "walk-through disinfectant cubes" at the Idaho state Capitol. [15][19] McGeachin narrowly won the Republican primary election on May 15, 2018, with 28.9% of the vote, then defeated Democratic nominee Kristin Collum in the November general election. Brian Myrick / Idaho Press. "[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. Members continue to include an Idaho Freedom Foundation employee and a charter school leader who pushed to use the Bible in public schools. She is the first female lieutenant governor of Idaho. But I think that this is the time that if we dont make the changes that need to happen, Idahos gone for our kids. McGeachin claims the in-house smoked chicken wings are the best in the state. Some lawmakers, including longtime friends, refuse to talk about her, or request to go off the record. "[38] Little said that McGeachin's order "unilaterally and unlawfully" forbade local officials from determining public-health policies in their own jurisdictions and would have forbidden the state from enforcing protective measures for social workers from making home visits to at-risk patients, or for employees in state testing labs. We just like to keep our businesses separate from the politics as much as possible, McGeachin said, picking at her fingernails. Janice McGeachin at a meet-and-greet campaign fundraiser at a Caldwell-area winery in April. Janice McGeachin fined $750 over public record violations, Lt. Gov. But in some legislative races, outside political groups might have played a bigger and more far-reaching role. A customer at the end of the bar, from Montana, wants to buy everyone a duck fart.. [13], McGeachin was a delegate for Donald Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention, and was vice-chair of Trump's Idaho campaign committee. It worked, despite Littles own past support for Trump. Suddenly, the bartender is zipping through the aisle asking those seated if they would like a shot. McGeachin said she leans on her Presbyterian faith and her trust in God when she encounters obstacles. As a result of many of her more controversial decisions, McGeachin has become a third rail of Idaho politics. Idaho Lt. Gov. She said she does not dispute that masks are effective in preventing the spread of the virus, particularly N95s and hospital surgical masks. Shes touted her business acumen as a reason why shes qualified, said David Roth, former chair of the Bonneville County Democratic Party, now running to challenge U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, in November. Idaho's governor left the state. 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. Also joining were nationally known special guests freedom fighters, as McGeachin dubs them including former Fox News commentator Michelle Malkin and Arizona state Sen. Wendy Rogers, who each endorse McGeachin. May 27, 2021 Lt. Gov. However, McGeachin's Idaho Falls-based business accepted two partially forgivable loans, totaling $314,727, from the federal Paycheck Protection Program. I sure hope she becomes our next governor.. A spokesperson for Little said staff has no record or recollection of Henry contacting the governors office. Delivering the phone back to McGeachins daughter, he has some advice.