Idaho General Election · November 3, 2026Find polling place
Republican

Barbara Ehardt

Incumbent
Barbara Ehardt

Idaho House of Representatives, District 33 Seat A

Phone:(208) 332-1189
Email:behardt@house.idaho.gov
Facebook:Campaign Facebook Page
Campaign finance:Campaign Finance
City:Idaho Falls

Barbara Ehardt: Republican Nominee for Idaho House District 33 Seat A

Rep. Barbara Ehardt, a five-term incumbent, won a contested May 19, 2026 Republican primary for Idaho House District 33 Seat A, defeating Idaho Falls firefighter Connor Cook 2,449 votes to 2,298 (51.6% to 48.4%), according to certified Idaho Secretary of State results. The Secretary of State flagged the race as close. She faces Democrat Chance Marshall in the November 3, 2026 general election.

Background

Ehardt was born and raised in Idaho Falls and attended Idaho Falls High School. She played basketball at North Idaho College, helping the team reach the NJCAA championships, before attending Idaho State University on a basketball scholarship, where she studied English education. She went on to spend 15 years as an NCAA Division I women's basketball coach, at UC Santa Barbara, Brigham Young University, and Washington State University, and as head coach at Cal State Fullerton, according to her official Idaho Legislature biography. In a 2026 candidate questionnaire, she described the arc herself: "I spent 15 years coaching Division I Women's basketball (and teaching at UCSB & BYU) at four fantastic institutions: UC Santa Barbara, BYU, Washington State and then as the head coach at Cal State Fullerton."

After returning to Idaho Falls, Ehardt went to work at Club Apple, an athletic club, where she is a manager, and she also owns and operates Coach E's Camps and Clinics. She served as president of the Bonneville County Republican Women and was elected to the Idaho Falls City Council in 2013 before winning her House seat. "Prior to serving as a Representative, I also served on the Idaho Falls City Council," she said in the same questionnaire.

Legislative Record

Ehardt currently chairs the House Local Government Committee and also serves on Education and Judiciary, Rules and Administration, per the Legislature's 2026 roster. She was the House floor sponsor of 2020's Fairness in Women's Sports Act (H0500), which passed the House 54-16 on final passage and the Senate 24-11 before being signed into law, and of 2026's civics curriculum bill (S1336), which passed the House 54-12 and the Senate 28-6 and was signed by Gov. Little on April 10, 2026. On the civics bill, she told Idaho Education News: "Too many students right now believe that socialism and communism are better options to the republic. Why is that? Somewhere we are failing in teaching about the virtues of a republic." On the 2020 sports bill, she told the same outlet: "I could see the direction we were going, and, ultimately, the Fairness in Women's Sports created an entire cultural shift. Up until that point, people were too afraid to talk about guys in girls bathrooms, about pronouns, about all these other things."

She has also proposed eliminating property taxes on primary residences, telling East Idaho News in a candidate questionnaire that her bill, HB961, "would eliminate property taxes for our primary place of residence," replaced by raising the state sales tax rate by 1.75 percentage points, which the Idaho Tax Commission estimated would be needed to replace the roughly $932 million in lost property tax revenue. On Medicaid, she said she supported HB913's work requirements for able-bodied adults receiving Medicaid expansion, noting the bill "was passed on almost a party line vote." On water infrastructure, she said she supported SB1128, which "secured $30 million in ongoing funding for water infrastructure projects." She also voted for House Joint Memorial 17, asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, saying: "This vote was a statement about the egregious overreach by the Supreme Court that decimated the separation of powers with the Obergefell decision... This vote was not a commentary on our LGBT friends and community. It was a response to government overreach."

Electoral History

Ehardt has held the District 33 Seat A House seat since 2018, when she won her first general election with 57% of the vote against Jim De Angelis after an unopposed primary. She was reelected in 2020 (60% against Miranda Marquit, unopposed primary), in 2022 (winning a primary against Jeff Thompson with 57% before beating Marquit again with 60% in the general), and in 2024 (63% against Marquit, unopposed primary), according to Idaho Secretary of State canvass records. Her 2026 primary against Cook, a 10-year Idaho Falls firefighter, was the closest of her career. On her win, she told East Idaho News: "I'm just so grateful for this opportunity to continue to serve. I don't believe people understand just how humbling this is to run and have your constituents trust you enough to send you back for the opportunity to serve." She described her biggest challenges in the race as "overcoming outside money" and "misdirection."

Endorsements

Ehardt's campaign website lists endorsements from U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, who said in 2024, "I am honored to endorse Representative Barbara Ehardt. I admire her work on Anti-ESG legislation and support her efforts to protect opportunities for girls and women in sports," and from former NCAA swimmer and women's-sports advocate Riley Gaines. She has also been named National Legislator of the Year by Alliance Defending Freedom (2021) and Idaho's Republican Legislator of the Year (2021).

Campaign Finance

Ehardt's 2026 campaign finance filings with the Idaho Secretary of State's Sunshine portal show a beginning cash balance of $14,608.33, total contributions of $54,322.60, and total expenditures of $62,176.44, leaving an ending cash balance of $16,803.24 and $1,000.00 in outstanding debt. Her largest itemized contributors, at $2,000 each, are the Bonneville County Republican Central Committee and Idaho Summit PAC, followed by the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation PAC ($1,500) and a group of $1,000 contributions from SMC Properties, Renaissance Assisted Living, Lighthouse Electric, the Amalgamated Sugar Company PAC, Inform Idaho, and A&B Ventures.

Sources

Profile published by IdahoVoters.com. Last updated September 28, 2026. This profile will be updated as additional information becomes available.

Frequently asked questions

What office is Barbara Ehardt running for?
Idaho House District 33, Seat A, in the November 3, 2026 general election. She is the Republican nominee and the incumbent.
Who is her opponent?
Democrat Chance Marshall, a first-time candidate.
Did Ehardt face a primary opponent?
Yes. She defeated Connor Cook, an Idaho Falls firefighter, 2,449 votes to 2,298 (51.6% to 48.4%) in the May 19, 2026 Republican primary, a race the Secretary of State flagged as close.
How long has Ehardt served in the Idaho House?
She has represented District 33 Seat A since 2018 and is seeking a sixth term.
What committees does Ehardt serve on?
She chairs the House Local Government Committee and also sits on Education and Judiciary, Rules and Administration.
What is Ehardt's professional background?
She spent 15 years as an NCAA Division I women's basketball coach at UC Santa Barbara, Brigham Young University, Washington State University, and as head coach at Cal State Fullerton. She now manages Club Apple, an Idaho Falls athletic club, and owns Coach E's Camps and Clinics.
Has Ehardt reported her campaign finances?
Yes. Her 2026 Idaho Sunshine filing shows $54,322.60 in total contributions and $62,176.44 in expenditures, with an ending cash balance of $16,803.24 and $1,000.00 in outstanding debt.

Also on the ballot in District 33

Every candidate for the State Senate and both House seats in this district. See the full District 33 page.