Bella Schiffler

Bella Schiffler: Independent Candidate for Idaho House District 26A

Bella Schiffler, also known as Isabella Grace Schiffler, is an independent candidate running for the Idaho House of Representatives in House District 26A, which covers Blaine, Lincoln, and Jerome counties. She is based in Jerome and will appear as an independent in the November 3, 2026 general election, challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Pohanka. Schiffler has not previously held elected office.

Background

Schiffler has worked as an intern in the Idaho State Legislature for approximately four years, according to the Idaho Mountain Express. In 2024, she was elected as a Jerome County Republican precinct committee person, as reported by Idaho Education News. She is a member of the Schiffler family in Jerome County, which has been active in District 26 politics. Her mother, Kally Schiffler, ran for the same House seat in the 2024 Republican primary, losing to Mike Pohanka by a margin of approximately 58 to 42 percent, as reported by the Idaho Mountain Express. Idaho Education News has reported that Kala Tate, who ran as an independent Senate candidate in District 26 in 2024, is a family member who serves as Schiffler’s 2026 campaign treasurer.

Schiffler runs a Substack newsletter she describes as focused on “God & Government.” She has appeared at Idaho Legislature committee hearings as a public witness on at least two occasions. In February 2023, she testified before the House State Affairs Committee in favor of protecting the Electoral College against the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, stating that the decentralized structure was an intentional choice of the founders and that it was citizens’ “duty to keep our republic form of government,” as reported by the Idaho Capital Sun. In March 2023, she testified before a Senate committee against the Idaho Launch workforce development program, stating that “the government should not be able to take taxpayer money and allocate it to the desired education and pay students to go into the desired educational field that they deem valuable,” and urged lawmakers to vote against the bill to prevent Idaho from “becoming more like China,” according to KMVT.

Political Career

Schiffler has not previously held elected office. Her Jerome County Republican precinct committee role, elected in 2024, was a party organizational position. Her 2026 independent candidacy for House District 26A represents her first run for a legislative seat.

Policy Positions

Schiffler’s documented public statements reflect conservative positions on government size, education, and election law. In her Substack writing, she has stated that the government has too much power and “we need to take it back.” She wrote that children are being taught “wokism” in schools and that the government is “beyond corrupt,” as quoted by Idaho Education News in February 2026. Her testimony against the Idaho Launch program in 2023 reflected opposition to state-directed workforce spending, and she characterized the program as moving Idaho toward a China-style government-directed economy. Her Substack also contains posts opposing the open primary ballot initiative, which she has characterized as a system designed “to turn Idaho from red to blue.” Her Electoral College testimony placed her in opposition to the National Popular Vote Compact on constitutional and partisan grounds.

Political Alignment

Schiffler is running as an independent but her documented record reflects conservative positions. Idaho Education News described her as one of two “independent conservative Christian candidates” making moves in District 26 in early 2026. Her Substack is explicitly framed around Christian faith and government, and her public statements reflect religious motivation alongside political conservatism. Her opposition to the open primary initiative, her anti-government spending testimony, and her social commentary on schools indicate alignment with the activist conservative wing of Idaho Republican politics. She named Kala Tate, the 2024 independent Senate candidate who publicly stated her goal was to draw votes away from a Republican candidate in order to elect a Democrat, as her campaign treasurer, per Idaho Education News. The available evidence supports a Christian Nationalist Activist classification. Her Substack is explicitly framed around Christian identity in governance, and Idaho Education News described her and her affiliated candidate as “independent conservative Christian candidates” whose political activity flows from religious faith and conservative frameworks. Her family’s political network in District 26 has operated consistently from this ideological orientation across multiple cycles.

Campaign and Endorsements

Schiffler named Kala Tate as her campaign treasurer in January 2026, according to Idaho Education News. Kala Tate is the same family member who ran as an independent Senate candidate in District 26 in 2024 and publicly stated she ran in order to siphon votes from the Republican candidate. No additional organizational endorsements for Schiffler’s 2026 House campaign have been publicly reported as of April 2026. She is bypassing the Republican primary and running directly in the November 3 general election as an independent against Pohanka and the Democratic primary winner.

FAQ

Who is Bella Schiffler? Bella Schiffler, also known as Isabella Grace Schiffler, is an independent candidate for the Idaho House of Representatives in District 26A. She is based in Jerome and has worked as a legislative intern for approximately four years and serves as a Jerome County Republican precinct committee person.

What district is Bella Schiffler running in? Schiffler is running in Idaho House District 26A, which covers Blaine, Lincoln, and Jerome counties in south-central and central Idaho.

Is Bella Schiffler an incumbent or challenger? Schiffler is a challenger. She has not previously held elected office.

What are Bella Schiffler’s political positions? Schiffler has publicly expressed support for limited government, opposition to state-directed education spending, defense of the Electoral College, and opposition to Idaho’s open primary initiative. Her public writings frame her political activity through Christian faith and conservative principles.

What party is Bella Schiffler? Schiffler is running as an independent. She was previously elected as a Jerome County Republican precinct committee person in 2024.

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