Ben G. Fuhriman

Ben Fuhriman is a Republican state representative from Shelley, currently serving his first term in the Idaho House of Representatives for District 30 Seat B. The district covers Shelley and portions of Bingham and Butte counties. Fuhriman was first elected in 2024 after defeating then-incumbent Julianne Young in the Republican primary by four votes following a recount in both counties, as reported by the Idaho Capital Sun. He faces Young again in the May 19, 2026 Republican primary.

Background

Fuhriman was born November 29, 1983, and raised in Ammon and Idaho Falls before settling in Shelley with his wife Holli and their four children, who attend the local public schools. He graduated valedictorian of Hillcrest High School, earned Eagle Scout, served a two-year mission in Brazil for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, completed a bachelor's degree at Brigham Young University-Idaho, and finished a master's in family financial planning at Montana State University in 2023, as documented on his campaign biography. He owns and operates an independent financial planning practice and holds the Certified Financial Planner, Accredited Financial Counselor, and Behavioral Financial Advisor designations. He has served as a Bingham County Republican precinct committeeman and on the Boy Scouts Grand Teton Council board.

Political Career

Fuhriman was sworn in for his first term in December 2024 and serves on the House Commerce and Human Resources Committee, the Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee, and the House Health and Welfare Committee, as listed on his Idaho Legislature member profile. His legislative work has centered on public-school finance and special education. He sponsored House Bill 291 in 2025 to create a $3 million high-needs special-education fund, which cleared the House narrowly and stalled in the Senate, and returned in 2026 with Senate Bill 1288, a $5 million version. He also floor-sponsored a memorial pressing Congress to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Fuhriman voted against House Bill 93, the 2025 parental-choice tax credit, telling the Idaho Capital Sun his district has no private schools and the public ones were already underfunded. On House Bill 745, the 2026 measure ending automatic union-dues deduction for teachers, he voted no, telling reporters: "I'm sick and tired of us treating our teachers like they're second-rate citizens," as reported by the Idaho Capital Sun.

Policy Positions

Fuhriman's stated priorities are fiscal responsibility, special-education funding, public-school support, law-enforcement funding, and constituent-driven problem solving. He describes his approach as practical rather than ideological, telling the Idaho Capital Sun: "I'm not here to make headlines, I'm not here to make waves. I'm not here to change the culture. That's not my goal. My goal is to solve real problems and help my district." On special-needs education he has said: "I don't want to go back to the '50s and '60s, where we take people who are different than us and we throw them in an institution and just forget about them." His campaign platform emphasizes economic growth, smaller and smarter budgets, support for police and first responders, and policies he frames as empowering citizens rather than controlling them, as outlined on his campaign site.

Political Alignment

Fuhriman presents as a pragmatic Republican focused on district-level problem solving. His 2026 endorsements include the Idaho Fraternal Order of Police, the Idaho Dairy Industry PAC, and the NRA Political Victory Fund. He has paired support for law-enforcement funding with a willingness to break from his caucus on parental-choice tax credits and union-dues legislation when he says those bills conflict with public-school funding or teacher respect.

Campaign and Endorsements

Fuhriman is running for re-election in the May 19, 2026 Republican primary against former Rep. Julianne Young in a rematch of the 2024 race he won by four votes after a recount in Bingham and Butte counties. Documented endorsements include the Idaho Fraternal Order of Police, the Idaho Dairy Industry PAC, and the NRA Political Victory Fund. The general election is November 3, 2026.