Ben G. Fuhriman

Ben Fuhriman: Idaho Republican Incumbent for House District 30B

Ben Fuhriman is a Republican member of the Idaho House of Representatives serving District 30B, which covers Butte and Bingham counties and the Fort Hall Reservation in eastern Idaho. Fuhriman lives in Shelley, was first elected in May 2024, and assumed office on December 1, 2024. He faces a Republican primary rematch against former incumbent Julianne Young in the May 19, 2026, primary, per the Idaho Capital Sun. The winner will face Democrat Breane Buckingham in the November 3, 2026, general election.

Background

Fuhriman was born in Idaho Falls and grew up in Ammon, as he described in his 2024 Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. He graduated as valedictorian from Hillcrest High School and served a religious mission in Brazil before earning a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University-Idaho and a graduate degree from Montana State University in 2023. He has been a business owner since 2008, holds a Certified Financial Planner designation, and operates an independent financial planning firm in Shelley.

Fuhriman is a Bingham County Republican Central Committee precinct committeeman, as reported by East Idaho News.

Political Career

Fuhriman had not previously held elected office before his 2024 primary victory. He narrowly defeated three-term incumbent Julianne Young by four votes after a recount in the 2024 Republican primary, according to LocalNews8 and Idaho Education News. He went on to defeat Democrat Breane Buckingham in the November 2024 general election. He has since been assigned to the Commerce and Human Resources, Environment/Energy/Technology, and Health and Welfare committees, per his Idaho Legislature member profile.

In the 2025 session, Fuhriman was the lead sponsor of House Bill 291, which would have created a $3 million fund for high-needs special education students. The bill narrowly passed the House 36-34 but failed in the Senate 17-18, per the Idaho Capital Sun. In the 2026 session, he co-sponsored a $5 million follow-up, Senate Bill 1288, and was the House floor sponsor of House Joint Memorial 11, urging Congress to fulfill the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act’s original 40 percent funding commitment. Federal support has fallen to roughly 12 percent of actual costs, he told colleagues during the debate.

In 2025, Fuhriman voted against House Bill 93, which created the $50 million Parental Choice Tax Credit, as reported by East Idaho News. In a guest column in the Idaho State Journal he wrote that the bill “looks like a way to transfer public dollars to private businesses under the banner of education reform.”

In the 2026 session, Fuhriman voted against House Bill 745, which would have prohibited school districts from using payroll systems to deduct teachers’ union dues. Reporting by the Idaho Education Association quoted him as saying he had “a fundamental problem” with the Legislature telling school employees what they could do with their paychecks, and he later told the Idaho Capital Sun that he considered the bill “deceitful” in how it targeted teachers.

Policy Positions

Fuhriman has publicly identified water rights as a top priority for his district, arguing that water management provisions need to be codified into Idaho law so courts have statutory guidance, as outlined in his 2024 East Idaho News Q&A. He has called the Snake Plain Aquifer dispute a matter requiring a negotiated resolution that protects agricultural users.

On taxes, his campaign website outlines support for reductions in property taxes, income taxes, and state fees. On economic concerns, Fuhriman has cited inflation and housing affordability as primary constituent issues and has expressed frustration that the Legislature has spent time on social and election-related controversies at the expense of economic priorities.

On education, Fuhriman has supported fully funding public schools before subsidizing private school tuition and has made special education funding one of his signature legislative priorities. On elections, he has said he opposes ranked choice voting but supports open primary elections, telling East Idaho News that voters should not be required to affiliate with a private political party to participate in a primary.

Fuhriman voted in support of several 2025 social-issue bills, including HB 41 banning certain flags in schools, HB 264 on bathroom usage in state facilities, and SB 1198 prohibiting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in higher education, per Idaho Capital Sun reporting. He told the Capital Sun he does not focus on social bills in office. He voted against House Joint Memorial 1, which called on the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse Obergefell v. Hodges, according to the memorial’s House floor roll-call record.

Political Alignment

Fuhriman is best classified as a Traditional Conservative Republican. His publicly stated motivation for running in 2024 was that incumbent Julianne Young had been pushing library restrictions that Fuhriman said went “a few steps too far,” including targeting the local librarian, who was his mother-in-law, according to the Idaho Capital Sun. His first-term record reflects conservative Republican governance with an emphasis on constituent services, water policy, and public education funding rather than culture-war legislation. His lead sponsorship of special education funding bills, his vote against the HB 93 private school tax credit, his vote against HB 745, and his vote against the Obergefell memorial all depart from the positions favored by the Idaho Freedom Caucus and the Idaho Freedom Foundation. Idaho Reports described Julianne Young, Fuhriman’s 2024 opponent, as having been supported by the House Freedom Caucus.

Campaign and Endorsements

No major endorsements for Fuhriman’s 2026 re-election campaign have been publicly reported as of April 2026. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for his 2024 race. He faces a primary rematch against Julianne Young, who, per Local News 8, has emphasized social and cultural legislation while Fuhriman has positioned his campaign around economic and constituent-service priorities.

FAQ

Who is Ben Fuhriman, Idaho? Ben Fuhriman is a Republican member of the Idaho House of Representatives from Shelley, Idaho. He was first elected in 2024, defeating three-term incumbent Julianne Young in a Republican primary by four votes, and currently serves District 30B.

What district does Ben Fuhriman represent? Fuhriman represents Idaho House District 30, Seat B. The district includes Blackfoot, Shelley, Arco, Aberdeen, and the Fort Hall Reservation in Bingham and Butte counties.

Is Ben Fuhriman an incumbent or challenger? Fuhriman is the incumbent, currently serving his first term. He is seeking re-election in the May 2026 Republican primary against former representative Julianne Young.

What committees does Ben Fuhriman serve on? Fuhriman serves on the Commerce and Human Resources, Environment/Energy/Technology, and Health and Welfare committees.

What has Ben Fuhriman sponsored in the Idaho Legislature? Fuhriman lead-sponsored House Bill 291 in 2025 and co-sponsored Senate Bill 1288 in 2026, both aimed at creating dedicated state funding for high-needs special education students. He was also the 2026 floor sponsor of House Joint Memorial 11, urging Congress to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

2024 Primary Election Results (House 30B) Fuhriman 3,129 / Young 3,125 (four-vote margin confirmed after recount)

2024 General Election Results (House 30B) Fuhriman defeated Democrat Breane Buckingham

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