Carissa Brewer

Carissa Brewer: Idaho Democratic Candidate for Senate District 4

Carissa Brewer is a Democratic candidate for the Idaho State Senate District 4 seat representing Coeur d’Alene. She is challenging incumbent Republican Ben Toews in the 2026 election cycle. Brewer has no prior record of elected office. She ran for this same seat in 2024 under her previous name, Carissa Hober, losing to Toews in the general election.

Background

Carissa Brewer was raised in Southern California and spent summers in Montana, according to her 2024 candidate profile on IdahoVoters.com. She holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and worked as an ambulatory care pharmacist in Coeur d’Alene, practicing at 700 W. Ironwood Drive. Her National Provider Identifier record lists her Idaho pharmacy license number as P6743. She later shifted her focus to raising her four children and coaching youth sports. She has lived in the Coeur d’Alene area for at least twelve years, as she noted in a 2024 candidate forum hosted by the Coeur d’Alene Press and the regional chambers of commerce.

Political Career

Carissa Brewer has not held elected office. She ran for Idaho State Senate District 4 in 2024 under her previous name, Carissa Hober, winning the uncontested Democratic primary with 1,037 votes before losing the general election to incumbent Ben Toews, according to official Kootenai County results. Toews received 15,844 votes to her 8,049. Her 2026 filing marks her second consecutive run for the seat. Ballotpedia did not identify any endorsements for her 2024 campaign.

Policy Positions

Brewer has identified education, housing affordability, and women’s rights as her top legislative priorities. In her 2024 forum appearance with the Coeur d’Alene Press, she said education is her top issue, stating that she believes state-level action is needed rather than leaving education funding decisions solely to local communities. On housing, she pointed to cost increases in the Coeur d’Alene area over the past decade as a concern requiring legislative attention. She also cited women’s rights as a key priority, in a 2024 forum recorded by the Coeur d’Alene Press.

Her 2024 campaign messaging also addressed healthcare costs and care for elderly residents. In a 2024 opinion piece in the Coeur d’Alene Press, she was quoted stating: “If we want to improve and preserve the things we care deeply about — education, the environment, healthcare, and more — it’s crucial that we don’t settle into just shades of blue or red.” Her campaign framing emphasized cross-partisan cooperation over partisan alignment. As of April 2026, Brewer has not published a detailed 2026 policy platform beyond general campaign themes carried over from her 2024 run. This section will be updated as additional information becomes available.

Political Alignment

Brewer’s stated priorities — expanding access to women’s healthcare, increased state education funding, and housing affordability — are consistent with a Moderate Democrat classification. Her campaign messaging has placed particular emphasis on bipartisan outreach and cross-aisle cooperation, distinguishing her approach from more ideologically driven Democratic candidates. No documented affiliations with progressive activist organizations were identified. Her positions and public statements are consistent with the Moderate Democrat label.

Campaign and Endorsements

Brewer is running her 2026 campaign under the name Carissa Brewer, reflecting a name change since her 2024 race. Her ActBlue fundraising page lists carissaforidaho.com as her campaign website, though that site was not accessible as of April 2026. Her campaign Facebook page, created during her 2024 run, remains active. No formal endorsements for the 2026 cycle have been publicly reported as of April 2026.

Who is Carissa Brewer? Carissa Brewer is a Democratic candidate for Idaho State Senate District 4, representing Coeur d’Alene. She is a pharmacist by training who ran for the same seat in 2024 under her previous name, Carissa Hober.

What district is Carissa Brewer running in? Brewer is running in Idaho State Senate District 4, which covers Coeur d’Alene and Fernan Lake Village in Kootenai County.

Is Carissa Brewer an incumbent or challenger? She is a challenger. She has never held elected office, though she ran for this same seat in 2024.

What are Carissa Brewer’s political positions? Brewer’s documented priorities include public education funding, housing affordability, women’s healthcare rights, and care for elderly residents. She has emphasized bipartisan cooperation as a campaign theme.

2024 Primary Election Results Hober 1,037 / Unopposed

2024 General Election Results Hober 8,049 / Toews 15,844