Chris Trakel: Republican Candidate for Idaho Senate District 11

Chris Trakel is a Republican candidate running for the Idaho State Senate in District 11, which covers most of the city of Caldwell in Canyon County. Trakel lives in Caldwell and is a challenger in the 2026 race, having previously served one term in the seat before losing the 2024 Republican primary to incumbent Camille Blaylock. He has declared candidacy for the November 3, 2026 general election.

Background

Chris Trakel was born in Boise, Idaho, and grew up in the Treasure Valley. He graduated from Meridian High School in 2000 and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in March 2001, serving as a rifleman. He was deployed to Iraq with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines and to Afghanistan with the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, retiring in 2016 at the rank of staff sergeant. After his military service, Trakel returned to Idaho, settling in Caldwell with his wife Nicole, whom he describes on his campaign website as his high school sweetheart. The couple has three children and co-owns Grim’s Wood Design, LLC, a small woodworking business. Trakel is a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the National Rifle Association, and has served on the Caldwell Veterans Memorial Hall Committee and the Concerned Citizens of Canyon County Committee.

Political Career

Trakel made his first bid for legislative office in the 2020 Republican primary for Senate District 10, where he lost to incumbent Jim Rice. In 2022, he ran for the open District 11 Senate seat, defeating then-state Rep. Greg Chaney in the primary and winning the general election against Democrat Toni Ferro. He assumed office on December 1, 2022, and served one term.

During his term, Trakel was assigned to the Local Government and Taxation and Transportation committees in the Idaho Senate. His legislative work included sponsoring HB 538, a bill that would prevent public employees, including teachers, from facing retribution for declining to use a student’s preferred pronouns if those pronouns conflict with the student’s biological sex. He also co-sponsored legislation with Rep. Judy Boyle described by Trakel as a national and state security measure, and publicly supported legislation allowing six-month supplies of prescription medications, citing his experience with the VA system as a veteran.

Trakel was defeated in the May 2024 Republican primary by Camille Blaylock, 1,746 votes to 1,617. He left office on December 1, 2024, and subsequently declared his candidacy to reclaim the seat in 2026.

Policy Positions

On fiscal matters, Trakel has consistently opposed new or increased taxes and has called for reductions in state spending. His campaign website states that he will not support raising or implementing new taxes, increasing spending, or regulations he views as restricting individual rights. During his 2022 campaign, he identified returning the homeowner’s exemption to 50% of the value of the home and land as a specific priority, along with protecting gun rights and employee medical rights.

On education, Trakel has expressed concern about school curricula and outside organizational influence over local schools. In a guest column for Idaho Education News, he wrote that school boards’ decisions should reflect community values and not be dictated by outside organizations. He has also raised concerns about the content of school library materials and what he described as issues with critical race theory in schools.

On gender identity policy, Trakel has taken consistently restrictive positions. He sponsored HB 538, framing it as a free speech protection for employees with religious objections to using preferred pronouns. He has stated his view that there are only two biological sexes and that allowing transgender students to use facilities corresponding to their gender identity creates legal liability for school districts.

Trakel’s campaign themes also include veterans’ retention in Idaho, stating on his website that he will work to bring forward legislation benefiting the state’s veterans.

Political Alignment

Trakel’s legislative record and public statements reflect a Conservative Activist orientation, though his relationship with the Idaho Freedom Foundation has been complicated. According to IFF scorecard data, his 2024 Freedom Index score was 77.1%, placing him in the upper tier of Republican senators but below the scores of the most aligned IFF-bloc legislators.

His voting pattern during his term placed him in proximity to IFF-aligned legislators on many votes. A 2024 account by Take Back Idaho noted that Trakel, along with Sens. Brian Lenney and Tammy Nichols, voted against state budget lines that funded veterans, prisons, and police, in accordance with the IFF’s Spending Index guidance. However, his relationship with the IFF network became strained when he departed from their preferred position on at least one vote, drawing organized opposition from an affiliated PAC that distributed door hangers falsely characterizing his record. Trakel subsequently aligned more closely with IFF positions and received support from that network in his re-election bid, which he nonetheless lost.

His bill sponsorships, including HB 538 and his school board policy positions, drew support from the Idaho Family Policy Center, an organization associated with the Idaho Christian nationalist activist network. These associations, combined with his IFF-proximate voting record, suggest an alignment closer to the conservative activist wing of the Idaho Republican Party than to the traditional conservative establishment.

Public Controversies

In January 2023, Trakel attended a Caldwell School District board meeting to speak against a proposed policy on gender identity and sexual orientation, identifying himself as attending in his official capacity as a state senator. During the meeting, he raised his voice at board members and demanded the board chair’s attention while she briefly turned to speak with a colleague. Board Chair Marisela Pesina moved to recess and then the board voted to adjourn early, after which the room, which included hundreds of attendees, erupted in protests. The incident received extensive regional and national media coverage. Board Vice Chair Travis Manning publicly attributed the chaos to Trakel, stating that Trakel did not believe school boards have the legal right to run their own meetings or set policy. The Caldwell School District issued a statement saying it welcomes feedback but not conduct that disrupts civil process. Trakel and his supporters characterized his behavior as appropriate official advocacy.

Campaign and Endorsements

As of April 2026, no endorsements for Trakel’s 2026 campaign have been publicly reported. His 2026 campaign website is trakelforidaho.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Chris Trakel? Chris Trakel is a Republican politician from Caldwell, Idaho, and a retired U.S. Marine staff sergeant. He served one term in the Idaho State Senate representing District 11 from December 2022 to December 2024.

What district is Chris Trakel running in? Trakel is running in Idaho Senate District 11, which covers most of the city of Caldwell in Canyon County.

Is Chris Trakel an incumbent? No. Trakel is a challenger. He lost the 2024 Republican primary to Camille Blaylock, who currently holds the seat. He is seeking to return to the Senate in the November 3, 2026 general election.

What are Chris Trakel’s political positions? Trakel has publicly stated opposition to tax increases and government spending growth. He has prioritized property tax relief, gun rights, parental rights in education, and restrictions on gender identity policies in public schools. He has also emphasized veterans’ issues as a legislative priority.

What happened at the Caldwell School Board meeting in 2023? In January 2023, Trakel attended a Caldwell School District board meeting in his official capacity as a state senator to oppose a proposed gender identity policy. The meeting was adjourned early following a heated exchange in which Trakel raised his voice at board members. The incident drew wide regional and national media coverage and divided opinion along partisan lines.

2024 Primary Election Results
Blaylock 1,746 votes / Trakel 1,617 votes

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