Christa Hazel

Christa Hazel is a Republican attorney, former Coeur d'Alene School Board trustee, and first-time legislative candidate from Coeur d'Alene running for Idaho House District 4 Seat B. The district covers Coeur d'Alene and portions of Kootenai County. She faces incumbent Rep. Elaine Price in the May 19, 2026 Republican primary.

Background

Hazel, 52, has lived in North Idaho for 42 years after moving from Alabama at age 10. She is the daughter of former FBI agent Wayne Manis, who investigated the Aryan Nations in North Idaho. She is an alumna of North Idaho College, where she served as Associated Students of NIC president in 1993–1994, and earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Idaho College of Law. She operates a political consulting business and previously worked with the family firm Manis Investigations. She is married to Joel Hazel; their daughter Emma is a current NIC student studying surgical technology and their son Cooper is also at home.

Political Career

Hazel was elected to the Coeur d'Alene School Board in 2013 and served one term as trustee, supporting the formation of Kootenai Technical Education Campus, charter and virtual learning options, and the Idaho Digital Learning Alliance. She later served as a Republican precinct committeeman. Beginning in 2021, she helped found the nonprofit Save NIC during the North Idaho College accreditation crisis; the college's accreditation was later restored. She is a founding member of North Idaho Republicans, a local Republican organization. She has published guest columns for Idaho Education News and the Coeur d'Alene Press on trustee election timing and North Idaho civic issues.

Policy Positions

Hazel's campaign platform emphasizes "Faith. Family. Freedom." and local control: "Idaho works best when decisions stay close to the people." In a May 2026 Idaho Capital Sun profile, she said she would champion legislation allowing school districts to run supplemental levies for four years instead of two to give schools and taxpayers predictability. On the 2025 private-school tax credit she said: "I support school choice, but what I understand is most parents choose public school, and they deserve a voice that's not being represented in Boise. There has to be accountability across the board." She has voiced concern about state budget cuts to higher education, special education, and children's mental health, telling the Capital Sun: "For a few years now, they've been trimming into bone, and now we're talking about amputating significant things from Idaho." She has also said she wants to focus on Idaho-specific issues like rapid growth, affordability, and trust in government rather than national culture-war legislation.

Political Alignment

Hazel describes herself as a lifelong North Idaho Republican and a founding member of North Idaho Republicans. She is endorsed by the North Idaho Republicans organization. In Spokesman-Review coverage of the District 4 race, education funding has been described as the central issue. She has emphasized practical governance, public-education investment, and listening to families: "Families are busy. They're trying to make ends meet, and they really want to trust that their government's doing the right thing."

Campaign and Endorsements

Hazel is challenging Rep. Elaine Price in the May 19, 2026 Republican primary. She is endorsed by North Idaho Republicans. Per Idaho Sunshine, her campaign had raised approximately $26,848 plus a $20,175 personal loan as of late April 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026.