Cornel Rasor
District 1 House B
2024 Primary - won
2024 General Election - won
Cornel Rasor: Idaho Republican Incumbent for House District 1B
Cornel Rasor is a Far-Right Activist Republican incumbent seeking re-election to Idaho House District 1B in Bonner County. Appointed by Governor Brad Little on September 30, 2024, he joined the Idaho Freedom Caucus within weeks of his appointment. He faces challenger Chuck Lowman, a veteran and public school substitute teacher who came within two points of defeating his predecessor in 2024.
IFF Freedom Index: 91.8 — A Minus
The Idaho Freedom Foundation scores Rasor 91.8% on its Freedom Index, placing him among the most ideologically aligned members of the Idaho House. He supported HB 93, the $50 million Parental Choice Tax Credit redirecting public school funding to private tuition, in his first legislative session.
Background
Rasor studied at North Idaho College and University of Idaho. He has owned the Army Surplus store in Sandpoint since 1981. He served as Bonner County Republican Central Committee chair from 2008 to 2012, as a Bonner County Commissioner for four years, and has been an elected precinct committeeman since 1996.
Campaign Finance
The Citizens Alliance of Idaho PAC backs Rasor. That PAC’s funding traces 99.8% to out-of-state sources: $1.29 million from POM of Pennsylvania LLC (associated with Pace-O-Matic, Inc.) routed through a Virginia super PAC.
FAQ
Who is Cornel Rasor? Cornel Rasor is a Far-Right Activist Republican incumbent representing Idaho House District 1B, appointed September 2024. The IFF scores him 91.8%. He joined the Idaho Freedom Caucus immediately and receives Citizens Alliance of Idaho PAC support funded 99.8% out-of-state.
Profile published by IdahoVoters.com. Last updated April 2026.
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News Stories
Cornel Rasor, former Bonner County commissioner and business owner, is running for seat 1B. He criticized Idaho government spending. He said he’ll call back voters, as he did as commissioner.
McShane works in tandem with far-right groups and individuals that benefit from having friendly officials in positions of influence. The collective “money, consultants, PACs and messaging work like a machine to ensure a tiny group gets unqualified candidates elected who will remain loyal and vote for the self-serving interests of the collective group’s demands.”
According to the Secretary of State’s website, eleven candidates have used McShane’s services to the tune of more than $300,000 through March of this year. They include Scott Herndon and Cornel Rasor in District 1, Carl Bjerke in District 5, Christy Zito in District 8, Brandon Shippy and Jacyn Gallagher in District 9, Chris Trakel and Lucas Caylor in District 11, Jaron Crane in District 12, Barbara Ehardt in District 33 and Brett Skidmore in District 35. Past McShane customers include Branden Durst, David Reilly and Wendy Horman.
In 2008, Cornel was elected by his neighbors to the Bonner County Board of Commissioners, where he served as chairman of the board. While there he successfully defended Bonner County from an attempt by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to close off nearly 400K acres of public lands.
As commissioner, he established the first-of-its-kind county advisory board called the “Property Rights Council,” which focused on reviewing government activities to determine whether they may have caused adverse impacts to private property rights. Unlike many governmental advisory boards, it sought private solutions instead of automatically proposing expanded government.
In the race for the Idaho House 1B seat, Republicans Chuck Lowman and Cornel Rasor both seeking the party's nod for the seat while Bob Vickaryous and Kathryn Larson are facing off on the Democratic ticket.
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