Curtis James

Curtis James: Democratic Challenger for Idaho House District 12, Seat B

Curtis James is the Democratic nominee for Idaho House District 12, Seat B, on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot. He won the May 19, 2026 primary unopposed with 806 votes, a 100 percent result certified by the Idaho Secretary of State. His general election opponent is Republican incumbent Jaron Crane, the House Majority Caucus Chair, who won his own primary unopposed with 3,145 votes.

Background

Idaho Sunshine campaign finance filings list his full name as Curtis Johannes James. A search of the Idaho Secretary of State's canvass database under that name shows no prior Idaho candidacy for any office. This is his first run.

James has lived in Idaho for over 20 years, away only for his first three years of college in Olathe, Kansas, according to his candidate survey response. He describes himself as a "4th generation Idahoan" on his campaign website. He is a graduate of Columbia High School in Nampa and is finishing a bachelor's degree in Religious Studies through Louisiana State University of Alexandria's online program. He works at Dutch Bros in Nampa. His campaign site states: "I am not in this race to run against a name; I am running to ensure the people of District 12 have a representative who truly understands their lives."

Where he stands

In his candidate survey from Idaho News 6 (CBS2), James listed three top priorities. The first is investing in services for transition-age youth with disabilities, including early interventions, independent-living programs, and fully funded public libraries. The second is a state matching-fund model that would provide up to a one-third match for local infrastructure investments, an example he gives being Valley Regional Transit bus service. He describes his district as covering western Nampa and southeastern Caldwell.

His third priority is budgeting: locking in the state budget on day one of the legislative session to stabilize funding for Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) and Family Personal Care Services (FPCS), programs that support seniors and disabled Idahoans living at home. He also proposed an "Idaho Responsible Ownership & Public Safety Act" in the survey, an incentive-based firearms framework built on child-proof storage standards, local school board authority over safety measures, and voluntary training tiers.

In his Nampa Chamber of Commerce questionnaire, James named a different set of three priorities: funding for career and technical education, reducing regulation on small businesses, and an "infrastructure-first" approach to growth. He cited 2026's House Bill 883 and House Bill 389 by name as his stated reasons for those positions.

Campaign finance

James's campaign is running on small numbers, according to Idaho's Sunshine campaign finance database. His 2026 filings show $953.82 in total contributions, $260.00 in loans, and $957.05 in expenditures. His ending cash balance was $256.77, with $260.02 in outstanding debt.

Sources

• Idaho Secretary of State, certified primary results for House District 12, Seat B, showing James's unopposed 806-vote total and Crane's unopposed 3,145-vote total
• Curtis James for Idaho (curtisporlagente.com), his campaign biography, including his residence, education, job, and quote about not running against a name
• Idaho News 6 (CBS2), 2026 general election candidate survey with James's stated priorities and firearms proposal
• Nampa Chamber of Commerce, 2026 candidate questionnaire with his business-focused priorities and his citations of House Bill 883 and House Bill 389
• Idaho Secretary of State, Sunshine campaign finance database, showing his 2026 filings and full name on file