Dale Hawkins

Rep. Dale Hawkins is the two-term Republican incumbent for Idaho House District 2 Seat B, covering all of Clearwater, Benewah, and Shoshone counties plus parts of Kootenai and Bonner counties in North Idaho. He is seeking a third term in the May 19, 2026 Republican primary against challenger Todd Perry; the general election is November 3, 2026, with Democrat Sabine Krier on the ballot.

Background

Hawkins is a small-business owner with a background in mining, logging, construction, and a former landscaping and irrigation business. He is associated with HFP Construction, is an NRA-certified firearms instructor, and served seven years as a reserve deputy with the Benewah County Sheriff's Office. He and his wife Debra have been married more than 38 years and have six children, as described on his campaign biography. He has been a resident of Fernwood since April 1998 (more than 27 years) and identifies as a conservative Christian with more than 35 years of church leadership involvement, including as a drug and alcohol abuse counselor.

Political Career

Hawkins was first elected to the Idaho House in November 2022 with 78.5 percent of the general vote, defeating Democratic candidate Tom Stroschein and Libertarian Jennifer Luoma, and was re-elected in 2024 with approximately 76.5 percent, as documented by Ballotpedia. In January 2026 he was appointed chair of the House Education Committee, per Idaho EdNews. He also serves on Judiciary, Rules & Administration, Local Government, and Ethics committees. Prior local public service includes four years on the Fernwood water and sewer board (elected 2008), Benewah County precinct committeeman from 2014, and vice chair and chair of the Benewah County Republican Party.

Policy Positions

Hawkins has repeatedly sponsored a constitutional amendment to remove the legislature's authority to require school attendance for children ages 6-18 and replace it with parental-rights language: "The right of the people to educate their children without government regulation outside of the public schools of the state shall not be infringed." HJR 1 (2025) and HJR 9 (2026) both passed the House by simple majority but failed the two-thirds supermajority required to amend the Idaho constitution, as reported by the Idaho Statesman and Idaho EdNews. Hawkins testified, "When I first read this years ago, I thought, 'Well, that's really archaic and really kind of scary that a state could come and compel a parent, you will teach your children here.'" He sponsored HB 516 (2026), which removed the "age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate" qualifier from the prohibition on classroom instruction regarding sexual orientation or gender identity in K-12 public schools; the bill passed the House 59-10. He voted yes on HB 521 (2024), which directed sales-tax revenue to school facilities, cut individual and corporate income taxes, and funded property-tax relief. He sponsored a January 2026 bill requiring police to record immigration status and nationality of every person arrested, which advanced in committee but drew criticism for lacking law-enforcement input.

Political Alignment

Hawkins identifies as a "proud member of the Idaho Freedom Caucus." The Idaho Freedom Foundation Freedom Index has scored him among the highest in the House in recent cycles, in the 92.8 to 93.9 percent range on Freedom (A or A-) and as high as 100 percent on Spending. The Idaho Family Policy Center testified in favor of his 2026 compulsory-education amendment.

Campaign and Endorsements

Hawkins's 2026 campaign is supported by approximately $2,330 in independent expenditures from the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee and Bonner County Republican Central Committee, per the Idaho Sunshine portal. Idaho EdNews reports KCRCC filed approximately $6,000 in total 2026 independent expenditures supporting a slate of conservative candidates including Hawkins, Rep. Heather Scott, Rep. Vito Barbieri, and Rep. Jordan Redman. Bonner County GOP has endorsed him, citing his approximately 93.4 percent Freedom Index score, his yes vote on a $253 million income tax cut, his no votes on tax and fee increases, and his gun-rights legislation.