Idaho General Election · November 3, 2026Find polling place
Republican

Desi Burbank

Desi Burbank

Idaho Senate, District 15

Facebook:Campaign Facebook Page
Campaign finance:Campaign Finance
City:Boise

Desi Burbank: Republican nominee for Idaho Senate District 15

Desi Burbank is the Republican nominee for the open Idaho Senate District 15 seat on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot. Her opponent is Democrat Nancy Gregory, a 24-year member of the Boise School District Board of Trustees. The seat opened when incumbent Sen. Codi Galloway withdrew her re-election filing in March 2026, writing in an email to Idaho Education News: "After six years of being involved in both the House and Senate, I've done some good and am ready to pass the baton on to the next public servant."

Burbank is a first-time candidate for office in Idaho. She won the May 19, 2026 Republican primary unopposed, receiving 3,015 votes, or 100 percent of ballots cast, according to the Idaho Secretary of State's certified results. No contested primary was held for the Senate seat after Galloway's withdrawal and a second Republican challenger, Gary Alfred Butts, also pulled out of the race within days of filing.

Background

Burbank's hometown is Sugar City, in eastern Idaho. She holds a B.S. in economics from Utah State University. She reports living in Idaho for 26 years total, counting time away for college and her husband's military service. She has been back in the state for eight years, living in west Boise.

Her husband served nine years in the Army. "My nine years as an Army wife shaped the way I see the world and strengthened my appreciation for service, sacrifice, and duty," she writes on her campaign site. She is the mother of six children.

Her public service record is in school volunteering and parent organizations. She has served as PTA president and secretary in two different states and three different schools, and she served as a school board member at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, during the family's posting there. She has also served on the Idaho PTA Board. On her campaign site she describes herself as "a community leader passionate about strengthening families and public education."

Her grandfather was Keith Nyborg, a former U.S. Ambassador to Finland. She writes that she discovered his service in her fourth-grade Idaho history textbook and that it "left a lasting impression" on her.

Where she stands

Burbank describes three top priorities for the district in her own words, submitted to the Idaho News 2 / FOX9 2026 general election survey: "Affordability, schools, and quality of life in our west Boise neighborhoods. Families in District 15 are getting squeezed, property taxes, housing costs, groceries, insurance, and too many young families and seniors feel like they're being priced out of the neighborhoods they love."

  • Affordability: she cites property taxes, housing costs, groceries, and insurance, and calls childcare costs and starter-home prices the "biggest issue not currently being addressed by the legislature."
  • Schools: she says she wants "every child in this district, whether in public school, charter, or another option, to get an excellent education," which she frames as supporting teachers, funding what works, and keeping parents at the table.
  • Growth: she says her stretch of west Boise, "from Maple Grove to Eagle Road," is feeling the strain of the Treasure Valley's growth in traffic, crowded classrooms, and strained infrastructure, and that "growth should improve our quality of life, not erode it."

On state spending, she lays out a household-budget approach: "Every family in District 15 knows how to balance a budget: you prioritize needs over wants, you don't spend money you don't have, and you save for a rainy day. The state should do the same." She says core obligations like public schools, public safety, roads, and water should be cut last when money is tight, and that the state should review spending line by line and preserve rainy-day funds. She also argues against promising tax cuts in election years that force cuts to schools afterward.

On constituent access, she frames the seat around the district's political mix. "District 15 is a genuinely purple district, which means my job is to represent everyone, Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike," she writes in the survey. She says she would hold regular town halls and listening sessions, keep her phone and inbox open to constituents of any party, and explain every vote she takes.

Burbank did not respond to the Idaho Capital Sun's 2026 general election voter guide questionnaire for this race.

Campaign finance

According to the Idaho Secretary of State's Sunshine campaign finance portal, Burbank's campaign reported $35,968.25 in total contributions, $12,050.75 in expenditures, $28,386.75 in ending cash balance, and $4,469.25 in outstanding debt for the 2026 cycle.

Sources

Profile published by IdahoVoters.com. Last updated September 26, 2026. This profile will be updated as additional information becomes available.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Desi Burbank?
She is the Republican nominee for Idaho Senate District 15 in the November 3, 2026 general election, a first-time candidate from west Boise with a background in economics, Army-family life, and PTA leadership.
Why is the District 15 Senate seat open?
Incumbent Sen. Codi Galloway, a Republican, withdrew her 2026 re-election filing in March 2026, saying she was ready to pass the baton on to the next public servant.
Who is Burbank running against?
Democrat Nancy Gregory, a trustee who has served 24 years on the Boise School District Board of Trustees.
Did Burbank face a primary?
Yes, but not a contested one. She ran unopposed in the May 19, 2026 Republican primary and received 3,015 votes, or 100 percent of ballots cast, according to certified Idaho Secretary of State results.
What are Burbank's top priorities?
In her own survey answers, she names affordability, schools, and quality of life in west Boise. She cites property taxes, housing costs, groceries, and insurance as pressures on families, and she calls the affordability crisis facing young families the biggest issue the legislature is not addressing.
What is her fiscal approach?
She compares state budgeting to a household budget, writing that families prioritize needs over wants and save for a rainy day, and the state should do the same. She says schools, public safety, roads, and water should be cut last when money is tight.
How has she described constituent access?
She calls District 15 a genuinely purple district and says she would represent Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike, holding regular town halls and explaining every vote she takes.
How much has her campaign raised?
Idaho Secretary of State campaign finance filings show $35,968.25 in total contributions, $12,050.75 in expenditures, $28,386.75 in ending cash balance, and $4,469.25 in outstanding debt for the 2026 cycle.

Also on the ballot in District 15

Every candidate for the State Senate and both House seats in this district. See the full District 15 page.

More on the November 3 ballot