Doug Ricks

Douglas Ricks: Idaho Republican Incumbent for Senate District 34

Douglas Ricks is a Republican incumbent running for re-election to the Idaho State Senate in District 34, which covers Madison County in eastern Idaho. Ricks lives in Rexburg and is seeking a fourth consecutive term in the May 19, 2026 Republican primary. He has represented the district in the Senate since December 2020 and served one prior term in the Idaho House of Representatives beginning in 2018.

Background

Douglas Ricks was born and raised in Madison County and is a fifth-generation Rexburg resident, according to his official Idaho Legislature member page. He grew up on a potato farm and attended Madison High School. Ricks earned an associate degree in general agriculture and farm crop management from Ricks College and a Bachelor of Arts from Brigham Young University-Idaho.

After completing a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Australia, Ricks returned to Rexburg. At age 25, he opened the first PC computer store in the city, as he describes on his campaign website. He operated that business for approximately 13 years before selling it in 2000. He then joined BYU-Idaho, where he worked for more than two decades in information technology and disability services, providing assistive technology support for students with visual, auditory, and learning disabilities. He retired from BYU-Idaho and currently works as a real estate investor.

Ricks served as chairman of the Madison County Republican Party and currently holds the position of Idaho GOP Region 7 Chairman, as he reported in a Post Register candidate survey. His wife is Melissa Ricks. They have five children and four grandchildren.

Political Career

Douglas Ricks first ran for the Idaho House of Representatives in 2016, losing the District 34A Republican primary to incumbent Ronald Nate. He ran again in 2018, defeated Nate in that primary, and won the general election. After one House term, Ricks ran for the open Senate seat in 2020 following the retirement of Senate Pro Tempore Brent Hill. He defeated Jacob Householder in the Republican primary and ran uncontested in the general election, as documented on his Ballotpedia profile. He won re-election in 2022 and again in November 2024.

Ricks currently chairs the Local Government and Taxation Committee and also serves on the Judiciary and Rules Committee, per his Idaho Legislature member page. He has previously served on the Commerce and Human Resources Committee and as vice chairman of the Idaho Broadband Advisory Board.

Among his most notable recent legislative work, Ricks served as the Senate sponsor of House Bill 521, a 2024 school facilities funding measure. He described its impact in an October 2024 East Idaho News candidate questionnaire, noting that Madison School District received $23 million and Sugar-Salem District received $7.3 million under the bill. He characterized the legislation as simultaneously increasing education infrastructure funding and reducing property taxes through bond and levy offsets. Earlier in his Senate tenure, Ricks sponsored dyslexia screening legislation for early grades, drawing on his professional experience supporting students with learning disabilities at BYU-Idaho.

Policy Positions

Ricks has addressed several policy areas through candidate questionnaires, his campaign website, and public legislative statements. On taxes, he has consistently supported income tax reductions and property tax relief. In the 2022 Post Register legislative recap, he expressed frustration that the legislature did not use a budget surplus to repeal the grocery tax, which he described as a missed opportunity for meaningful relief for Idaho families.

On education, Ricks has focused on school facilities funding, early literacy, and broadband expansion in underserved areas of eastern Idaho. He has not publicly supported school voucher or education savings account proposals. His record reflects a preference for directing state resources to public school infrastructure rather than redirecting dollars to private alternatives.

In his Post Register candidate survey, Ricks stated that he does not cast votes based on scores or indexes from outside organizations. He wrote that he makes votes “based on your needs, not someone in Boise.” He also cited property tax increases driven by population growth as among the most pressing issues facing Madison County.

Ricks holds an A rating and endorsement from the National Rifle Association, as listed on his campaign website.

Political Alignment

Douglas Ricks appears aligned with the Traditional Conservative Republican classification. His legislative priorities — property tax relief, public school facilities investment, and rural broadband access — are consistent with the record-based conservatism of senators who work within the Senate’s Republican leadership structure rather than against it. His IFF Freedom Index score of 75 percent, as reported by external commentary in the Idaho State Journal, places him in a range associated with senators who pass routine Republican legislation without consistent alignment with the Freedom Caucus bloc. No documented membership in or endorsement by the Idaho Freedom Foundation, Idaho Freedom Caucus, or Citizens Alliance of Idaho has been identified. No affiliation with the Idaho Gang of Eight or figures associated with the Christian nationalist wing of the Idaho Republican Party has been found.

Campaign and Endorsements

In his 2020 Senate campaign, Ricks received endorsements from retiring Senate Pro Tempore Brent Hill, Congressman Mike Simpson, and the National Rifle Association, as documented on his campaign website. The Post Register editorial board endorsed his 2020 Senate candidacy. Ballotpedia reports that no endorsements were identified for his 2022 or 2024 campaigns. No endorsements for his 2026 re-election campaign have been publicly reported as of April 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Douglas Ricks in Idaho? Douglas Ricks is a Republican Idaho State Senator representing District 34 in Madison County. He has served in the Senate since December 2020 and previously served one term in the Idaho House of Representatives from 2018 to 2020.

What district does Doug Ricks represent? Ricks represents Idaho Senate District 34, centered on Rexburg and Madison County in eastern Idaho.

Is Doug Ricks an incumbent in 2026? Yes. Ricks is an incumbent running for re-election in the May 19, 2026 Republican primary for his fourth consecutive term in the district.

What committees does Doug Ricks serve on? Ricks chairs the Local Government and Taxation Committee and also serves on the Judiciary and Rules Committee in the Idaho Senate.

What legislation has Doug Ricks sponsored? Ricks served as the Senate sponsor of House Bill 521, a 2024 school facilities funding law. He also sponsored earlier legislation on dyslexia screening in K-12 schools and has worked on property tax disclosure and rural broadband policy.

2024 Primary Election Results Ricks 3,587 votes / Unopposed

2024 General Election Results Ricks 14,618 votes / Craner 2,375 votes

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