Jae Etchart

Jae Etchart: Idaho Democratic Candidate for House District 15B

Jae Etchart is a Democrat from Boise running for the Idaho House of Representatives District 15B in 2026. She is a challenger seeking to unseat Republican incumbent Dori Healey. Etchart is unopposed in the May 19, 2026 Democratic primary and is set to face Healey in the November 3 general election, according to Ballotpedia.

Background

Etchart has lived in Boise for 46 years, as stated on her campaign website. Her professional background spans accounting, housing administration, and small business ownership. She worked at Boise City/Ada County Housing Authority for 15 years, where she worked with immigrants, elderly residents, veterans, people with disabilities, and low-income families. She also worked at Micron Technology. She currently owns a small business, though its nature has not been specified in publicly available sources.

Within the Idaho Democratic Party, Etchart serves as Vice Chair of the Ada County Democratic Central Committee and as Precinct 1502 Captain for District 15, according to the Ada County Democrats leadership page. She is also described as a member of the care team at her church and as an active community volunteer.

Political Career

Etchart has not previously held elected office. Her 2026 campaign for District 15B is her first bid for the legislature. The Idaho Secretary of State’s elections database shows she won her uncontested Democratic primary, as reflected in the state candidate database.

Policy Positions

Etchart has outlined her priorities on her campaign website. On healthcare, she supports affordable healthcare access for all Idahoans. On reproductive rights, she supports what she describes as adequate reproductive rights for Idaho women. On housing, she calls for affordable housing solutions. On public education, she supports increased school infrastructure funding and teacher pay raises, framing the latter as a teacher retention measure. On fiscal policy, she states support for a balanced budget that does not involve cuts to essential public programs. On public lands, she opposes privatization of Idaho’s parks, open spaces, and national forests, stating that all Idahoans should have access to those lands. On civil liberties, her campaign website states that all Idahoans deserve to live without fear and describes this as a foundational principle of her candidacy.

As of April 2026, Etchart has not given documented press interviews or published detailed policy statements beyond her campaign website.

Political Alignment

Etchart is classified as a Liberal Democrat. Her stated priorities, including reproductive rights access, opposition to cuts to public programs, public land protection, affordable housing, and full public school funding, are consistent with the liberal wing of the Idaho Democratic Party. Her role as Vice Chair of the Ada County Democratic Central Committee reflects active involvement in Democratic Party organizing. No endorsements from progressive activist organizations were identified during research.

Campaign and Endorsements

Etchart’s campaign operates under the name “Jae4Idaho” and maintains a website at jae4idaho.com. Her campaign treasurer is Dennis Wolf, who also serves as treasurer of the Ada County Democratic Central Committee. Campaign finance records through December 31, 2025 showed total contributions of $6,640 and expenditures of $642, according to Transparency USA. No organizational endorsements were identified as of April 2026.

FAQ

Who is Jae Etchart? Jae Etchart is a Boise Democrat and longtime housing authority professional running for Idaho House of Representatives District 15B in 2026. She serves as Vice Chair of the Ada County Democratic Central Committee.

What district is Jae Etchart running in? Etchart is running in Idaho House District 15B, covering West Boise and East Meridian in Ada County.

Is Jae Etchart an incumbent or challenger? She is a challenger with no prior elected office. Etchart will face Republican incumbent Dori Healey in the November 3, 2026 general election.

What are Jae Etchart’s political positions? Etchart supports affordable healthcare, reproductive rights, affordable housing, full public school funding with teacher pay increases, a balanced state budget that protects public programs, and keeping Idaho’s public lands in public ownership.