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

Jared Dawson

Jared Dawson

Idaho House of Representatives, District 8 Seat B

Email:jaredforidaho@outlook.com
City:Boise

Jared Dawson: Democratic nominee for Idaho House District 8, Seat B

Jared Dawson is the Democratic nominee for Idaho House District 8, Seat B, on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot. He faces Republican Brian Beckley, who defeated incumbent Rep. Faye Thompson in the May 2026 primary, 4,741 votes (59.13 percent) to 3,277 votes (40.87 percent). Dawson won his own May 19, 2026 Democratic primary unopposed with 1,034 votes, a certified result.

Background

Dawson was born and raised in Kellogg, Idaho, and is a lifelong Idaho resident apart from two years spent in graduate school in Pullman, Washington, according to his response to an idahonews.com 2026 candidate survey. He has lived outside Idaho City, in Boise County, since 2015. He is married with three young children.

Party role and 2024 race

Dawson became chairman of the Boise County Democratic Party by mid-2023, according to the Spokesman-Review, which at the time reported he planned to challenge then-House Majority Leader Megan Blanksma. Blanksma lost her own 2024 primary to Faye Thompson, and Thompson became Dawson's actual general-election opponent that November. Thompson won that race with 16,546 votes (67.9 percent) to Dawson's 6,702 votes (27.5 percent), with Constitution Party candidate Tony Ullrich taking 1,111 votes (4.6 percent), according to the Idaho Secretary of State's certified canvass.

District 8

House District 8 is geographically the largest legislative district in Idaho, stretching from Mountain Home to Boise County, up through McCall, and over to Challis, according to Idaho News 6. It is also one of the state's most rural districts.

Where he stands

In his response to idahonews.com's 2026 general election candidate survey, Dawson named healthcare access and affordability, keeping public lands from being sold off, education, and personal freedoms and liberties as the issues that come up most often when he talks with District 8 residents.

Asked about the biggest issue the legislature isn't addressing, Dawson pointed to affordability, citing the legislature's 2022 move to a flat 5.3 percent income tax rate (replacing a range that had run from 1.6 to 7.4 percent in 2017), as well as two housing-related laws: House Bill 545, which he said barred cities from instituting rent control, and House Bill 583, which he said barred cities from restricting short-term rentals. He said reforming how the state's Payment in Lieu of Taxes program treats rural counties like those in District 8 could also help offset property tax pressure.

On the state's recent budget shortfall, Dawson said he sees it "as a revenue problem" rather than a spending problem, and pointed to raising revenue from corporations and reducing corporate tax breaks as alternatives to raising taxes on most Idahoans.

Leaving the Republican Party

Dawson ran for the same seat in 2024, framing his switch from independent voter to Democratic candidate in an interview that year with Idaho News 6: "The Republican Party that my parents grew up voting for has drifted a lot further to the right. So with that in mind, I decided to stop being an independent, I reached out to the Democratic Party, got involved and now I'm running for office."

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 Jared Dawson running against in 2026?
He faces Republican Brian Beckley, who defeated incumbent Rep. Faye Thompson in the May 2026 Republican primary, 4,741 votes to 3,277 votes, meaning Dawson's 2026 opponent is different from the one he ran against in 2024.
Did Dawson face a primary challenge in 2026?
No. He won the May 19, 2026 Democratic primary unopposed with 1,034 votes, and that result has been certified by the Idaho Secretary of State.
Has Dawson run for this seat before?
Yes. He ran for the same seat in 2024 and lost the general election to Republican Faye Thompson, 16,546 votes to 6,702 votes, with Constitution Party candidate Tony Ullrich taking 1,111 votes.
Where is Dawson from and where does he live now?
He was born and raised in Kellogg, Idaho, and has lived outside Idaho City, in Boise County, since 2015. He is married with three young children.
What role does Dawson hold in the Idaho Democratic Party?
He became chairman of the Boise County Democratic Party by mid-2023, according to the Spokesman-Review.
What geographic area does House District 8 cover?
It is the largest legislative district in Idaho by geography, running from Mountain Home to Boise County, up to McCall, and over to Challis, and it is considered one of the state's most rural districts.
What does Dawson say his top priorities are for 2026?
In his idahonews.com survey response, he named healthcare access and affordability, protecting public lands from being sold off, education, and personal freedoms and liberties as the issues he hears about most from District 8 residents.
Why did Dawson switch from independent to Democrat?
He said in a 2024 interview that the Republican Party had moved further right than the party his parents supported, prompting him to leave independent status and get involved with Idaho Democrats before running for office.

Also on the ballot in District 8

Every candidate for the State Senate and both House seats in this district. See the full District 8 page.