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

Jeff Cornilles

Incumbent
Jeff Cornilles

Idaho House of Representatives, District 12 Seat A

Campaign website:Campaign Website
Phone:(208) 332-1033
Email:JCornilles@house.idaho.gov
Facebook:Campaign Facebook Page
Campaign finance:Campaign Finance
City:Nampa

Jeff Cornilles: Republican incumbent for Idaho House District 12, Seat A

Jeff Cornilles is the Republican incumbent state representative for Idaho House District 12, Seat A, covering part of Nampa. He is on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot seeking a third term. He won the May 19, 2026 Republican primary unopposed with 3,123 votes. His general election opponent is Democrat Sterling Barnett, who won his own primary unopposed with 811 votes.

Background

Cornilles is a fourth-generation Nampa resident. On his Idaho Republican Party candidate page, he describes his family as "hard working railroaders and farmers who cleared land in south Nampa in the early 1900's." He attended Nampa public schools and the University of Idaho.

He is a self-employed life and health insurance producer who has owned and managed Cornilles Financial Services for 25 years, with offices in Nampa and Meridian. He and his wife, Keriann, have five children.

On his party page, he writes that he served on the board of the first charter school in Idaho and was a founder and president of the Pix Theater foundation, which bought and preserved the downtown Nampa theater. He has been a Nampa Chamber of Commerce member for over 25 years, belongs to the Nampa Rotary Club, and serves as vice president of his homeowners association board. He is also a commissioner on the Nampa Development Corporation, the city's urban renewal agency, and a member of the city's Impact Fee Advisory Committee. Both city positions are volunteer.

He first won the seat in 2022. In a three-way May primary that year, he took 35.2 percent to Machele Hamilton's 33.9 percent and Sebastian Griffin's 30.8 percent, then ran unopposed in the general election. In 2024 he won his primary over Jarome Bell, 59.5 percent to 40.5 percent, and ran unopposed in the November general, receiving 17,085 votes.

Legislative record

Cornilles' most prominent bill is House Bill 270, introduced in the 2025 session. The bill revised provisions of Idaho's indecent exposure law. He requested the bill and served as its House floor sponsor. The House passed it 59-8-3 on February 28, 2025, and the Senate passed it 28-6-1 on March 24. Governor Brad Little signed it on March 26, 2025, and it took effect that day as Session Law Chapter 173. Idaho Capital Sun reported that Cornilles said the bill was prompted by complaints about a June 2024 Pride event in Nampa.

In 2023 he sponsored a law requiring Idaho public schools to display donated "In God We Trust" posters that meet specific statutory criteria. In an August 2024 East Idaho News report on the posters, he said, "It's part of the founding fabric of our nation."

Where he stands

He is vice chair of the House Local Government Committee and serves on the Business and Revenue & Taxation committees, per his Legislature bio.

His Idaho Republican Party page lists his top three issues as managed growth, including impact fees, farmland preservation, and infill development; property tax relief through the homeowner's exemption; and agricultural water access.

In a 2026 candidate survey from Idaho News, he named growth and housing costs along with the tax burden as the top concerns he hears from constituents, and he identified the loss of Idaho farmland to development as the biggest issue he believes has gone unaddressed.

Campaign finance

Per Idaho's Sunshine campaign finance portal, his 2026 committee reported $12,016.30 in total contributions and $14,205.70 in expenditures. The committee ended the period with $10,191.81 in cash on hand and no outstanding debt.

Sources

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

Frequently asked questions

What office is Jeff Cornilles running for in 2026?
He is the Republican incumbent seeking a third term as state representative for Idaho House District 12, Seat A, which covers part of Nampa. He is on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot against Democrat Sterling Barnett.
Who is Jeff Cornilles' opponent?
Sterling Barnett is the Democratic nominee for the seat. Barnett won his own May 2026 primary unopposed with 811 votes, while Cornilles won his primary unopposed with 3,123 votes, according to Idaho Secretary of State results.
What does Jeff Cornilles do for a living?
He is a self-employed life and health insurance producer. He has owned and managed Cornilles Financial Services for 25 years, with offices in Nampa and Meridian.
What did House Bill 270 do?
The 2025 bill, which Cornilles requested and floor-sponsored, revised provisions of Idaho's indecent exposure law. It passed the House 59-8-3 and the Senate 28-6-1, and Governor Brad Little signed it on March 26, 2025.
What is Cornilles' record on the "In God We Trust" posters?
He sponsored the 2023 law requiring Idaho public schools to display donated "In God We Trust" posters that meet specific statutory criteria. He told East Idaho News the posters are "part of the founding fabric of our nation."
What committees does Jeff Cornilles serve on?
He is vice chair of the House Local Government Committee and a member of the House Business and Revenue & Taxation committees, according to his official Idaho Legislature biography.
What are his top issues?
His Idaho Republican Party page lists managed growth, property tax relief through the homeowner's exemption, and agricultural water access. In a 2026 Idaho News candidate survey, he named growth and housing costs and the tax burden as the top concerns he hears from constituents.
How did Cornilles first win the seat?
He won a three-way Republican primary in May 2022 with 35.2 percent of the vote, ahead of Machele Hamilton at 33.9 percent and Sebastian Griffin at 30.8 percent, then ran unopposed in the general election.

Also on the ballot in District 12

Every candidate for the State Senate and both House seats in this district. See the full District 12 page.

More on the November 3 ballot