Jennifer Marie Miles

Jennifer Miles: Idaho Republican Candidate for House District 29B

Jennifer Miles is a Republican candidate challenging incumbent Rep. Tanya Burgoyne in the May 19, 2026, Republican primary for Idaho House of Representatives District 29B, which covers portions of the Pocatello area in Bannock County. Miles lives in Pocatello and has not previously held elected office. The winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat Nate Roberts in the November general election.

Background

Miles was born and raised in Soda Springs in southeastern Idaho. She earned two Bachelor of Arts degrees from Idaho State University, in political science in 2005 and social work in 2010, and a Master of Social Work degree from Boise State University in 2012, according to the Idaho State Journal. She is a licensed clinical social worker and owns two small businesses in Pocatello. In announcing her candidacy, Miles said she started working at age 12 and that southeastern Idaho shaped who she is.

Political Career

Miles has not previously held elected office. Her 2026 House candidacy is her first run for public office. She is challenging first-term incumbent Tanya Burgoyne, who won the District 29B seat in 2024 by defeating then-incumbent Democrat Nate Roberts by a 5.2 percent margin, as reported by Idaho Education News.

Policy Positions

Miles’s documented positions draw from her campaign website and her candidate announcement in the Idaho State Journal.

On education, Miles states that public schools must remain a priority while also supporting parental choice. She explicitly names the Idaho Launch workforce grant program as a success that should be prioritized and protected, and calls for continued investment in universities and workforce training to keep young Idahoans employed in the state.

On healthcare, Miles calls for reasonable solutions to rising healthcare costs affecting families and vulnerable populations, and explicitly supports behavioral health services, crisis response teams, and home-based services as tools that help first responders keep communities safe and reduce crime. She also calls for policies supporting healthcare access for seniors as Idaho’s retirement population grows.

On fiscal policy, Miles supports zero-based regulatory approaches for businesses, fiscally responsible budgeting, and responsible tax policy that protects taxpayers while maintaining essential services. On agriculture and water, she states that protecting water resources and aquifers is critical to Idaho’s agricultural economy. On public lands, she calls for keeping public lands in public hands to preserve outdoor recreation and wildlife habitat for future generations. On infrastructure, she supports investment in roads, water systems, and essential networks to manage Idaho’s continued growth without burdening property taxpayers.

Political Alignment

Miles presents a Traditional Conservative Republican profile with notable emphasis on public services, behavioral health, and workforce investment that distinguishes her from the activist wing of the Idaho Republican Party. Her explicit support for public schools as a priority, her endorsement of the Idaho Launch program, her call for behavioral health infrastructure as a public safety tool, and her public lands position all reflect governing-oriented conservatism. Her professional background as a licensed clinical social worker and small business owner, rather than an agricultural or law enforcement background, is relatively unusual among Republican legislative candidates in southeastern Idaho. As a first-time candidate with no prior legislative record, this classification is based entirely on her self-described positions.

Campaign and Endorsements

Miles filed for the May 19, 2026, Republican primary for District 29B, per Ballotpedia. As of April 2026, no organizational endorsements have been publicly reported. Campaign finance records are available through the Idaho Secretary of State’s Sunshine database.

FAQ

Who is Jennifer Miles, Idaho? Jennifer Miles is a Republican candidate for Idaho House District 29B in Pocatello. A licensed clinical social worker and small business owner, she was born and raised in southeastern Idaho and is making her first run for elected office in 2026.

What district is Jennifer Miles running in? Miles is running in Idaho House District 29B, covering portions of the Pocatello area in Bannock County.

Is Jennifer Miles an incumbent or challenger? She is a challenger with no prior legislative experience, running against first-term incumbent Tanya Burgoyne in the May 19, 2026, Republican primary.

What are Jennifer Miles’s political positions? Her documented priorities include supporting public schools and the Idaho Launch program, protecting water resources and public lands, expanding behavioral health and public safety resources, fiscally responsible budgeting, and limiting regulatory burden on small businesses.

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