Josh Callen

Josh Callen: Idaho Republican Candidate for House District 25A

Josh Callen is a Republican candidate running for the Idaho House of Representatives in District 25A. Callen lives in Twin Falls and is seeking election in the May 19, 2026 primary. He has not previously held elected office and is one of four Republicans competing for the seat in the Twin Falls County district.

Background

Josh Callen is a fourth-generation Idahoan who grew up on a farm in Southern Idaho, according to his Idaho Republican Party candidate profile. He holds a dual bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance from Boise State University. After graduating, Callen worked as a cost accountant at Chobani in the Magic Valley before transitioning into agricultural market research. He is currently the owner and Market Research Analyst of The Hoyt Report, a Twin Falls-based business that provides hay market analysis and supply and demand data to clients including hay growers, dairy operators, and agricultural associations. Callen and his wife Lauren have four children and reside in Twin Falls.

Political Career

Josh Callen has not previously held elected office. He filed for the District 25A seat in the 2026 primary cycle after Republican Lance Clow resigned and the governor’s appointee, Rep. Don Hall, did not file to run for election. As reported by the Idaho Capital Sun, Callen is running in the Republican primary alongside Andrew Messer, Zaine Newberry, and Grayson Stone, with the primary scheduled for May 19, 2026.

Policy Positions

Callen has outlined his priorities on his campaign website and his Idaho Republican Party candidate profile.

On affordability and taxes, Callen supports legislation to hold public utility prices steady, maintaining Idaho’s current low state tax levels, lowering barriers to entrepreneurship, and reforming liability laws to reduce insurance costs. He has described inflation as “taxation without legislation.”

On energy and infrastructure, Callen opposes what he characterizes as green energy mandates and DEI programs at public utilities, arguing these drive up power rates. He supports requiring data centers to pay for their own infrastructure upgrades rather than passing costs to residential ratepayers, and has called for promoting nuclear power in Eastern Idaho to meet future energy needs. He also supports expanded water storage as a priority for the Magic Valley’s agricultural future.

On education, Callen’s platform calls for increasing teacher pay, modernizing school facilities and technology, expanding pre-K programs to all eligible families, and creating college affordability programs including debt relief initiatives. He has also stated his intention to reduce teachers’ union influence and update curriculum standards to emphasize practical and vocational skills.

On agriculture, Callen supports removing regulatory red tape affecting farmers, partnering with irrigation districts on water storage projects, reforming agricultural liability laws, and supporting trade missions to develop new markets for Idaho farm products.

On family policy, Callen has called for reforming divorce laws to encourage families to stay together and changing custody law to make equal 50/50 splits the default presumption. He frames the family as the foundational unit of civil society.

On public safety, Callen supports legislation facilitating cooperation between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities to remove what he describes as illegal aliens and cartel drug traffickers. He also supports accelerating enforcement of capital punishment for serious crimes.

On small business, Callen supports reducing bureaucratic barriers, maintaining Idaho’s low-tax reputation, and decreasing the state’s financial dependency on federal funding.

Political Alignment

Callen appears aligned with the Conservative Activist wing of the Idaho Republican Party. His campaign messaging consistently criticizes DEI programs, green energy initiatives, teachers’ union influence, and federal dependency from a rightward position. On his Idaho Republican Party candidate profile, he has signed the IDGOP Integrity in Affiliation pledge accepting the Idaho Republican Party Platform as the standard by which his performance should be evaluated. His education platform, which includes expanded pre-K, increased teacher pay, and college debt relief, reflects some positions less typical of the hardline activist right.

Campaign and Endorsements

Callen’s campaign themes center on energy affordability, education reform, agricultural support, family policy, public safety, and reducing government red tape for small businesses. No endorsements have been publicly reported as of March 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Josh Callen, Idaho? Josh Callen is a Republican candidate for the Idaho House of Representatives in District 25A, covering the Twin Falls area. He is a fourth-generation Idahoan and the owner of The Hoyt Report, an agricultural market research business based in Twin Falls.

What district is Josh Callen running in? Callen is running in Idaho House District 25A, located in Twin Falls County.

Is Josh Callen an incumbent or challenger? Josh Callen is a challenger with no prior elected office.

What are Josh Callen’s political positions? Callen’s stated priorities include holding utility rates steady, opposing DEI and green energy mandates, increasing teacher pay, expanding vocational education, reforming custody law to default to equal parenting time, supporting agricultural water storage, facilitating local law enforcement cooperation with ICE, and maintaining Idaho’s low-tax environment.

Who else is running in the Idaho House District 25A primary? The Republican primary for District 25A on May 19, 2026 includes Josh Callen, Andrew Messer, Zaine Newberry, and Grayson Stone.

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