Josh Tanner

Josh Tanner: Idaho House District 14 Seat B incumbent and House co-chair of the budget committee

Josh Tanner, a Republican from Eagle, is the incumbent state representative for Idaho House District 14, Seat B, and is running for a third term on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot. He faces Democrat Valerie Ruxton. Tanner ran unopposed in the May 19, 2026 Republican primary and received 8,051 votes, or 100 percent of ballots cast, according to certified results from the Idaho Secretary of State. Ruxton also won her primary unopposed, taking 1,254 votes.

Tanner holds one of the most powerful positions in the Idaho Legislature. He is the House co-chair of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, the panel that writes budget bills for every state agency, and he chairs the House Appropriations Committee. He is a distinct legislator from Rep. Steve Tanner of District 13, Seat B.

Background

Tanner grew up in Idaho's Treasure Valley and lives in Eagle. According to his official legislative biography, he holds both a Bachelor of Science and an Executive MBA from Boise State University. He operates three Eagle-based businesses.

He is the elected Eagle Fire Commissioner and has chaired the Eagle Fire District since 2018. His campaign material describes him as an avid hunter. He and his wife, Dominique, have been married 15 years and have three children.

Legislative record

Tanner was appointed House co-chair of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee in January 2026, succeeding Rep. Wendy Horman, who left the Legislature for a role with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He gave up his post as House assistant majority leader to take the job, which he had held through 2025. Idaho Education News reported that House Speaker Mike Moyle had named Tanner his top pick for the position.

The assignment comes with fiscal stakes. The state faced a $40 million shortfall for the budget year ending June 30, and Idaho Education News reported a projected $555 million gap between agency requests and available revenue for 2026-27.

"Idaho families balance their budgets every day, and state government must do the same," Tanner said in a January 2026 news release. "When revenues fall short, lower-priority programs must be reduced and agencies held fully accountable."

In a statement to Boise State Public Radio, he added: "Every dollar appropriated represents money trusted to us by working Idahoans. That trust demands discipline, accountability, and a firm commitment to spend only what is necessary, and nothing more."

On legislation, Tanner co-sponsored House Bill 602 in 2026, which prohibits the use of foreign laws in Idaho courts. The bill passed the House 61-6-3 and the Senate 28-6-1, and was signed into law effective July 1, 2026. The official co-sponsors record lists Representative Tanner(14B), confirming the sponsorship belongs to the District 14 legislator.

In 2025, Tanner presented the Idaho Medical Freedom Act (S1210aa) to the House State Affairs Committee on April 4, 2025. The committee's minutes record that "Rep. Tanner (14) presented S 1210aa which relates to the Idaho Medical Freedom Act," noting the legislation renames and modifies the Coronavirus Stop Act. He was not a listed co-sponsor of the bill; a different member carried it on the floor. The measure passed the Senate 22-13-0 and the House 44-23-3, and took effect July 1, 2025.

Where he stands

His Idaho Republican Party candidate page lists his top three issues in his own words. First, he opposes what he calls federal government overreach into personal health matters, citing Covid-19 specifically. He writes that "there is no place for government involvement in the personal health matters of you, your family, or mine."

Second, he emphasizes government accountability and fiscal responsibility, drawing on his experience chairing the Eagle Fire District. He says he wants to bring accountability and transparency to state government while reducing spending. Third, he describes himself as "a proud gun owner" and an avid hunter who will defend Second Amendment rights, according to the Idaho Republican Party page.

Campaign finance

Idaho's Sunshine financial disclosure portal lists these 2026 cycle totals for Tanner's campaign:

• $33,720.99 in total contributions
• $29,968.33 in total expenditures
• $85,787.83 in ending cash balance
• $85,550.00 in outstanding debt

The portal shows most of his contributions came from in-state donors, with $31,660.99 from Idaho and $2,060.00 from out of state. Individual contributors gave $24,935.00, companies gave $7,000.00, and political committees gave $1,500.00, per the Sunshine portal.

2024 election

Tanner won his second term in the November 5, 2024 general election by a wide margin. He received 25,629 votes, or 77.5 percent, against Democrat Jo Daly's 7,431 votes, or 22.5 percent, according to certified results from the Idaho Secretary of State. Total votes cast in the contest came to 33,060 out of 35,286 ballots.

What's next

Tanner now faces Ruxton in the November 3, 2026 general election. Both candidates enter the race without a primary contest behind them. As JFAC co-chair, Tanner will also carry the budget panel's work into the 2027 session, where the projected gap between agency requests and revenue remains a central figure in state fiscal planning.

Sources

• Idaho State Legislature, official member page for Rep. Josh Tanner confirming district, seat, term, committees, and biography
• Idaho State Legislature, House Bill 602 legislative history and vote totals
• Idaho State Legislature, Senate Bill 1210 legislative history and vote totals
• Idaho Education News, January 5, 2026 report on Tanner's appointment as JFAC House co-chair
• Boise State Public Radio, January 5, 2026 coverage of the JFAC co-chair appointment and Tanner's statement
• Republican Party of Idaho, candidate page with Tanner's biography and stated top three issues
• Idaho Sunshine financial disclosure portal, 2026 campaign finance totals for Josh Logan Tanner
• Idaho Secretary of State, certified 2024 general election results for District 14, Seat B