Kelly Walton

Kelly Walton: Idaho Republican Candidate for House District 22A

Kelly Walton is a Republican candidate running for the Idaho House of Representatives in District 22A, which covers parts of Ada County including Meridian and Kuna. Walton lives in Kuna and is seeking election in the May 19, 2026 Republican primary. He has never previously held elected office. The seat became open after eight-term incumbent John Vander Woude announced he would not seek re-election. Walton faces fellow Republican Greg Ferch in the primary. The winner will face Democrat Loren Petty in the November 3, 2026 general election.

Background

Walton attended Multnomah University, according to his professional profile. He began his business career in 1990 as owner of a regional general contracting firm, which he operated until 2005 overseeing construction projects across the Intermountain West for federal, state, and local clients. He earned his Idaho real estate license in 2006 and subsequently founded Walton Realty Group. Starting in 2008, Walton served as Executive Director of ACT for America, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy organization founded by Brigitte Gabriel. He currently serves on the board of Idaho Energy, LLC, a company focused on advanced nuclear energy development, and on the board of Idaho Chooses Life, Idaho's primary anti-abortion lobbying organization. He also lists membership in the Idaho Majority Club, as stated on his campaign website.

Political Career

Kelly Walton has not previously held elected office. This is his first campaign for public office.

Policy Positions

Walton's campaign issues page outlines several priorities. On taxes and spending, he supports reducing property taxes, particularly for seniors, and reducing what he describes as wasteful state spending. On energy, he supports development of small modular nuclear reactors and opposes foreign ownership of Idaho land, energy infrastructure, and agricultural resources. On abortion, Walton supports a full prohibition on abortion and cites his board role at Idaho Chooses Life as evidence of that commitment. On education, he supports expanded parental rights and opposes policies he characterizes as "woke" or "radical" in Idaho schools and government. On growth and housing, he emphasizes what he calls "guided growth" and housing affordability, drawing on his background in construction and real estate. On national security, Walton's campaign frames threats from foreign governments as a primary concern for Idaho policy, connecting that theme to land ownership restrictions and energy grid protection.

Political Alignment

Kelly Walton is a Conservative Activist. The classification is grounded primarily in his service as Executive Director of ACT for America, which his campaign website presents as a core credential. ACT for America has been described in mainstream press coverage as one of the country's largest organized advocacy groups built around opposition to Islam, with a New York Times profile describing founder Brigitte Gabriel as presenting "a portrait of Islam so thoroughly bent on destruction and domination that it is unrecognizable to those who study or practice the religion." ACT for America has told reporters it has "always welcomed and included members of all faiths" and rejects characterizations of the group as anti-Muslim. His board membership at Idaho Chooses Life and his Idaho Majority Club affiliation reflect mainstream Idaho conservative engagement. His prominent foregrounding of the ACT for America role as a political credential is what places him outside the Traditional Conservative Republican range.

Campaign and Endorsements

As of April 2026, no major organizational endorsements for Kelly Walton have been publicly reported. During the candidate filing period, Walton raised $9,260 compared to $14,887 for primary rival Greg Ferch, according to Idaho Education News. His campaign website uses the tagline "Faith. Family. Freedom. Idaho First."