Kevin Cook

Kevin J. Cook: Republican Incumbent for Idaho Senate District 32

Kevin J. Cook, the Republican incumbent state senator for Idaho Senate District 32, is seeking a fourth term in the November 3, 2026 general election. He faces Democrat Konnor Whitfield — the first contested general election of Cook's Senate career. Cook won the May 19, 2026 Republican primary unopposed with 4,317 votes, according to certified Idaho Secretary of State results.

Electoral History

Cook first won office in 2020 in Senate District 30, taking the Republican primary with 69.0 percent of the vote over Adam J. Frugoli, then winning the general election unopposed with 19,188 votes. Redistricting moved him into District 32 ahead of the 2022 cycle. He won that year's primary with 74.8 percent over Keith Newberry and the general election unopposed with 10,736 votes. In 2024 he defeated Newberry again in the primary, 69.1 percent, and again ran unopposed in the general, receiving 16,750 votes.

Background

Cook was born in Spanish Fork, Utah, and graduated from Weber State University with a degree in computer science, according to his official legislative biography. He works as a software engineer for the Idaho National Laboratory and owned and operated a software consulting business for 12 years. He has lived in Bonneville County for 24 years on a small farm. His legislative biography lists his spouse as Cheri, married 32 years, with four children and four grandchildren, and states he is a member of the National Rifle Association and the Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce.

Legislative Role

Cook is in his third Senate term. His current committee assignments are Education, where he serves as vice chair; Finance, which includes the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee that writes the state budget; and Resources and Environment. He also serves as Senate co-chair of the Economic Outlook and Revenue Assessment Committee, the joint panel that produces the revenue estimates lawmakers use when writing the budget.

Stated Positions

Cook's campaign website lists education, agriculture, and limited government among his top issues. On education: "I want to give Idaho students greater educational opportunities. My dream is to fill every Idaho job with Idaho students." On agriculture: "Agriculture is a major contributor to the economics of Idaho. I want to further international exposure for Idaho's farm products. The proper management of our surface water and aquifer is crucial." On government growth: "I believe in limiting the growth of government... I believe the free market thrives when governments reduce regulations."

On his campaign site's about page, he wrote: "I decided to run for office because of my love for Idaho and the Constitution. I want to give Idaho businesses and families the power to stand up for what is right without fear of consequences."

Legislative Record

Education policy has been a focus of Cook's recent session work. In a December 2025 interview with East Idaho News about a proposal on artificial intelligence in school standards, he said: "You can't do nuclear and compete in the world if you don't have AI, and you can't do AI without power and energy, so you need the nuclear to feed it." On the pace of change in the field, he said: "We have no clue what AI is going to look like one year from now... We need to have a framework ... to know what to teach our kids so that they're prepared for the future." He added, "AI is not going to take over the world. It's here to enhance the human experience."

His 2025 session votes on school funding went in different directions. Cook voted no on House Bill 93, the parental-choice tax credit, which the Senate passed 20-15-0 on February 19, 2025. He then voted yes on Senate Bill 1025, the Education Choice and Competition Act, which would have expanded the Empowering Parents private-school tuition-grant program by adding $20 million toward a $50 million total budget. SB 1025 failed on the Senate floor, 6-28-1, and did not become law.

Water Policy

Water storage has been a recurring theme of Cook's work. In a September 2025 interview on the Political Potatoes podcast, he said he grew up on a farm in Spanish Fork, Utah, where water scarcity shaped his views, and argued that Idaho has a storage shortage rather than a water shortage. His proposals include raising Jackson Lake by a foot, which he estimates would add 35,000 acre-feet of storage; holding American Falls Reservoir three feet higher for another 28,000 acre-feet; and revisiting Henry's Fork reservoir sites and the Teton Dam site. He launched a petition at KeepIdahoWater.com to build public support for the effort. In the same interview, he said he defends the Idaho Launch workforce-training program in his role as Senate Education vice chair.

Campaign Finance

Cook's 2026 campaign filings with the Idaho Secretary of State's Sunshine portal show a beginning cash balance of $15,815.77, total contributions of $22,109.41, and total expenditures of $26,906.76, leaving an ending cash balance of $19,171.72 and no debt. His largest contributions include $2,000 from the Bonneville County Republican Central Committee, and $1,000 each from the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation PAC, the Idaho Hospital Association PAC, the Senate Republican PAC of Idaho, United Heritage UHFG Insurance PAC, the Idaho Dairy Industry PAC, Tueller Counseling Services Inc., and Richard and Peggy Larsen. Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane also contributed $750.

Sources

• Idaho Secretary of State, certified results for the May 19, 2026 primary election
• Idaho Secretary of State, election canvass database
• Idaho State Legislature, official member page for Sen. Kevin Cook
• Kevin Cook for Idaho Senate, campaign website
• East Idaho News, "Local legislator proposing bill that creates framework for education about future of AI," December 2025
• Political Potatoes, "How Idaho Can Store Its Water and Secure Its Future," September 2025
• Idaho Secretary of State Sunshine portal, 2026 campaign finance filings for Kevin Cook