Kody Daffer

Kody Daffer: Republican Challenger for Idaho House District 13B

Kody Daffer is a Republican candidate challenging incumbent Rep. Steve Tanner in the Republican primary for the Idaho House of Representatives in District 13B on May 19, 2026. Daffer lives in Nampa and is seeking his first elected office at the state level. District 13B covers part of Canyon County in the Nampa area. The Republican primary winner will face the general election on November 3, 2026. No Democratic candidate filed for the seat, according to Ballotpedia.

Background

Daffer is 36 years old and has lived in the Treasure Valley since 2018. He married his wife Kylie in 2021, and the couple purchased their first home and welcomed a son in Nampa. Daffer and his wife also co-own a flower shop, and he is a real estate developer, as reported by the Idaho Press. Daffer holds a master's degree in real estate development and works for a developer in the Nampa area, with a professional background he describes as giving him an understanding of how community growth affects infrastructure, housing costs, and city planning, as outlined on his campaign website. He served four years on the Nampa Planning and Zoning Commission, a nine-member advisory body appointed by the Nampa mayor and confirmed by City Council that makes recommendations on annexations, zoning changes, subdivisions, and comprehensive plan amendments, according to his campaign website and coverage in the Idaho Press.

Political Career

Daffer has not previously held elected office. In November 2025, he ran for the Nampa City Council District 1 seat in a nonpartisan municipal race, losing to Debbie Skaug 59% to 41%, as reported by the Idaho Press. Both candidates received endorsements from the Nampa Chamber of Commerce in that race. His 2026 candidacy for Idaho House District 13B represents his first bid for state legislative office. Incumbent Steve Tanner, who won the seat in 2024 by defeating then-incumbent Kenny Wroten in the Republican primary, is also running in the May 19, 2026 primary, per Ballotpedia. Daffer and Tanner appeared together at a Nampa Chamber of Commerce candidate forum on April 14, 2026.

Policy Positions

Daffer has outlined his priorities on his campaign issues page and through coverage of the 2025 Nampa City Council race. On housing and growth, Daffer draws on his Planning and Zoning experience to argue for responsible, planned growth that protects existing neighborhoods and farmland. During the 2025 city council race, he told the Idaho Press that Nampa should stop growing southward in order to preserve rural lands. His campaign issues page calls for investing in infrastructure so that roads, water systems, and public safety keep pace with development. On fiscal policy, his campaign website supports eliminating waste and inefficiency in state government, prioritizing spending on education, public safety, and infrastructure, and keeping taxes low. On public safety, he supports adequate funding and training for law enforcement and first responders and calls for cooperation between communities and law enforcement to build trust and accountability. On families, his issues page supports protecting parental rights and ensuring families guide their children's futures. On economic development, he calls for cutting regulations that slow growth and innovation, strengthening workforce training and career education, and promoting policies that support small businesses and rural economies.

Political Alignment

Daffer's platform and public positioning indicate a Traditional Conservative Republican alignment. His policy priorities emphasize guided growth, fiscal accountability, public safety, and parental rights, without documented ties to the IFF network or activist-wing organizations. He received endorsements from the Nampa Chamber of Commerce in the 2025 city council race and has framed his candidacy around practical governance and transparency rather than ideological positioning. His campaign against a first-term IFF PAC-backed incumbent suggests he is running from a more moderate position within the Republican field for this seat.

Campaign and Endorsements

Daffer's campaign treasurer is listed as Kody Daffer in records with the Idaho Secretary of State. The Idaho Dairy Industry PAC is listed as a top donor in campaign finance records. He was endorsed by the Nampa Chamber of Commerce in his 2025 city council race, as documented in the Nampa Chamber voter guide. No additional formal organizational endorsements for his 2026 legislative race have been publicly reported as of April 2026.