Lori Den Hartog

Lori Den Hartog: Idaho Senate District 22

Lori Den Hartog is the Republican incumbent for Idaho Senate District 22, which covers Meridian, Kuna, and Southwest Boise. She is serving her sixth term and holds the chamber's top leadership post, Senate Majority Leader. In the May 19, 2026 Republican primary, she won a contested race with 3,625 votes (61.37 percent) against Josh Haver, who took 2,282 votes (38.63 percent). In the November 3, 2026 general election she faces Democratic nominee Karlie Easley, who won her own primary unopposed with 1,612 votes.

Background

Per her official legislative biography, Den Hartog graduated from Nampa Christian High School and earned a B.A. in business administration with a public administration focus from Dordt University. Her professional background is in land use and transportation planning and grant administration. She is married to Scott, and they have three children. Her campaign site says she has represented the people of Meridian, Kuna, and Southwest Boise since 2015, and describes her as "a wife, mother, and dedicated conservative leader who values faith, family, and freedom."

She does not chair a committee; her assignments are Local Government and Taxation and State Affairs.

The Parental Choice Tax Credit

Den Hartog's signature legislative work was House Bill 93 in the 2025 session, which created the Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit. The program is funded at $50 million and provides a $5,000 tax credit per student, rising to $7,500 for a student with a disability. Den Hartog was the bill's Senate floor sponsor; Rep. Horman carried it in the House.

The bill passed the House 42-28 on February 7, 2025, and the Senate 20-15 on February 19, drawing opposition from every Senate Democrat and nine Republicans, according to the official bill record. Gov. Brad Little signed it on February 27, and it took effect retroactive to January 1, 2025.

Her own words on the Idaho GOP candidate page list education as her top issue, citing "parental involvement, local control, school choice and an allocation of resources."

The transportation budget fight

Den Hartog's most visible moment as Majority Leader came in a fight over Senate Bill 1205, a 2025 bill that would have added $236 million to the Idaho Transportation Department's fiscal year 2026 budget, covering deferred maintenance, new equipment, and $9.6 million to restore the agency's flood-damaged former Boise headquarters. Den Hartog objected to budget-intent language in sections nine and 10, which directed at least $8 million toward a specific road widening and bridge reconstruction project. In her view, that directive ran into Article III, Section 19 of the Idaho Constitution, which bars the Legislature from directing work on roads or public grounds not owned by the state.

"Page four of the bill, section nine and 10, are the specific areas where I think we have some concerns and potentially are in violation of Article Three, Section 19 of our Constitution," she said on the floor, according to the Idaho Capital Sun. She added, "There is only one highway district and one road in one county that is being directed to spend a certain amount of money in this budget, and for that reason, I cannot support this." The Senate killed the bill 3-31, one of the most lopsided votes of the session.

Her most consequential 2026 vote came on Senate Bill 1331, a budget-rescission bill cutting $192.7 million overall, including $131.3 million from the general fund. The Senate passed it 18-17 on March 2, 2026. Den Hartog voted yes; Senate President Pro Tem Kelly Anthon and Assistant Majority Leader Mark Harris, both members of her own leadership team, voted no.

Idaho Freedom Index

The Idaho Freedom Foundation, a conservative advocacy group that scores legislators on its own policy preferences, gives Den Hartog a 2026 Freedom Index of 54.6 percent (grade F) and a Spending Index of 10.6 percent (grade F). These scores measure how often a legislator votes the way the foundation prefers, so they reflect the group's own methodology rather than an official or neutral evaluation of her record.

Campaign finance

Idaho Secretary of State filings for the 2026 cycle show $71,350 in total contributions, $43,465.87 in expenditures, and an ending cash balance of $62,491.44, with no loans or debt. The largest contributor category is companies at $45,100, followed by political committees at $20,450, individuals at $3,450, and the candidate herself at $2,350. Her top donors at $1,000 to $2,000 each include the Senate Republican PAC of Idaho, Altria Client Services, Syringa Networks, Micron Technology, Google, Airbnb, the Idaho Association of General Contractors PAC, the Idaho Credit Union Legislative Action Committee, Republic Services, and Intermountain Gas.

Stated positions

Den Hartog did not respond to the 2026 CBS2/FOX9 survey of District 22 candidates. Her stated positions come from her campaign materials and the Idaho GOP candidate page, where she lists her top three issues as education, transportation funding, and constitutional rights, which she describes as covering pro-life protections, religious freedom, free speech, and the Second Amendment. Her campaign site frames her as a lifelong Republican advocating for conservative values that support families, businesses, and what it calls Idaho's way of life.

Sources

• Lori Den Hartog, official biography, Idaho Legislature
• Den Hartog for Idaho, campaign website
• 2026 general election survey: State Senate District 22, CBS2/FOX9
• House Bill 93, official bill record, Idaho Legislature
• Senate kills transportation budget after majority leader says it could violate Idaho Constitution, Idaho Capital Sun
• Lawmaker Leaderboard, Idaho Freedom Index
• Lori Den Hartog candidate profile, Idaho Sunshine portal