Idaho General Election · November 3, 2026Find polling place
Democrat

Margo Saunders

Idaho Senate, District 27

City:Rupert

Margo Saunders: Retired Physician and Democratic Nominee for Idaho Senate District 27

Margo Saunders, a retired physician from Minidoka County, is the Democratic nominee for Idaho Senate District 27. She faces Republican incumbent Kelly Anthon, the Senate President Pro Tempore, in the general election on November 3, 2026. Neither candidate faced a primary contest, so both advanced directly to the November ballot.

Anthon holds one of the most powerful positions in the Idaho Statehouse. The President Pro Tempore leads the Senate chamber and is second in the line of succession to the governor. Saunders has never held elected office, so the race pairs a legislative leader against a first-time candidate with a long career in a different field.

Medical career in Mini-Cassia

Saunders spent 27 years practicing internal medicine in Minidoka and Cassia counties, according to a feature profile in the Idaho Senior Independent published around her medical retirement. The profile describes her treating patients at Minidoka Memorial Hospital in Rupert, a critical access hospital, and at the adjacent Minidoka Medical Plaza. She also saw patients in local nursing homes and made house calls.

She graduated from the University of Washington School of Medicine in 1990. The profile notes she served as chief of medicine at Minidoka Memorial Hospital, a role that put her in charge of the medical staff at a hospital serving a largely rural corner of southern Idaho.

The Idaho Senior Independent profile quotes her describing those house calls in concrete terms. "No matter where I drive around here, I go past former patients' homes where I've made house calls," Saunders said.

Why she stayed rural

The same profile quotes Saunders explaining her choice to practice in a small community rather than a larger city. "I wanted to live in a rural area. I like a slower pace of life and having time to develop a personalized relationship with patients," she told the Idaho Senior Independent.

The profile also captures a personal detail from long before her medical career: "I've been horse crazy since I was 5," Saunders said.

Role in the county party

Saunders chairs the Minidoka County Democratic Party. The Idaho Democratic Party lists her in that role on its official county-party directory, which names the chair, committeeman, and committeewoman for each county organization in the state.

Minidoka and Cassia counties each have their own party organization. The same directory lists Robert Squire as the Cassia County chair, a separate position from the one Saunders holds in Minidoka County.

Campaign finance

Financial filings on the Idaho Secretary of State Sunshine portal show a small campaign operation. As of her last filed report, Saunders has raised $660.00 in total contributions this election cycle, spent $94.55, and reports an ending cash balance of $565.45, with no outstanding debt.

Every contribution on file comes from an individual donor within Idaho. Her two largest contributors are Maurine Newton of Heyburn, who gave $560.00, and Bradley Blum of Princeton, who gave $100.00.

The one candidate survey found for the District 27 race lists both Saunders and Anthon as non-respondents.

Sources

Profile published by IdahoVoters.com. Last updated September 27, 2026. This profile will be updated as additional information becomes available.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Margo Saunders?
She is a retired internal medicine physician from Minidoka County and the Democratic nominee for Idaho Senate District 27. She practiced for 27 years in Minidoka and Cassia counties and served as chief of medicine at Minidoka Memorial Hospital in Rupert.
Who does she face in the election?
Republican incumbent Kelly Anthon, who serves as Senate President Pro Tempore. The general election is on November 3, 2026, and neither candidate faced a primary.
What elected office has she held?
None. This is her first run for public office.
What has her campaign raised?
As of her last filed report on the Sunshine portal, $660.00 in contributions, all from in-state individuals, with $94.55 spent, $565.45 on hand, and no debt. Her largest contributor is Maurine Newton of Heyburn at $560.00.
What role does she hold in the Democratic Party?
She chairs the Minidoka County Democratic Party, per the Idaho Democratic Party's county directory.

Also on the ballot in District 27

Every candidate for the State Senate and both House seats in this district. See the full District 27 page.