Nate Roberts
District 29 House B
Nate Roberts: Idaho Democratic Candidate for House District 29B
Nate Roberts is a Democratic candidate for the Idaho House of Representatives District 29B, which covers portions of Pocatello in Bannock County. Roberts lives in Pocatello and is running in the May 19, 2026, Democratic primary, per Idaho Education News. He will face Republican incumbent Tanya Burgoyne in the November 3, 2026, general election. Roberts served one term representing District 29B from 2022 to 2024 before losing to Burgoyne by 1,139 votes. He is seeking to reclaim the seat.
Background
Roberts was born and raised in Pocatello and has lived in Idaho his entire adult life. He has worked as a construction electrician for 36 years and is an elected union officer, as described on his campaign website. He and his wife, who he describes as a significant influence in his political journey, have been married for more than 35 years and have two sons. His career in the skilled trades and his union leadership have been central to his political identity.
Political Career
Roberts was first elected to the Idaho House in November 2022, becoming one of a small number of working tradespeople serving in the Idaho Legislature at the time. During his term he served on committees relevant to labor and construction policy. He participated in a June 2024 rally at Pocatello’s Marshall Public Library opposing Idaho’s HB 710 library restrictions law alongside Sen. James Ruchti and House candidate Mary Shea, per East Idaho News. He was a vocal advocate for the East Idaho Forensics Center during his term, writing in the Idaho State Journal in April 2024 that Idaho ranked alarmingly third lowest in the nation for autopsies performed and that the proposed center represented a critical step forward for the community’s safety and justice systems.
He lost the November 2024 general election to Burgoyne, 10,359 votes to 11,498, and filed to run again in 2026.
Policy Positions
Roberts’s documented priorities draw from his campaign website and his op-eds published during his 2024 term.
On workers’ rights, Roberts has called for stronger protections against wage theft, improved workplace conditions and safety, enhanced workers’ compensation, and rejection of the state’s right-to-work law, which he argues suppresses union organizing and wages for working families. He has also opposed legislation that would have weakened child labor protections in Idaho.
On education, Roberts has called for full public school funding, fixing deteriorating school facilities – citing a state report finding nearly 60 percent of Idaho’s public schools in fair or poor condition – and opposing private school vouchers on grounds of fiscal irresponsibility, accountability failures, and harm to rural schools. He supports registered apprenticeships and the Idaho Launch grant program as pathways for students who do not follow a four-year college route. He wrote in the Idaho State Journal in May 2024 that as someone who has laid groundwork for buildings as a construction electrician, he recognizes the critical importance of solid foundations in both infrastructure and education systems.
On individual rights, Roberts has stated that removing a woman’s reproductive autonomy creates a class of second-class citizens and that freedom of choice must be protected. He also supports freedom of gender identity, stating that personal choices causing no harm to others are human rights.
On local control, Roberts has written that the state legislature is undermining local authority over schools, libraries, and city governance, per his May 2024 Idaho State Journal op-ed. On taxation, he supports eliminating the grocery tax and reforming the property tax system by requiring the legislature to fully fund schools rather than passing costs to local levies. On housing, he has called for increased affordable housing supply to address a near-127 percent increase in Pocatello home values between 2017 and 2024. On public lands, he opposes any sale of state lands and supports maintaining public access for hunting, fishing, and recreation.
Political Alignment
Roberts is a Liberal Democrat. His platform combines labor union advocacy, reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, public education defense, local control, and public lands protection into one of the most comprehensive Democratic platforms in Idaho’s southeastern legislative delegation. His identity as a working tradesperson and elected union officer distinguishes him from most Idaho Democratic candidates and gives his working-class economic message particular credibility. The Indiana Capital Chronicle cited him in 2024 as one of a rare group of working-class people who hold seats at state legislative tables, per that publication.
Campaign and Endorsements
Roberts is running in the May 19, 2026, Democratic primary for District 29B against Burgoyne. No formal endorsements for his 2026 campaign have been publicly reported as of April 2026. Campaign finance records are available through the Idaho Secretary of State’s Sunshine database.
FAQ
Who is Nate Roberts, Idaho? Nate Roberts is a Democratic candidate for Idaho House District 29B in Pocatello. A construction electrician, elected union officer, and one-term former state representative, he lost to Burgoyne in 2024 by 1,139 votes and is seeking a rematch in 2026.
What district is Nate Roberts running in? Roberts is running in Idaho House District 29B, covering portions of Pocatello in Bannock County.
Is Nate Roberts an incumbent or challenger? He is a former incumbent. Roberts served one term representing District 29B from 2022 to 2024 before losing to Burgoyne. He is a challenger seeking to reclaim the seat in 2026.
What are Nate Roberts’s political positions? His documented priorities include workers’ rights and union protections, fully funding public schools, opposing private school vouchers, protecting reproductive rights, eliminating the grocery tax, local control over schools and libraries, affordable housing, and maintaining public access to state lands.
2022 General Election Results Roberts defeated opponent
2024 Primary Election Results Roberts 1,134 / Unopposed
2024 General Election Results Burgoyne 11,498 / Roberts 10,359
Profile published by IdahoVoters.com. Last updated April 2026. This profile will be updated as additional information becomes available.
News Stories
A local state representative is running for re-election.
Democratic Representative Nate Roberts recently kicked off his campaign for Legislative District 29 at the Idaho State University Alumni Center in Pocatello.
Two Indiana lawmakers fit the bill
POCATELLO — A group that includes some state lawmakers from southeast Idaho is planning to rally at a Pocatello library to show their support for librarians.
BOISE — A southeast Idaho high school student who has been raising awareness of the dangers of fentanyl in her community brought her message to the state capitol.
Idaho's education system stands at a pivotal crossroads, with today's decisions profoundly influencing our students' futures and the state's trajectory. While serving in the legislature, and someone who has laid the groundwork for buildings as a construction electrician, I recognize the critical importance of establishing solid foundations—whether that pertains to infrastructure or our educational systems. Together, we as Idahoans must be wholeheartedly committed to addressing three key areas vital to the future of Idaho education: funding, facilities, and the ongoing debate over school vouchers.
Idahoans know what it means to put in an honest day’s work. From the ranchers and farm workers who bring food to our tables, the factory worker punching a clock, and caregivers looking after aging family members — Idaho was built by working people. Unfortunately, it is getting harder for most of us to get ahead.
Opinion: Upholding local control: A stand against Idaho GOP's reluctance to empower local government
In Idaho, the principle of local control is foundational, reflecting our belief that the most effective governance happens closest to the people it serves. Yet, recent legislative actions by the supermajority suggest a troubling shift away from this principle, undermining local autonomy in areas critical to our community's well-being—specifically in our schools, public libraries, and city governance.
My district is in the heart of Bannock County, and we stand at a pivotal moment that calls for decisive action to enhance our community’s safety, health, and justice systems. The proposal to establish the East Idaho Forensics Center is more than just infrastructure development; it's a critical step forward in addressing the glaring deficiency in our state’s ability to conduct adequate autopsies—a deficiency that places Idaho alarmingly third lowest in the nation for the number of autopsies performed.
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