Rob Beiswenger

Rob Beiswenger: Idaho House District 8, Seat A, on the 2026 ballot

Republican incumbent Rob Beiswenger is on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot for Idaho House District 8, Seat A. He faces Heather S. Lewis, an Independent who had no primary contest. Beiswenger won the May 19, 2026 Republican primary with 5,198 votes, or 68.22 percent, over Sean Hall, a certified result from the Idaho Secretary of State.

Background

Beiswenger was born and raised in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Penn State University with a degree in political science, according to his official legislature biography. He moved to Idaho from Indiana in 2019 and lives in Horseshoe Bend.

Before moving to Idaho, Beiswenger was director of the Indiana Right to Work Committee, which advocated for the state's 2012 right-to-work law. He co-founded Collaborative Behavior Solutions with his wife, Crystal. The Indianapolis facility provides therapy for children with autism and developmental disabilities and is still operating. He works as a sales specialist at Money Metals Exchange, a precious metals dealer in Eagle. He and Crystal have two daughters, Samantha and Celeste, whom Crystal homeschools.

In his campaign announcement, he said, "I never planned on running for elected office. In fact, I moved to Idaho (from Indiana) several years ago simply because I wanted a safe place to raise a family." His campaign lists top issues including keeping taxes low and limiting government to its constitutional roles and opposing mask and vaccine mandates.

Election history

Beiswenger first ran for the seat in 2022. He lost the Republican primary to incumbent Matthew Bundy, 4,133 votes (46.7 percent) to Bundy's 4,715 (53.3 percent), according to the Secretary of State's elections database.

He ran again in 2024 and won the primary, defeating Bundy 4,769 votes (54.1 percent) to 4,044 (45.9 percent). He then ran unopposed in the November 2024 general election, receiving 20,049 votes.

This year he won the May primary over Sean Hall, 68.22 percent to 31.78 percent, per certified Idaho Secretary of State results. The general election against Lewis is his first contested general election for this seat.

Committee work

Beiswenger is in his first term. He serves on the House Agricultural Affairs, Commerce and Human Resources, and Health and Welfare committees.

House Bill 808

Beiswenger's most visible legislative work this year was House Bill 808, introduced March 2, 2026. According to the Idaho Capital Sun, the bill was written by Health Freedom Defense Fund founder Leslie Manookian and sponsored by Beiswenger. It would have expanded the 2025 Medical Freedom Act, which Gov. Brad Little signed into law, by repealing childhood vaccine requirements, changing the state's immunization registry to opt-in, and barring local governments from acting against the medical freedom law.

The bill also would have barred cities, counties, and hospitals from imposing their own medical mandates. Hospitals are classified as political subdivisions under Idaho law, so the provision would have applied to them as well.

At the House Health and Welfare Committee hearing, according to the Idaho Statesman, Beiswenger said, "Six years ago, this month, we entered the (COVID-19) debacle, and then one year ago, we started the process of the response to that. This bill is an attempt to finish what we started last year." He added, "I think, honestly, this will build trust in (the) medical system. You don't build trust by forcing people to take your products."

Toni Lawson, a spokesperson for the Idaho Hospital Association, testified that the bill would have removed the exemptions for health care providers that last year's law included, so hospital staff could no longer adopt policies recommending or encouraging any medical intervention. She said the bill would have put hospitals in conflict with federal law, telling lawmakers she is sometimes asked by hospital members, "Who's going to arrest me? The feds or the state police?"

A motion to send the bill to the House floor failed 9 to 7, and the committee held the bill, ending its chances for the 2026 session.

Sources

• Idaho State Legislature, official member page for Rep. Robert Beiswenger
• Idaho Republican Party, candidate biography and stated top issues
• Rob Beiswenger campaign site, candidacy announcement and campaign statements
• Idaho Secretary of State elections database, certified 2022 and 2024 primary and general election results
• Idaho Secretary of State, certified May 19, 2026 primary results
• Idaho State Legislature, House Bill 808 bill history
• Idaho Capital Sun, March 13, 2026, on House Bill 808's authorship and committee rejection
• Idaho Statesman, March 13, 2026, on the committee hearing, testimony, and Beiswenger's quotes