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

Steve Tanner

Incumbent
Steve Tanner

Idaho House of Representatives, District 13 Seat B

Campaign website:Campaign Website
Phone:(208) 332-1063
Email:Stanner@house.idaho.gov
Facebook:Campaign Facebook Page
Campaign finance:Campaign Finance

Steve Tanner: Idaho House District 13, Seat B

Steve Tanner is the Republican incumbent state representative for Idaho House District 13, Seat B, covering Nampa. He is seeking a second term on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot. Tanner first won the seat in November 2024, running unopposed. In the May 19, 2026 Republican primary, he defeated Kody Daffer with 2,629 votes, or 60.58 percent, to Daffer's 1,711, or 39.42 percent, according to certified results from the Idaho Secretary of State.

Background

Tanner was born in Honolulu and raised in a military family, according to his official Idaho Legislature biography. His father was a World War II Navy corpsman who landed on Okinawa on the first day of the invasion and retired as a captain in the Medical Service Corps, per his Idaho Republican Party candidate page. The family moved between bases, including two years in the Philippines.

He earned a B.A. in philosophy from California State University, Long Beach. He then spent two years in graduate work at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In 2001 he enrolled at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena and received his Master of Divinity in 2005. He later completed a master's degree in clinical mental health counseling at Liberty University. He is a licensed professional counselor in Idaho.

According to his campaign site, he planted and pastored a church in Simi Valley, California for five and a half years. He has said that experience drew him toward mental health work. Before the legislature, he worked as a data analyst and computer programmer for AT&T, Countrywide Bank, Bank of America, Latham & Watkins, and Blue Cross of Idaho. He retired as a database programmer and analyst, per his legislative bio. He and his wife, Kathy, moved to Idaho about nine and a half years ago from California.

Legislative record

Tanner is in his first term. He serves on three House committees: Commerce & Human Resources, Environment, Energy & Technology, and Health & Welfare, according to the Idaho Legislature's membership page.

In 2025, he co-sponsored House Bill 270, which revised Idaho's indecent exposure law. The bill passed the House 59-8-3 and the Senate 28-6-1. Governor Brad Little signed it on March 26, 2025, and it took effect the same day, per the legislature's bill page.

In January 2026, Tanner introduced a draft bill in the House Judiciary and Rules Committee that would extend Idaho's child enticement felony to victims aged 16 or 17 when the offender is at least five years older. Current law applies only when the victim is under 16. He said the bill came out of a conversation with a member of the Attorney General's Internet Crimes Against Children team. "That avoids what we call Romeo and Juliet sort of scenarios," Tanner told the Idaho Capital Sun. Committee members introduced the draft unanimously, and it became eligible for a public hearing later in the session.

Also in 2026, he sponsored House Bill 656, which would have directed Idaho public schools to collect aggregated data on student immigration status and nationality. The bill died in committee. "It does not seek, nor does it ask for, personal identifying information of any students," Tanner said, per Idaho Education News. "(It's) aggregate data only."

Tanner also served as House floor sponsor of House Joint Memorial 020 in 2026, a memorial calling on Congress and the President to help states cover the cost of educating students regardless of immigration status. Both chambers adopted it, according to the legislature's bill page.

Where he stands

His page on the Idaho Republican Party website lists three top issues.

  • Immigration. Tanner supports E-Verify, audits of refugee resettlement organizations, a ban on harboring or concealing people in the country illegally, and agreements letting local law enforcement cooperate with ICE.
  • School choice. He points to passage of the Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit during his first session and describes himself as a supporter of charter schools and homeschooling.
  • Cost of living. He cites state income tax cuts, the end of taxes on tips and overtime, and property tax relief, and says he plans to build on those cuts.

Campaign finance

Per Idaho's Sunshine campaign finance portal, Tanner's 2026 campaign reported $28,985.15 in total contributions and $3,560.00 in loans. Expenditures totaled $33,911.87, leaving an ending cash balance of $1,552.97 and $3,560.00 in outstanding debt.

Tanner faces Democrat Cody Gorman in the November 3, 2026 general election. Gorman won his primary unopposed, receiving 686 votes, or 100 percent of ballots cast, per certified results from the Idaho Secretary of State.

Sources

Profile published by IdahoVoters.com. Last updated September 26, 2026. This profile will be updated as additional information becomes available.

Frequently asked questions

What office is Steve Tanner running for in 2026?
He is the Republican incumbent seeking a second term as state representative for Idaho House District 13, Seat B, which covers part of Nampa. The general election is November 3, 2026.
Who is Steve Tanner running against?
Democrat Cody Gorman is on the general election ballot against him. Gorman won his primary unopposed with 686 votes, or 100 percent of ballots cast, per certified results from the Idaho Secretary of State.
Did Tanner face a primary challenge in 2026?
Yes. He defeated Kody Daffer in the May 19, 2026 Republican primary, 2,629 votes (60.58 percent) to 1,711 (39.42 percent), according to certified results.
What did Steve Tanner do before the legislature?
He worked in IT, mainly as a database programmer and analyst, for AT&T, Countrywide Bank, Bank of America, Latham & Watkins, and Blue Cross of Idaho. He is also a licensed professional counselor in Idaho and pastored a church in Simi Valley, California for five and a half years.
What committees does he serve on?
He sits on three House committees: Commerce & Human Resources, Environment, Energy & Technology, and Health & Welfare, per the Idaho Legislature's membership page.
What bills has Tanner sponsored?
He co-sponsored House Bill 270 in 2025, which revised Idaho's indecent exposure law and was signed by Governor Little. In 2026 he sponsored House Bill 656 on aggregated student immigration data, which died in committee, and introduced a draft bill extending the child enticement felony to victims aged 16 or 17.
What are his top campaign issues?
Per his Idaho GOP candidate page, they are immigration enforcement (including E-Verify and cooperation agreements with ICE), school choice (including the Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit passed during his first session), and cost of living, where he points to state income tax cuts and property tax relief.
How much money has Tanner's campaign raised?
His 2026 campaign reported $28,985.15 in total contributions and $3,560.00 in loans, per Idaho's Sunshine campaign finance portal. Expenditures were $33,911.87, leaving $1,552.97 on hand and $3,560.00 in outstanding debt.

Also on the ballot in District 13

Every candidate for the State Senate and both House seats in this district. See the full District 13 page.