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

Tony Wisniewski

Incumbent
Tony Wisniewski

Idaho House of Representatives, District 5 Seat B

Campaign website:Campaign Website
Phone:(208) 332-1060
Email:TWisniewski@house.idaho.gov
Facebook:Campaign Facebook Page
Twitter / X:Twitter / X
Campaign finance:Campaign Finance

Tony Wisniewski: Republican incumbent for Idaho House District 5, Seat B

Republican State Rep. Tony Wisniewski, seeking a fifth term representing Idaho House District 5 Seat B, faces Democrat Lee Wallace in the November 3, 2026 general election. Wisniewski won the May 19, 2026 Republican primary unopposed, taking 6,768 votes. He is a retired engineer and small business owner from Post Falls who is in his fourth term in the Idaho House.

Background

Wisniewski holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Utah State University. His official legislative biography lists him as an engineer (retired) and small business owner. According to his campaign site, he worked most of his career in nuclear, aerospace, computer, and industrial equipment manufacturing, and says his process innovations saved companies at least $2.1 million. The campaign bio says he moved to Idaho from Colorado after his employer closed a plant and shifted manufacturing to Malaysia, a move it describes as affecting about 1,200 workers. He has lived in the Post Falls area for 22 years and is married with five children.

His political background is in local party organization. He served eight years as vice chairman of the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee, according to his campaign site. His legislative biography lists him as a former chairman of the Spokane chapter of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and an industry representative on a Career and Technical Education Advisory Group. His campaign site says the manufacturing engineers chapter directed over $250,000 in donations to local technical school programs and individual students.

In the 2026 session, Wisniewski serves as vice chair of the House Commerce and Human Resources Committee. He also sits on the Education Committee and the Environment, Energy and Technology Committee.

In 2024, he won reelection to the seat with 21,154 votes to 5,650 for Democrat Teresa Borrenpohl, according to Kootenai County's official results from the November 5, 2024 general election.

The 2025 record: cursive handwriting bill

In the 2025 session, Wisniewski was the House floor sponsor of Senate Bill 1044, a bill requiring public school students to demonstrate proficiency in cursive reading and writing by the end of fifth grade. The Senate passed the bill 29-6-0 on February 24, 2025. The House passed it 58-10-2 on March 7, 2025. It was signed into law on March 12, 2025 and took effect July 1, 2025.

Wisniewski told the House that Idaho has lost "the art of writing not just in cursive, but just the art of writing itself." He added, "The teaching of cursive has already been established in our curriculum. All this bill does is require proficiency in writing and to be tested for that proficiency." Floor debate lasted fewer than five minutes, according to Local News 8.

The 2026 record: same-sex marriage resolution and concealed weapons

In the 2026 session, Wisniewski floor-sponsored House Joint Memorial 17, a resolution urging the United States Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 ruling that established a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. The House passed the memorial 44-26-0 on March 10, 2026. It was referred to the Senate State Affairs Committee on March 11, 2026 and received no further action.

A joint memorial is a formal statement of legislative opinion. It does not change state law and requires no signature from the governor.

Wisniewski spoke on the floor during the debate. He said, according to Boise State Public Radio, "The current definition of marriage that allows for same-sex marriages is a defilement of the word marriage."

Also in the 2026 session, Wisniewski voted aye on House Bill 621, a concealed-weapons law amendment. The bill passed the House 56-11-3 on April 2, 2026.

Sources

Profile published by IdahoVoters.com. Last updated September 25, 2026. This profile will be updated as additional information becomes available.

Frequently asked questions

What office is Tony Wisniewski running for in 2026?
He is running for reelection as Idaho State Representative for House District 5, Seat B, which covers part of the Post Falls area in Kootenai County. He is the Republican nominee on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot.
Who is running against Tony Wisniewski in November 2026?
Democrat Lee Wallace is on the ballot against him. Wisniewski advanced unopposed through the May 19, 2026 Republican primary, receiving 6,768 votes.
What did Tony Wisniewski do before joining the Legislature?
He studied mechanical engineering at Utah State University and spent most of his career in nuclear, aerospace, computer, and industrial equipment manufacturing. He is now retired from engineering and runs a small business in Post Falls.
What committees does Wisniewski serve on in the Idaho House?
In the 2026 session, he is vice chair of the House Commerce and Human Resources Committee. He also serves on the Education Committee and on the Environment, Energy and Technology Committee.
What was Senate Bill 1044?
It was a 2025 law requiring Idaho public school students to show proficiency in cursive reading and writing by the end of fifth grade. Wisniewski sponsored the bill on the House floor, and it passed both chambers and became law.
What was House Joint Memorial 17?
It was a 2026 resolution urging the United States Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, the ruling that established a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. Wisniewski sponsored it on the House floor, and it passed the House 44-26-0 before dying in a Senate committee.
Does a joint memorial change Idaho law?
No. A joint memorial is a formal statement of the Legislature's opinion addressed to another body, in this case the courts. It does not change state law and needs no governor's signature.
Where does Wisniewski stand on gun rights?
In the 2026 session, Wisniewski voted for House Bill 621, a concealed-weapons law amendment that passed the House 56-11-3 on April 2, 2026.

Also on the ballot in District 5

Every candidate for the State Senate and both House seats in this district. See the full District 5 page.

More on the November 3 ballot