Treg A. Bernt

Treg Bernt: Idaho Republican Incumbent Senator for District 21

Treg Bernt is a Republican member of the Idaho State Senate representing District 21, which covers the Meridian area of Ada County. Bernt lives in Meridian and was first elected to the Senate in 2022. He is currently serving his second term and is seeking re-election in the May 19, 2026, Republican primary.

Background

Treg Bernt was born on March 18, 1976, in Pocatello, Idaho, where he was raised. He is a fourth-generation Idahoan and a graduate of Pocatello High School. Bernt attended Idaho State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in speech communication, per his campaign website. He relocated from Pocatello to Meridian in 2003. His professional career began in sales as a territory manager for Shaw Industries, a national flooring manufacturer. In 2015, he founded his own flooring business in the Treasure Valley, which operates alongside a family flooring business in Pocatello. Bernt's public service record in Meridian predates his Senate career by more than a decade. He was first elected to the Meridian City Council in 2017 and served as president of the Meridian Parks and Recreation Commission. He also served on the city's Planning and Zoning Commission and as a board member of the Meridian Development Corporation, the city's urban renewal district, according to the Idaho Press. He was re-elected to the city council in 2021, narrowly defeating his opponent 51 to 49 percent, before resigning upon his election to the Idaho Senate in 2022.

Political Career

Bernt was elected to the Idaho Senate in 2022, defeating Republican primary opponent Thad Butterworth with 61.27 percent and winning the general election against Constitution Party candidate Monica McKinley with 83.13 percent, per Ballotpedia. He was re-elected in 2024, winning the Republican primary against IFF-backed challenger Brenda Bourn with 59.3 percent, as reported by Big Country News, and the general election against Libertarian Mike Long, 18,233 votes to 6,321. Bernt currently serves as Vice Chair of the Senate State Affairs Committee and sits on the Commerce and Human Resources Committee and the Local Government and Taxation Committee, per his Idaho Legislature biography. In the 2025 session, Bernt sponsored Senate Bill 1032, which required all Idaho public school districts to adopt distraction-free policies restricting student use of cell phones and electronic devices, with a compliance deadline of December 31, 2025. The bill passed the Senate unanimously. In prior sessions, he sponsored legislation banning the use of diversity statements in higher education admissions, and has cited school facility funding legislation, HB 521, as a priority accomplishment, per the Idaho Press.

Policy Positions

Bernt's documented legislative priorities include transportation infrastructure, public education funding, and public safety. On education, he has called for expanding funding tools beyond bonds and levies for school construction, arguing that the state should reinvest growth-generated revenue back into growing communities. He has also emphasized Career Technical Education and community colleges. On transportation, he has identified the Linder Road overpass and Highway 16 as critical priorities for District 21. On public safety, Bernt has identified adding mandatory minimum penalties for vehicular manslaughter involving a prior DUI conviction as a legislative goal, per the Idaho Press. He has also called for regular audits of large tax exemptions as part of fiscal accountability efforts. On social issues, Bernt voted against HB 71, the 2023 bill banning all gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, saying during the Senate floor debate that he had a family member who had transitioned and that he would "always err on the side of freedom," as reported by Boise State Public Radio. In 2024, Bernt voted to advance HB 668, which prohibited use of public funds for gender-affirming care for Medicaid recipients and state employees, per the Idaho Capital Sun. Bernt was also one of four Republicans who joined all seven Senate Democrats in opposing HB 710, a 2024 library book restriction bill, as reported by Idaho Education News. On party accountability mechanisms, Bernt told the Idaho Press he has not been censured by his party committee but does not believe in "obedience scores," stating: "I represent District 21 in the Idaho state Senate, and that's always been my focus and it always will be."

Political Alignment

Bernt is a Traditional Conservative Republican whose voting record places him within the governing wing of the Idaho Senate caucus rather than its activist right flank. His 2023 vote against HB 71 and his 2024 vote against the library restriction bill prompted direct opposition from the Idaho Freedom Foundation's advocacy arm, which endorsed his primary challenger and cited his voting record as insufficiently conservative. His endorsements from IACI, the Idaho Farm Bureau, the Professional Firefighters of Idaho, and the Idaho Fraternal Order of Police are consistent with that classification, as are his top donors from the Idaho Association of Realtors, the Idaho Credit Union Legislative Action Committee, the Idaho Bankers Association, and the Idaho Dairy Industry PAC. His 2022 campaign support from former Senate President Pro Tem Chuck Winder and former Meridian Mayor Tammy de Weerd further reflects that alignment. His public rejection of party platform compliance mechanisms distinguishes him from candidates who treat platform adherence as a governing standard.

Campaign and Endorsements

Bernt is seeking re-election in the May 19, 2026, Republican primary for District 21. His supporters include the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry, the Idaho Farm Bureau, the Professional Firefighters of Idaho, and the Idaho Fraternal Order of Police. Top campaign donors include the Idaho Association of Realtors, the Idaho Credit Union Legislative Action Committee, the Idaho Bankers Association, and the Idaho Dairy Industry PAC, per Idaho Sunshine campaign finance records. Ballotpedia had not identified specific endorsements for the 2026 race as of April 2026.