It’s my business to stand up to bullies and big shots, literally. One of my favorite examples of that came early in my career against a pack of lawyers from Chicago’s biggest law firm.
I was a year out of the University of Idaho Law School. A couple of Caldwell onion farmers hired me to force a Chicago-based company to honor their contract. That year, a bumper crop of onions had driven prices down. The Chicago company figured they’d save money by ignoring the Idaho contract and buying cheaper onions elsewhere.
So, four high-paid, hot-shot lawyers showed up to fight with me. They figured they’d win with intimidation and the threat of overwhelming expense if we pursued our case.
To make a long story short, I clobbered them. And you bet they were shocked.
The thing about bullies is that they win when no one challenges them. The Chicago bunch figured they were big enough to roll over an Idahoan or two. They didn’t get away with it.
I promise to bring that same spirit to the Lieutenant Governor’s Office.
I will stand up for communities and small businesses. I will stick up for homeowners who needed a tax cut this year far more than big corporations. I will protect kids who are being scapegoated for political gain. Librarians and teachers, I’ve got their backs.
Understand, when I say I will fight to keep the rights we have, I mean it. My experience matters. You won’t see me cringe when the anti-freedom extremists tell us what to think, what to read, and who to love. I will look them in the eye and tell them, “Go peddle your bad ideas somewhere else.”
And, when it comes to the workers who pay rent, buy groceries, and do the jobs that grow an economy—I will side with them every time. Afterall, I grew up in Pocatello, which has a strong tradition of organized labor. I saw firsthand how much better off workers were when they earned good wages, had health benefits, and retired with financial security.
Idaho needs leaders who are unafraid of the big shots and bullies. I am ready to be one of those leaders.