Stephen Heidt is the 2022 Democratic nominee for Governor running again in the 2026 Democratic primary. He is a fourth-generation Idahoan, educator, and Army National Guard veteran who taught English as a Second Language (ESL) and GED classes at Idaho state prisons for 14 years. At age 61, Heidt left his teaching position to run full-time for governor in 2022 (taking two years early retirement). He lost to Brad Little 60.5%-20.3%. In 2026, he is running again, emphasizing education, rural issues, healthcare access, and criminal justice reform.
Stephen Heidt is a fourth-generation Idahoan, born and raised in the state. He earned a B.S. in Political Science from Brigham Young University (1986) and a B.S. in History from Eastern Washington University (1990). He served in the U.S. Army National Guard. He worked as an ESL and GED teacher at Idaho state prisons for 14 years, primarily in Marsing but also at prisons in Orofino. For the 2022 gubernatorial race, he left his state teaching position (retiring two years early) to run full-time. He was the only Democrat on the ballot in 2022 (other Democratic candidates missed filing deadlines or had registration issues). He lost to Brad Little 60.5%-20.3%. He is running again in the 2026 Democratic primary.