Schroeder seeking Idaho House District 4 seat

COEUR d’ALENE — Rebecca Schroeder will announce her candidacy today to represent District 4 in Idaho’s House of Representatives.

Schroeder, of Coeur d’Alene, will run as a Democrat for the legislative position now held by Luke Malek.

A native Idahoan of Kooskia, Schroeder attended the University of Idaho, where she earned bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and Spanish before moving to Coeur d’Alene in 2005.

She currently works as a personal trainer at a local gym, and her husband, Brock, works as a technical recruiter for a small, Idaho-owned business.

She and Brock are the parents of 10-year-old Brady, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a few weeks after he was born.

Schroeder, a former national advocacy co-chair for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, has been engaged for the past decade in efforts to address affordability and access issues associated with obtaining high-quality health care.

Through this experience, working closely with Idaho lawmakers, Schroeder became compelled to run for office.

“I know that our current politicians are not motivated by the real health care needs of Idaho families. I’m deeply concerned about the direction in which they are leading my beloved home state. We need a system that’s fair to everyone and we need to work together to fix it. There is something deeply wrong when hard-working families that have health insurance still go bankrupt with medical expenses,” Schroeder said, in a news release.

Improving education and protecting Idaho’s public lands are other issues Schroeder will focus on, if elected.

“I want my son to be able to have the same kind of outdoor experiences in our beautiful state that shaped my character growing up in rural Idaho,” said Schroeder. “Our heritage is not something to be sold piece-by-piece to the highest bidder.”