Manweiler campaign picking up steam

Earlier in her campaign, Democratic candidate Terri Pickens Manweiler thought education and political extremism would take center stage in the race to be Idaho's next lieutenant governor.

While both issues have been of high priority, the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case that overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24 and revoked the constitutional right to abortion added one more issue of critical importance to the mix.

"When Dobbs came out, that was a fundamental shift in how Idaho is going to respond to the November election," Manweiler said Friday during a meeting with the Press Editorial Board.

She said she figured the Dobbs decision would favor Republicans because people are happy Roe v. Wade has been eliminated.

"But just the opposite," she said. "Everywhere I’ve been, every single person I’ve talked to, 'Please preserve and protect our rights. We’ve lost our fundamental right.’"

"The idea that women can have a fundamental right for 50 years, and just like that they don’t," she said, snapping her fingers, "really created a paradigm shift in the mentality of Idaho voters. They're going to show up in force. We’re going to see Kansas-like response in November. I needed that."

Manweiler, of Boise, is aiming to unseat incumbent Speaker of the Idaho House of Representatives Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, in the upcoming November general election.

She reported significant fundraising for her campaign through June and July following the Dobbs decision. Her campaign financial disclosure report on the Idaho Secretary of State's website, sunshine.sos.idaho.gov, showed an ending cash balance of $112,177.03.

“We had a huge surge," she said. "The goal has been shattered, now we just made a new goal. The more we can get, the more I can be in front of every Idahoan on TV, on the radio, in digital ads.

“My opponent has had a really bad couple of months,” she said. "We had hundreds and I can count on one hand how many individuals gave him money."

Bedke's July finance report, filed Aug. 11, reflected an ending cash balance of $30,339.26. His donations in June and July were fewer than 10.

"His May report showed he had $26,000 in the bank after the primary. I assumed he would hit the ground running," Manweiler said. "When July hit, we thought, 'This has to be a mistake.'"

She said looking at the math of it, Bedke has serious challenges ahead if he wants to win North Idaho.

"He's probably going to lose North Idaho, which is great," she said. "He's going to lose the Treasure Valley, for very obvious reasons — it's a nice little blue pocket in a big, red state."

She said the Dobbs decision has motivated people to knock on doors and has caused many to point fingers at the current leadership.

"Treasure Valley, we're going to win," she said. "Eastern Idaho then becomes the battle for the lieutenant governor's seat. I'm from there, he's almost from there. Every time I have spoken to anybody there, it has been the same thing — 'They are stripping away our fundamental rights.' They see what party's in charge and they see him as the speaker of the house and they're blaming him. It's going to be a close race. I just need the plus one."

On the topic of taking away people's rights, Manweiler said no one is going to take guns away. She herself is a user and appreciator of firearms. She shared how this stance has helped win over residents in Canyon County who deeply care about gun rights.

"I hear the same thing here in North Idaho," she said. "If I'm not going to take their guns, they'll vote for me."

Manweiler plans to visit as many of Idaho's 44 counties as possible as she continues her campaign. She will return to North Idaho to attend the Kootenai County Democrats Democracy Dinner and a mini-convention in late September.

"The race to the Capitol is in full swing," she said. "My plan is to win."