Meet Josh Kohl, Candidate for State Senate Dist. 25

2024 Republican Primary Magic Valley Candidate Series

Approximate reading time: 6 minutes

WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO RUN FOR OFFICE?

I was born and raised in Idaho. I’m a son of a pastor and was raised in a family and community that held fast to the common conservative values that we all know and love; like common decency, being true to one’s word, fiscal and personal responsibility.

After the 2020 election, I reevaluated where I could best apply my efforts to help implement positive change in our political system. That’s when I really started focusing on the state and local levels. What I found was that while we thought we were being represented as a deeply red state in Idaho, many of our representatives were not voting based on the values that we would expect them to as Republicans. So, as I got more involved, I was elected to a precinct committeeman position in Twin Falls.

Since then, I’ve been heavily involved in building up the conservative and Republican community in the area. I realized that our current senator had many egregious votes that did not represent conservative values at all. I made the decision to run in order to provide a clear contrast between what I believe are liberal values and what a real Republican would do in those situations.

I love my community, and that’s why I am running, because I want our community to be represented by someone who holds true to the values that our community believes in.

WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM YOUR OPPONENT?

Well, I think the biggest difference is in how we would vote. My opponent’s voting record is NOT that of a real Republican. My opponent voted in 2023 against banning transgender mutilation surgeries for minors in Idaho. I would have voted to protect the children of Idaho. My opponent sponsored a memorial sent to President Biden asking to provide amnesty and special legal status to illegal aliens in Idaho – all in the name of cheap labor. I oppose amnesty in any form and support strong borders and state sovereignty, I also believe strongly in fiscal responsibility. My opponent voted for every appropriations bill that came to the Senate floor during her term, in effect, rubber stamping everything that the executive branch and the corporate lobbyists wanted for the bloated state budget; growing the size of government, not limiting it.

What I will do is focus on cutting wasteful, pork barrel spending, lowering tax burdens, and truly limiting the size of government so that it cannot encroach on personal and individual liberties. A larger government naturally places more restrictions on our rights than a smaller, limited government. Reducing regulations provides more freedom to citizens.

I intend to be a Republican vote in the Senate to cut state spending and bring bloated government agencies in line with budgets, lowering the tax burden on citizens in Twin Falls.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR MAIN GOALS?

I want to protect Idaho’s children against the radical LGBTQ agenda in our schools. The left is intent on policies, like the trans agenda, that are destroying our country. Similarly, the left’s open border policy is undermining the future of all law-abiding citizens. We want a hopeful future for the next generation, one that is similar to, or better than the childhood we all got to enjoy. Our current course presents a bleak outlook for future generations; I am running to help fix this. 

Another item is preserving the rule of law for all citizens.  Amnesty, Driver’s Licenses for illegal aliens, and lack of enforcement laws make it attractive for people to illegally cross the border and come to Idaho; providing legal cover for criminals. It’s inviting not just cheap labor into our area, which harms our workers, but also inviting cartels into our area.

We saw this firsthand with the recent murders on Kimberly Road this winter. That was likely a cartel hit. We are going to see more cartel activity in our area, more fentanyl in our schools, and more human trafficking in our neighborhoods if we do not stand up strongly to fight and be proactive about this problem.

Right now, my opponent is one of the biggest roadblocks to real progress in this area.  She has been the champion of the left, asking President Biden to provide special legal status and amnesty to illegal aliens in Idaho. That’s like making the cartel the hiring service for Idaho because the cartels are the ones who traffic those individuals from the border to Idaho. So, when we do that, we are inviting cartels to do business in our communities. 

She also voted FOR allowing transgender mutilation surgeries to happen to children. Ultimately, she is an agent of the left. I think Republicans in Twin Falls want and deserve actual conservative policies, which is why I am running. 

WHY SHOULD PEOPLE VOTE FOR YOU?

The current senator representing Twin Falls has sadly voted almost in lockstep with Democrat policies and voting records. I am the real Republican in this race who is going to apply conservative solutions to fix the problems that our state currently faces: like, protecting Idaho’s children and maintaining the rule of law — these are things I believe strongly in and intend to fight for.

Phone: 208-610-8086

Email: Joshua@kohl4idaho.com

Web: www.kohl4idaho.com

Remember to vote in the Republican Primary Tuesday May 21st.