‘Liberty legislator’ faces off against small-business owner in primary

Idaho’s first all-absentee primary election features a 5th Legislative District bout between Republicans Hari Heath and Brandon Mitchell.

The district’s House A seat is up for grabs, after incumbent Rep. Bill Goesling chose not to run for reelection.

Heath, a logger from Santa, ran for the seat in 2018, losing to Goesling in the primary. Mitchell, a Moscow business owner, made his first foray into politics last year, when he unsuccessfully ran for Moscow City Council.

The winner of the May 19 primary will face Democrat Dulce Kersting-Lark in the Nov. 3 general election.

Heath said he’s part of a team of “liberty legislators” who want to restore constitutional government and promote conservative principles in the Idaho Legislature.

“My opponent is a good guy, but I don’t think he’s that well-connected,” Heath said. “I think I’m better connected for getting the job done and doing good things for Idaho.”

Other self-described liberty legislators include Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard; Rep. Mike Kingsley, R-Lewiston; Rep. Priscilla Giddings, R-White Bird; and Rep. Christy Zito, R-Hammett.

“ ‘Liberty conservatives’ would be a better description,” Heath said of the group. “We understand the liberty principles in a constitutional republic and work as a team to bring them to the forefront.”

For example, he co-authored an unsuccessful 2006 ballot initiative that would have created a permanent “citizens grand jury” to review judicial misconduct complaints.

He also feels state government has expanded beyond what’s allowed under the Idaho Constitution, and criticizes the Legislature for conferring too much rule-making authority on state agencies.

“When you have bureaucrats legislating (by writing) rules that amount to laws, it violates Article II of the Constitution,” Heath said.

Mitchell, who owns six Jiffy Lube franchises in the region, said he’s not interested in being a career politician, but feels a need to serve his community.

“This (running for office) is something I’ve been looking at for several years,” he said. “My wife and I did a lot of soul-searching. When we learned Goesling wasn’t going to run for reelection, it seemed like the time to step up.”

As a businessman, Mitchell is highly supportive of the Legislature’s ongoing efforts to reduce regulations. Fiscal responsibility is another of his top concerns.

“I believe in having a balanced budget and being conservative in spending,” he said. “As a businessman, that’s what I bring to the table. I’ve been very successful the last 25 years, and I can put those skills to use. I think that’s what the Legislature needs.”

Mitchell’s life experiences also give him insights into both sides of the economic divide. He was raised in a small town outside of Ogden, Utah. His parents divorced when he was little, so he essentially grew up in the welfare system.

“When I was in high school, I decided that wasn’t what my family was going to be like, so I dug in and started working really hard,” he said.

He began working for Jiffy Lube in 1989, eventually becoming a district manager for 10 stores in the Tri-Cities region. In 2013, he had an opportunity to purchase two franchises in Moscow and Pullman, and later expanded that to six stores.

“We fell in love with the people and the area,” he said.

Heath’s father and grandfather worked in the Riggins area, and he’s lived in the state for 36 years.

“I came here as part of a ‘back-to-the-land’ thing in the 1980s, and started logging to support my family,” he said.

He subsequently co-founded the Small Loggers Council, which was an effort to resume small-scale salvage logging on national forest land. The council also supported a pilot project on state lands that later became the Direct Sales program.

“From there I continued to learn more about the Constitution and what government should be doing and shouldn’t be doing,” Heath said.

On the education front, he’d like to see less “top-down” control in Idaho’s public school system, including fewer federal requirements and state mandates.

“We should start at the bottom, with some oversight from the state,” Heath said. “Too much time and money is spent on administration and testing. We should let teachers decide when to test.”

When it comes to taxes, he’s intrigued by a proposal that was introduced for discussion purposes during the 2020 legislative session. It would eliminate property taxes entirely and replace the revenue by nearly doubling the state sales tax.

“It needs to be worked out in greater detail, (but) it would give a lot of security to property ownership,” Heath said. People wouldn’t have to worry about losing their homes as property values soar.

Like Heath, Mitchell favors less “government interference” with the private sector. He also thinks parents should take an active role in their children’s education. While he doesn’t object to the five-year, $223 million teacher pay plan that lawmakers approved last session — which includes more money for veteran teachers — he feels there needs to be some accountability.

“Making more money just because you’re there longer — I struggle with that,” Mitchell said. “If they deserve it, I’m all for it. That’s what I’d like to look at. In business, I pay for performance.”

His background running a business and making payroll is why he thinks he’s the best choice for office.

“When small business puts its mind to it, it can figure out how to make anything work — while keeping spending under control,” Mitchell said. “That’s what I bring to the position.”

Heath has been active in state party politics for some time now. Besides his involvement with the liberty legislators, he said, he’s part of a group that advocates “chastising” lawmakers who don’t demonstrate sufficient allegiance to the Idaho Republican platform.

“Office holders don’t necessarily need to be consistent with the platform (on every vote),” he said. “But if there’s a consistent pattern of contrary votes, we need to look at removing our brand from them.”

Given his adherence to the platform and his involvement with incumbent lawmakers, Heath thinks he’s the better choice for voters.

“We’re looking at growing (the liberty caucus) and having a positive influence in Idaho,” he said.

Given the public safety concerns about spreading the coronavirus, the May 19 primary will be conducted entirely by absentee ballot.

That means anyone who wants to vote in the election must fill out an absentee ballot request form. Requests can be submitted online at idahovotes.gov/vote-early-idaho; alternatively, people can print out the request form and return it by mail or in person at their local county elections office.

The requests must be received by 8 p.m. May 19. The ballots themselves must be returned by June 2 at 8 p.m., at which time the votes will be tabulated.

Spence may be contacted at bspence@lmtribune.com or (208) 791-9168.

Name: Hari Heath

Office sought: Idaho 5th Legislative District, House Position A

Party affiliation: Republican

Age: 62

Education: Dropped out after the 10th grade; received his GED

Work experience: Self-employed salvage logger; also teaches bow-making, woodcarving and other primitive skills

Previous public elected office: None

Family status: Married, seven children

Website: https://hariheath.com

Name: Brandon Mitchell

Office seeking: Idaho 5th Legislative District, House Position A

Party affiliation: Republican

Age: 50

Education: Working on a business degree from BYU-Idaho

Work experience: Owns six Jiffy Lube franchises in the region; previously worked for the company as a district manager

Previous public elected office: None

Family: Married, three children

Website: NA