Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terri Pickens campaigns in East Idaho

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)- Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terri Pickens is campaigning across East Idaho, holding an event in downtown Pocatello Friday night and another scheduled in Idaho Falls on Saturday. Pickens is seeking to unseat incumbent Gov. Brad Little, who is running for a third term, with Election Day set for November 3.

Pickens, a Pocatello native and attorney based in Boise, is making her second bid for state office after running for lieutenant governor in 2022. Her campaign efforts are intensifying as the election cycle approaches, with 116 days remaining until voters cast their ballots.

Pickens graduated from Highland High School and earned a postgraduate law degree from the University of Idaho. She currently works as an attorney in Boise. Pickens stated that her personal connection to communities across Idaho gives her an advantage if she is elected.

“What I’m trying to convince people to do is vote for the person, not the party,” Pickens said. “And when I go into these communities, I speak their language because I’ve lived it. They were my communities, too. And trust is a really big factor going into this election cycle. We have a governor that lacks transparency, spends a great deal of his time in Washington, D.C., doesn’t follow the will of the people, follows the will D.C. and people just don’t trust him anymore. And he’s not going into those communities. And I am.”

Pickens identified affordability as Idaho’s most significant need, stating that the current economy is not benefiting everyday Idahoans. She critiqued tax breaks given to the wealthy, arguing that the benefits do not extend to those needing affordable housing, less expensive groceries, and fuel for transportation.

“The economy is not working for everyday Idahoans,” Pickens said. “They’re not feeling the benefits of any tax break that was given to the, the top few. And so I’d like to restore the funding that was given away in those tax breaks and put them back into the the services that were providing Idahoans with the services and meet their needs.”

Following her event Friday night in downtown Pocatello, Pickens is scheduled to appear in Idaho Falls Saturday, July 11, at noon for an event at Freeman Park.

Gov. Brad Little is seeking a third term as the state’s chief executive. According to his campaign website, his top accomplishments include making Idaho one of the least regulated states in the country and establishing the Idaho Launch program for students, which has gained praise from President Donald Trump.

Along with Governor Little and Pickens, other candidates vying for the governor’s seat include Pro-Life of the Constitution Party, Libertarian Paul Sand, Unaffiliated John Stegner, and Independent Jacob Burnett.

Idahoans will cast their votes for governor on Election Day, November 3.