Why I Ran
Make it stand out
People ask me why I ran for office. Those who know me know that I am a banker and businessman by profession. They also know that I strongly believe in investing my time, talent, and treasure in Nampa to make it the best possible place to live, work, and play. In other words, I enjoy building community. Nampa has been very supportive of me and my family for generations. It’s only right to return the favor and provide others with the same opportunities we’ve enjoyed. For over three decades I’ve volunteered to build community in many civic, healthcare, education, and affordable housing organizations as well as my church. This is not unusual in Nampa. Nampa is blessed to have many community members who share the community building belief of giving back and making Nampa a better place.
Those who know me also know I’m a lifelong Republican, but I don’t wear it on my sleeve. I believe in the Republican principles of individual freedoms and free markets. I don’t subscribe to weaponizing politics to drive political wedges that divide our community.
I’ve never aspired to run for office nor saw myself doing so until I was asked by others to consider running. I resisted running for office for years, focusing instead on my work, my family, and building community in Nampa. The truth is I was enjoying the challenges of the free market with my own businesses and providing a resource to others to start and expand their businesses. Some of the more frustrating challenges I faced were unnecessary government-imposed rules and regulations. Many were ineffective and outdated, providing a bureaucratic barrier to small business success. In other cases, they were simply government overreach.
In mid-2016 I was again asked to run for the Senate in District 13. With the support of my family, friends, and employer I took on the challenge and won the seat. I didn’t enter office with an axe to grind, rather to learn the people and processes required to make a positive difference for Nampa. I enjoyed doing the people’s work by sponsoring over 100 bills in the Senate with an unprecedented 99% passage rate. I was blessed to represent Nampa for six years in the Senate. I am proud of our accomplishments in making Idaho the least regulated, most transparent, and fiscally sound state in the nation. Most importantly, our work contributed toward building a better community in Nampa.
- Jeff Agenbroad
