Who is running for State Representative, District 1, Seat A in 2026?
Here are the candidates for State Representative, District 1, Seat A on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for voters in Idaho House District 1.
Positions come only from each candidate's own votes, official actions, statements and questionnaire answers, never from party labels. Every item links to its source.
Side by side
Each candidate's position on the issues this office handles, from their own record. Details and sources are in each profile below.
| Issue | Jane SauterRepublican | Karen MattheeDemocrat |
|---|---|---|
| Safety net programs | No public position | Expand help for childcare, housing and paid family leaveSaid · medium |
| Minimum wage | No public position | Raise it modestlySaid · low |
| Abortion | Illegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestSaid · low | Legal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)Said · medium |
| Immigration | Secure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadySaid · low | No public position |
| School choice | No single answer fits; see evidence | No, keep public money in traditional public schoolsSaid · medium |
| Housing and growth | No public position | Allow townhomes and apartments in more places to bring prices downSaid · medium |
| E-Verify mandate | Keep it voluntary and go after employers who knowingly hire illegallySaid · medium | No public position |
Jane Sauter
RepublicanHomemaker; candidate
Jane Sauter is the Republican nominee for Idaho House District 1, Seat A15. She describes herself as a homemaker who has lived in Bonner County for ten years, and she is not related to the incumbent she defeated in the primary, Mark Sauter35. She names illegal immigration as her main priority2 and says Idaho should reduce spending3.
Where they stand 4 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
E-Verify mandateKeep it voluntary and go after employers who knowingly hire illegallymedium
Said · medium confidence- In March 2026 she said she supports House Bill 700, which adds penalties for employers who hire people not authorized to work, as reported by the Daily Bee. (2026-03) source
AbortionIllegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestlow
Said · low confidence- Her campaign site says she has been in the pro-life movement since her teens and will always be a staunch defender of life, and it opposes Proposition 1. (2026) source
ImmigrationSecure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadylow
Said · low confidenceSchool choiceNo single answer fitslow
Said · low confidence- At the May 2026 forum she said she wants more state money for school choice and would end the Idaho LAUNCH program, as reported by the Daily Bee. (2026-05) source
- Her campaign site says she is a firm believer in educational choice and notes that families with special needs often need options. (2026) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Guns, Energy and climate, Curriculum and books, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, Election rules, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Gender care for minors, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy.
Karen Matthee
DemocratFormer journalist and communications officer; candidate
Karen Matthee is the Democratic nominee for Idaho House District 1, Seat A16. She is a former journalist and communications officer with a journalism degree from Northwestern University3. She ran for the House in 2024 and is running again in 20262.
Where they stand 5 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
AbortionLegal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)medium
Said · medium confidenceSchool choiceNo, keep public money in traditional public schoolsmedium
Housing and growthAllow townhomes and apartments in more places to bring prices downmedium
Said · medium confidence- Her campaign site says she will champion reforms allowing smaller manufactured homes, smaller lots for starter homes and more backyard cottages. (2026) source
Safety net programsExpand help for childcare, housing and paid family leavemedium
Said · medium confidence- In her 2024 questionnaire she listed funding childcare among her cost-of-living steps and called for investing in Idaho's Workforce Housing Fund. (2024-10) source
- Her campaign site says she will fight to protect Medicaid expansion and supports state tax incentives for selling homes below market value to working-class families. (2026) source
Minimum wageRaise it modestlylow
Said · low confidence- In her 2024 questionnaire she listed raising the minimum wage among her cost-of-living steps. (2024-10) source
No public position found on: Business regulation, Healthcare, Guns, Immigration, Energy and climate, Curriculum and books, Policing and crime, Election rules, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Gender care for minors, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy.
Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.