By Dick Dorworth
Alex Sutter is the Republican candidate to represent District 26 Seat B in the Idaho House of Representatives in November’s election. He is challenging Democrat Sally Toone for the seat being vacated by Donna Pence, a Democrat, who is retiring at the end of the year after serving seven terms of office. Sutter ran unsuccessfully for District 25 Seat B in the 2010 elections for the Idaho State Legislature and was defeated by Pence by a 54.9 percent to 45.1 percent margin.
Sutter was a member of the Richfield Planning and Zoning Board and was chairman of the Lincoln County Republican Central Committee. He decided to enter the race when his friend, Don Hudson, who lost to Pence in 2014, dropped out due to health concerns.
“I’m in this race because I want to make a difference in the world,” Sutter said.
He calls the Affordable Care Act “the ‘Not So’ Affordable Care Act – The Black Hole,” and believes there is a solution to this problem involving the private insurance sector and that now is the time to fix it.
Sutter said that, according to the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Idaho is a sovereign state, and that “states have a responsibility to keep the federal government in check.”
His campaign website reiterates, “Overall, I believe that people, not government, are the solution. People with the proper amount of freedom to act will generally find solutions to their own problems and act in an honorable fashion. The closer we can get the decision-making to the people, the better off the electorate will be. Generally, when government gets too big or too demanding, then things begin to spiral out of control. It is not government’s job to make us happy. The government is only supposed to protect our opportunity to pursue happiness without impeding the happiness of the greater good.”
Sutter, 42, was born in New York where his mother was a nurse and his father was a farm appraiser. He graduated from high school in Pennsylvania, but his family lived in several places, including Alaska. He moved to Idaho because his wife, Deanna, was born and raised in Richfield, where they have lived for the past 15 years, and, he says, “it’s where I intend to die.”
Sutter owns 80 acres of land that he farms and leases, and owns an insurance business and an investment company. Alex and Deanna have one daughter and three sons and they have been educated both in public schools and at home. Sutter’s website says of education, “Education is crucial to the stability of any society and an Idaho Constitution mandate. We need an educated electorate, an educated work force and the ability for parents to decide how to educate their child the best. We need to balance choice, accountability and funding in a responsible manner. My children have been in public school and homeschooled. I have served on the local school board. I have seen the pros and cons to each and have a great desire for people to receive the best education possible.”