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David Nelson (Idaho)
David Nelson (Democratic Party) was a member of the Idaho State Senate, representing District 5. He assumed office on December 1, 2018. He left office on December 1, 2022.
Nelson (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Idaho State Senate to represent District 6. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Biography
David Nelson earned a bachelor's degree and master's degree from the University of Idaho, and a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts. Nelson is a chemical engineer by training and his professional experience includes writing software and founding software companies. His organizational affiliations include the Rotary Club and the Latah Democratic Party.[1]
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.
2021-2022
Nelson was assigned to the following committees:
- Transportation Committee
- Economic Outlook and Revenue Assessment Committee
- Joint Legislative Oversight Committee
- Senate Agricultural Affairs Committee
- Senate Education Committee
2019-2020
Nelson was assigned to the following committees:
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2022
See also: Idaho State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for Idaho State Senate District 6
Dan Foreman defeated incumbent David Nelson and James Hartley in the general election for Idaho State Senate District 6 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Dan Foreman (R)  | 50.1 | 10,174 |
 | David Nelson (D) | 48.0 | 9,746 | |
| James Hartley (Constitution Party) | 2.0 | 398 | ||
| Total votes: 20,318 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Idaho State Senate District 6
Incumbent David Nelson advanced from the Democratic primary for Idaho State Senate District 6 on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | David Nelson | 100.0 | 1,828 |
| Total votes: 1,828 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Idaho State Senate District 6
Dan Foreman defeated incumbent Robert Blair and Jen Seegmiller in the Republican primary for Idaho State Senate District 6 on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Dan Foreman | 43.2 | 2,792 |
 | Robert Blair | 35.3 | 2,282 | |
 | Jen Seegmiller | 21.5 | 1,391 | |
| Total votes: 6,465 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Constitution primary election
Constitution primary for Idaho State Senate District 6
James Hartley advanced from the Constitution primary for Idaho State Senate District 6 on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | James Hartley | 100.0 | 17 | |
| Total votes: 17 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2020
See also: Idaho State Senate elections, 2020
General election
General election for Idaho State Senate District 5
Incumbent David Nelson defeated Dan Foreman in the general election for Idaho State Senate District 5 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | David Nelson (D) | 50.4 | 12,691 |
| Dan Foreman (R) | 49.6 | 12,471 | |
| Total votes: 25,162 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Idaho State Senate District 5
Incumbent David Nelson advanced from the Democratic primary for Idaho State Senate District 5 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | David Nelson | 100.0 | 3,684 |
| Total votes: 3,684 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Idaho State Senate District 5
Dan Foreman advanced from the Republican primary for Idaho State Senate District 5 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Dan Foreman | 100.0 | 4,376 |
| Total votes: 4,376 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
- See also: Idaho State Senate elections, 2018
General election
General election for Idaho State Senate District 5
David Nelson defeated incumbent Dan Foreman in the general election for Idaho State Senate District 5 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | David Nelson (D) | 56.1 | 11,197 |
| Dan Foreman (R) | 43.9 | 8,777 | |
| Total votes: 19,974 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Idaho State Senate District 5
David Nelson advanced from the Democratic primary for Idaho State Senate District 5 on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | David Nelson | 100.0 | 2,834 |
| Total votes: 2,834 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Idaho State Senate District 5
Incumbent Dan Foreman defeated Marshall Comstock in the Republican primary for Idaho State Senate District 5 on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Dan Foreman | 51.3 | 2,180 |
| Marshall Comstock | 48.7 | 2,071 | ||
| Total votes: 4,251 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
David Nelson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
David Nelson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
- See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
David Nelson participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on September 5, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and David Nelson's responses follow below.[2]
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
| “ | 1. Investing in public education 2. Access to quality health care 3. Protecting our public lands 4. Boosting economic growth 5. Adequate and regionally fair funding for maintaining our transportation infrastructure 6. Keeping government honest[3][4] |
” |
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?
| “ | I want every child across our district—from St. Maries to Genesee—to have access to a quality, public K-12 education. Vocational training and college must be affordable for every one of them. Investing in education is the greatest thing we can do for our own and our children’s future. It leads to a more prosperous economy and gives us the skills to change when it’s needed. One concrete thing to work on is the go-on rate, which means increasing the number of people with education after high-school. Idaho’s rate is low and has been decreasing in the last four years. I will support investments to fix this trend.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[4]
|
” |
Ballotpedia biographical submission form
The candidate completed Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form:
| “ | What is your political philosophy?
When government is done well, we are working together to solve problems. Our government needs experienced people who are thoughtful, and understand how hard everyone is working and want to help them get ahead. I know how to do this. Its time for me to serve.[4] |
” |
| —David Nelson[1] | ||
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Idaho scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2022
In 2022, the Idaho State Legislature was in session from January 10 to March 31.
- Legislators are scored on their stance on civil liberties issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to upholding and defending Idaho values.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
- Legislators are scored on their stance on education policy.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- Legislators are scored on how they voted on sportsman-related bills.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Idaho State Legislature was in session from January 11 to November 17.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Idaho State Legislature was in session from January 6 to March 20.
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2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Idaho State Legislature was in session from January 7 through April 11.
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See also
2022 Elections
External links
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Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Information submitted on Ballotpedia’s biographical information submission form on August 28, 2018
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "David Nelson's responses," September 5, 2018
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Dan Foreman (R) |
Idaho State Senate District 5 2018-2022 |
Succeeded by Carl Bjerke (R) |
