Heather Luther

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Heather Luther

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

May 21, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

California State University, Fullerton, 2010

Graduate

National University, 2016

Personal

Birthplace

Whittier, Calif.

Religion

Catholic

Profession

Government administration

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Heather Luther (Republican Party) ran for election to the Ada County Board of Commissioners to represent District 3 in Idaho. She lost in the Republican primary on May 21, 2024.

Luther completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Heather Luther was born in Whittier, California. Luther earned a bachelor's degree from the California State University, Fullerton in 2010 and a graduate degree from National University in 2016. Her career experience includes working as the Director of Recording for Ada County. She has been affiliated with Leadership Boise, the Public Records Industry Association, the Idaho Association of Counties Recording Committee, Because International, and Culture First.

Elections

2024

See also: Municipal elections in Ada County, Idaho (2024)

General election

General election for Ada County Board of Commissioners District 3

Incumbent Tom E. Dayley defeated Devin Gutierrez in the general election for Ada County Board of Commissioners District 3 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tom E. Dayley (R)	58.6	147,303
		Devin Gutierrez (D)	41.4	104,188

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 251,491
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Ada County Board of Commissioners District 3

Devin Gutierrez advanced from the Democratic primary for Ada County Board of Commissioners District 3 on May 21, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Devin Gutierrez	100.0	13,187

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 13,187
= 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Jennifer Andrews-Kelley (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ada County Board of Commissioners District 3

Incumbent Tom E. Dayley defeated Branden Durst, Sharon Ullman, and Heather Luther in the Republican primary for Ada County Board of Commissioners District 3 on May 21, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tom E. Dayley	37.8	16,552
		Branden Durst	26.6	11,638
		Sharon Ullman	20.2	8,833
		Heather Luther	15.5	6,778

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 43,801
= 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.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Luther in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Heather Luther completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Luther's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Heather L. Luther moved to Kuna, Idaho in 2016 after accepting the position of Recording Supervisor with Ada County. Her position was later reclassified to Director of Recording. Over the last 8 years, she has worked to bring consistency in recording practices statewide. She has worked on legislation, clarification of county code, and implemented services to better transparency and communication with citizens.

Heather is running for Ada County Commissioner - District 3 to bring a different voice to decision making. She understands the impact programs have on citizens and can offer solutions based on that knowledge. She has spent the last 8 years building relationships with city, county, and state departments and will work collaboratively with all agencies to address issues. She is the only candidate with the understanding and experience of setting the budget and knows how to find ways to reasonably reduce costs without hindering service.

Heather has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in pre law and Minor in Sociology from California State University - Fullerton. In 2016 she also received a Master of Public Administration with a specialization in Human Resource Management from National University. Additionally, Heather is an alumni of the Leadership Boise program and served as the LBA VP in her second year.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Smart Budgeting - I will work to hold departments accountable for their budgets. To review what their actual expenditures are, and cut the excess. I will collaborate with the Clerk and audit team to ensure your tax dollars are being used appropriately.
• Smart Development - I will work with stakeholders to find ways to better the infrastructure (roads, water availability, and public transportation) before adding more development communities. Additionally, I will work to be proactive for the growth of the county by supporting the Master Facilities Plan. We are in need of an administrative building to move all non-court related services out of the courthouse and we are in need of the jail expansion. These projects are essential to promote the safety, security, and services for our community.
• Better Communication - Far too often citizens are unsure of what their tax dollars are used for. In order to build trust in government, it is important that we communicate with the public in a way that is easy to understand. I will work with departments to enhance the communication efforts made.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am most passionate about people. I believe in serving our community in a way that builds trust in government. I believe in approaching decisions with kindness and empathy and looking for long term solutions for issues facing our community.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to a wide variety of people for mentorship and guidance in everything I do. My biggest mentors in life have been my grandparents, Joseph and Filomena Cimilluca, who were an amazing example of service to your community, and my mother, Frances Moran, who embodies strength and perserverance. My grandparents were actively involved in their church and community. They always taught us that if someone is hungry, you feed them, and if someone is cold, you give them something warm. They had the most pure hearts and gave everything to the people around them. I strive to continue to follow their example and have a heart of service. I credit my mother for teaching me work ethic, for always making sure I strive to be the best I can be, and for always holding me accountable. I am the person I am today because of her. I look up to her strength and her ability to keep pushing forward no matter what obstacles there may be.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

While there is not a direct book I have read discussing my political philosophy, I do appreciate the research backed ideas discussed in books like Freakonomics (by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner). I believe in using data and research to make informed decisions and using common sense when weighing needs vs. wants.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The most important characteristics for an elected official is to conduct yourself in a way that demonstrates integrity and honesty. Additionally, I strongly believe that anyone running for office should have experience working within that field. It’s very difficult to understand the impact of decisions, both to employees and citizens, when you do not actually understand the job. Having someone experienced in county government will reduce the learning curve and allow for them to be proactive in decision making.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Three qualities that I believe all candidates should possess are honesty, integrity, and experience. Honesty is the act of being truthful, but it also entails showing respect to others, having integrity, and being self-aware. In a leadership position, honesty also extends to being unafraid to speak up and to also admit when they don’t know the answers. Integrity is defined as “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness”. Integrity should be expected from every person in an elected position. They are given the power to make decisions that will directly affect the lives of their constituents; a person in this role should be held to the highest standard and act with integrity. Experience is required for every job a person applies for, why would an elected position be any different? I am the only candidate that has served Ada County for a consecutive 8 years. I have the experience and knowledge needed to step into the role of Commissioner and will advocate for the citizens of Ada County.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

This position is responsible for passing the budget, for approving contracts the county is entering in, and for working collaboratively with department heads and other elected officials to meet the needs of the citizens of Ada County. Departments such as Expo Idaho, the Landfill, Human Resources, IT, and Operations all fall under the Commissioners.

What legacy would you like to leave?

The greatest legacy I could leave is to make a positive difference in the lives of others. Most importantly, I hope to raise my son to be the kind of person that also makes a positive difference in the lives of others.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first historical event I remember was Operation Desert Storm in 1991. While I didn’t know the details of it at the time, I do remember that my father was deployed to Saudi Arabia. I was around three years old, and my sister was born shortly after he left.

The second historical event that I remember was September 11th, 2001. I was in 8th grade and remember my mom coming in to wake me up. She was crying and I immediately thought something happened to one of my grandparents. She could hardly get the words out, but said there was a bad accident in New York. Much of our family resides in New York, so the first plane hitting, while unknown that it was intentional, really affected us. I went out to the living room to where the television was and saw as the second plane hit the World Trade Center (WTC). My mom began sobbing again and said “world war three just started”. That single event has impacted how we all operate today; from safety procedures while traveling, to the types of documentation required to prove identity, the attack on the WTC changed the world.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was working as a Recreation Leader for the City of Colton. I began working (officially) at 16 after getting my drivers license and worked with the City of Colton until I left for college. I then began working for the City of Yorba Linda as a Recreation Leader before being promoted to Sr. Recreation Leader and worked with them throughout college.

What is your favorite book? Why?

My favorite book (for sentimental reasons) is Corduroy by Don Freeman. My grandparents would read that to me as a child and to this day, I always associate it with them. It brings back the best memories of spending time with family, and now that I have a son, I enjoy reading it to him. Academically, my favorite book is The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. I read it for the first time as a junior in high school. At the time I was navigating through the typical teenage angst phase of life and really was able to relate to the sincerity of the book. The themes of feeling neglected, rebellion, and finding your place in society all resonated with me, and is the reason that book is a classic.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

If I could be any fictional character, I would want to be the genie from Aladdin. I would love to solve all problems in the world by giving people three wishes.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

With Kevin Bacon being on the news for attending the Footloose high school prom this past weekend, the Footloose theme song has been stuck in my head lately.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

One of the biggest struggles I’ve dealt with in life is watching my dad battle the disease of addiction. My dad was an amazing person. He was my confidant, protector, and the person I turned to when I needed advice. He was a retired Sheriff Deputy and a complete family man. Unfortunately, my family had to watch my dad struggle with addiction stemming from a motocross accident in 2005/2006. He was involved in a crash that damaged his left leg and led to being prescribed pain killers. That ended up turning into a dependency of prescription pills, and eventually became an addiction to methamphetamine. Going through the emotions of loving someone that is an addict was difficult. I wasn’t there to experience most of the rough phases, but I had to learn to set boundaries, limit my contact, and forgive him for his disease. My dad sadly passed away this January. I know he is now at peace, and our family has been learning how to move on, but loving someone who is dealing with addiction affects everyone. Addiction does not discriminate between socio-economic status, job title, or a stable family life. It will affect everyone in some way.

Tell us your favorite joke.

I love a good “dad joke”. One that I recently heard was “I used to fill my tires for free, now it costs a dollar. I guess that’s the inflation everyone’s talking about”.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

None at this time.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

The role of the government is to serve the people. Part of that role is to be open and transparent with your finances. I am proud of the initiatives that Ada County has implemented to bring transparency to citizens. The Budget Explorer tool is an amazing resource for the public to see exactly how their taxes are spent. It also shows how different initiatives (such as bonds or levies) could affect their tax bill.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Ada County Board of Commissioners District 3

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