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Heidi Smith-Takatori

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Heidi Smith-Takatori
Candidate, Idaho House of Representatives District 9A
Elections and appointments
Next election
May 19, 2026
Education
High school
Capital High School
Bachelor's
University of Idaho, 1978
Other
University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, 2012
Other
Washington State University, 1981
Personal
Birthplace
Idaho
Religion
Christian
Profession
Pastor
Contact

Heidi Smith-Takatori (Republican Party) is running for election to the Idaho House of Representatives to represent District 9A. She declared candidacy for the Republican primary scheduled on May 19, 2026.[source]

Smith-Takatori completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Heidi Smith-Takatori was born in Idaho. She graduated from Capital High School. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Idaho in 1978, graduated from Washington State University in 1981, and graduated from the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary in 2012. Her career experience includes working as a pastor.[1]

Elections

2026

See also: Idaho House of Representatives elections, 2026

General election

The primary will occur on May 19, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Idaho House of Representatives District 9A

Incumbent John Shirts and Heidi Smith-Takatori are running in the Republican primary for Idaho House of Representatives District 9A on May 19, 2026.


Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

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Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Heidi Smith-Takatori completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Smith-Takatori's responses.

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I’m Heidi Smith-Takatori, a lifelong Idahoan, ranch-raised and rooted in rural values. My career spans veterinary medicine, education, and service as a pastor for small-town congregations across Idaho. My family has deep ties to our agricultural community, and I’ve always been a strong advocate for rural families, small businesses, and parental rights. I’m running for State Representative because District 9 deserves a voice that truly understands and stands up for local farmers, property owners, and taxpayers—not Boise insiders. I will work tirelessly for our community, restoring transparency, fiscal discipline, and common sense to state government.
  • Standing up for family farmers—restoring ISDA’s partnership with University of Idaho Extension, putting local experts back in the driver’s seat, and fighting to make Idaho agriculture work for growers, not bureaucrats or big-city insiders.
  • Fighting for property tax relief and budget discipline—protecting homeowners, ranchers, and small businesses from rising taxes by holding state agencies accountable and ending runaway government growth.
  • Defending parental rights—empowering families, not state or federal bureaucrats, to make decisions about their children’s education, health, and upbringing, and supporting local control of our schools.
I am passionate about agricultural policy that empowers Idaho’s farmers and ranchers, tax reform to protect rural families from unfair burdens, and education policies that put parents and local communities in charge. I’m also committed to reducing bureaucratic waste, protecting property rights, and defending our constitutional freedoms. My experience as a veterinarian, educator, and pastor has shown me the importance of practical, common-sense solutions—and I will always put rural Idaho values first.
I have strong conservative principles, I am tenacious, I am not intimidated by authority, and I have good analytical skills. I also have a broad base of life experiences, a strong ability to research, and a good grounding in history and US government.
A state representative’s core responsibilities are to be a voice for their district, to scrutinize legislation for its real-world impact, and to hold government agencies accountable to the people they serve. That means engaging with constituents, staying accessible, and never rubber-stamping Boise’s agenda. I believe in defending property rights, advocating for fair policies for rural Idaho, and ensuring that government remains accountable, efficient, and limited.
The first historical event I remember was the Cuban missile crisis. Our family prepared for the potential of nuclear fallout. I was not quite 7.
I returned to the family ranch for six summers after my sister took it over. I was the primary range rider, in addition to several other ranch chores, and I was paid in cattle. I got a calf check each fall, and when it came time to go to college, I was able to sell my cows for some additional college funding.

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.

Campaign finance summary

Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.

See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on June 18, 2025


Current members of the Idaho House of Representatives
Leadership
Speaker of the House:Mike Moyle
Majority Leader:Jason Monks
Representatives
District 1A
District 1B
District 2A
District 2B
District 3A
District 3B
District 4A
District 4B
District 5A
District 5B
District 6A
District 6B
District 7A
District 7B
District 8A
District 8B
District 9A
District 9B
District 10A
District 10B
District 11A
District 11B
District 12A
District 12B
District 13A
District 13B
District 14A
Ted Hill (R)
District 14B
District 15A
District 15B
District 16A
District 16B
District 17A
District 17B
District 18A
District 18B
District 19A
District 19B
District 20A
District 20B
District 21A
District 21B
District 22A
District 22B
District 23A
District 23B
District 24A
District 24B
District 25A
District 25B
District 26A
District 26B
District 27A
District 27B
District 28A
District 28B
District 29A
District 29B
District 30A
District 30B
District 31A
District 31B
District 32A
District 32B
District 33A
District 33B
District 34A
Jon Weber (R)
District 34B
District 35A
District 35B
Republican Party (61)
Democratic Party (9)