Jerry Sehlke
Jerry Sehlke (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Idaho State Senate to represent District 33. He lost in the general election on November 6, 2018.
Sehlke completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2018. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Jerry Sehlke served active duty in the U.S. Army Security Agency from 1975 to 1978 and in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1979 to 1986. He earned a B.S. in biology from Washington State University in 1984, an M.S. in entomology from Washington State University in 1986, an M.S. in hydrology from the University of Idaho in 2000, and a Ph.D. in water resources law, management and policy from the University of Idaho in 2016. Sehlke's career experience includes working as a principal compliance engineer for Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corporation at the Naval Nuclear Laboratory (Naval Reactors Facility) in Idaho Falls from 2013 to 2017, advisory scientist fro the Battelle Energy Alliance from 1987 to 2013, adjunct professor for the civil and environmental engineering department at Utah State University, affiliate researcher for the Energy Policy Institute at Boise State University from 2011 to 2013, and legislative affairs fellow for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid from 2006 to 2007.[1]
Elections
2018
- See also: Idaho State Senate elections, 2018
General election
General election for Idaho State Senate District 33
David Lent defeated Jerry Sehlke in the general election for Idaho State Senate District 33 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | David Lent (R) | 59.5 | 7,899 |
 | Jerry Sehlke (D)  | 40.5 | 5,379 | |
| Total votes: 13,278 | |||
| = 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 33
Jerry Sehlke advanced from the Democratic primary for Idaho State Senate District 33 on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jerry Sehlke | 100.0 | 800 |
| Total votes: 800 | |||
| = 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 33
David Lent defeated incumbent Tony Potts in the Republican primary for Idaho State Senate District 33 on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | David Lent | 65.4 | 2,659 |
| Tony Potts | 34.6 | 1,406 | ||
| Total votes: 4,065 | |||
| = 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
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jerry Sehlke completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Sehlke's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
The greatest determinants of an individual’s/family’s quality of life are education, healthcare and an ability to earn a living wage. Education and Healthcare are critical “investments” in Idaho’s future. Well-educated Idahoans contribute positively to their own future and to the future of the state of Idaho because, in general, they earn more income, they live happier, more productive lives, and they can help propagate and improve our democracy, and they can contribute to the prosperity, welfare and sustainability of the state of Idaho. Likewise, healthy Idahoans are more comfortable, more productive, and they are more engaged in their own personal lives, their families and society as a whole. Each of these investments will build a better, more prosperous future for all Idahoans. Unfortunately, the legislature has not provided stable funding for Idaho’s schools since 2006 when it removed property taxes from the “three legged stool” of funding mechanisms that traditionally funded Idaho’s schools (property taxes, income taxes and corporate taxes). In addition, it has been unable to modernize its antiquated school funding formula in order to equitably distribute school funds around the state. USA Today ranks Idaho 47th and Education Week ranks Idaho 48th in education in the U.S. Children in school districts that can afford/are willing to pass large supplemental levees are probably getting a good education. However, many are not getting the “general, uniform and thorough system of public, free common schools” promised by the Idaho Constitution. U.S. News rankes Idaho 18th overall in healthcare. It notes that Idaho has high quality healthcare (6th) and relatively high quality Public Health (12th) systems. However, it also ranks Idaho 39th in healthcare access. So, Idahoans with good private health care plans, those that qualify for Idaho’s health care exchange program, “Your Health Idaho,” and those who qualify for Medicare or Medicaid are probably in good shape. However, the approximately 62,000 Idahoans without any healthcare coverage are probably in deep trouble. Finally, U.S. News notes that Idaho has one of the top performing economies in the U.S. It rankes Idaho 11th in Economic Growth and Employment, and it’s 10th in Business Environment. However, the U.S. Department of Labor notes that Idaho has approximately 21,000 workers (4.6%) being paid at or below minimum wage and Idaho ranks 50th in average weekly wages. Therefore, there is a great disparity between those Idahoans who are doing well economically and those who are not. My first goal in office would be to help turn around our schools by establishing adequate, stable and equitable funding for Idaho’s schools. My second goal would be to help pass and protect Medicaid Expansion in Idaho in order to cover the 62,000 Idahoans living without basic healthcare. My third goal would be to help help provide a living wage for the 21,000 Idahoans who are surviving on minimum wage or less, and the many other Idahoans who are trying to live on non-living wages!
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
In addition to the three issues above, I am very passionate about the protection of Idaho’s environment and natural resources, including the stainable use of its public lands and water resources. Relative to public lands, there have continuous efforts to “take back the public lands” the Federal Government “stole” from the western states since the 1970’s. These efforts, spearheaded by groups such as the American Lands Council and the American Legislative Exchange Council, have even drafted model statutes to be used by states to “legislate” those lands away from the Federal Government. At least 13 states have passed/have tried to pass such legislation. However, there is no valid historical or legal basis for “taking back” these lands. When Britain and the U.S. settled their historical fight over the Pacific Northwest via the Oregon Compromise in 1846, the U.S. became the owner of all lands south of the 49th parallel. The lands that became modern-day Idaho were designated as the Idaho Territory, in 1863. The State of Idaho was admitted into the Union in 1890 via the “An Act to Provide for the Admission of the State of Idaho into the Union” (Idaho Admissions Act) (26 Stat. L. 215, ch. 656; am 1998, P.L. 105-296). This act established the boundaries between Idaho and the surrounding states and it transferred specific lands within those boundaries to the State of Idaho. The lands transferred were intended for such activities as public schools, universities and state buildings. Other public lands were later transferred to the state or sold to individuals via other various acts (e.g., the Reclamation Act). The federal government retained ownership of millions acres of public lands in Idaho. However, Idaho officially and explicitly gave up its rights to those public lands as a condition of statehood. Section 12 of the Act states: “The State of Idaho shall not be entitled to any further or other grants of land for any purpose than as expressly provided in this act.” In addition, Section 19 of Idaho’s Constitution (which was ratified by the Act) states in part: “And the people of the state of Idaho do agree and declare that we forever disclaim all right and title to the unappropriated public lands lying within the boundaries thereof… this ordinance shall be irrevocable, without the consent of the United States and the people of the state of Idaho.” Despite the clear language above and Idaho’s Attorney General’s opinions against such legislation and proposed lawsuits, the Idaho Legislature continues to try to force the Federal Government to convey those lands “back” to Idaho. This is despite most Idahoans knowing that federal public lands belong to all Americans and most believing it is not fair or fiscally possible for the state to try to take these lands. If elected, I will work to stop the legislature from wasting the state’s funding and resources on such follies, because Idaho’s “Constitutional Defense Fund” has already incurred far too many costs via the legislature’s continual pursuit of foolish legislation and lawsuits.
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.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted on Ballotpedia’s biographical information submission form on October 2, 2018
