John Shirts
John Shirts (Republican Party) is a member of the Idaho House of Representatives, representing District 9A. He assumed office on December 1, 2024. His current term ends on December 1, 2026.
Shirts (Republican Party) is running for re-election to the Idaho House of Representatives to represent District 9A. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.[source]
Biography
John Shirts was born in Nampa, Idaho. Shirts' served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve beginning in 2014. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Idaho in 2009.His career experience includes working as a military officer.[1]
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
2026
See also: Idaho House of Representatives elections, 2026
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for Idaho House of Representatives District 9A
Incumbent John Shirts and Heidi Smith-Takatori are running in the general election for Idaho House of Representatives District 9A on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | John Shirts (R) | |
 | Heidi Smith-Takatori (R)  | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
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2024
See also: Idaho House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for Idaho House of Representatives District 9A
John Shirts defeated Thomas Albritton in the general election for Idaho House of Representatives District 9A on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | John Shirts (R) | 85.0 | 21,107 |
| Thomas Albritton (D) | 15.0 | 3,718 | ||
| Total votes: 24,825 | |||
| = 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 House of Representatives District 9A
Thomas Albritton advanced from the Democratic primary for Idaho House of Representatives District 9A on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Thomas Albritton | 100.0 | 406 | |
| Total votes: 406 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Idaho House of Representatives District 9A
John Shirts defeated incumbent Jacyn Gallagher in the Republican primary for Idaho House of Representatives District 9A on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | John Shirts | 61.8 | 5,274 |
 | Jacyn Gallagher | 38.2 | 3,255 | |
| Total votes: 8,529 | |||
| = 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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Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Shirts in this election.
Pledges
Shirts signed the following pledges.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
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2024
John Shirts completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Shirts' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Following his clerkship, he earned a commission in the U.S. Air Force as a JAG officer. During his active-duty service, John served in Korea as an adviser to the 51st Fighter Wing on Osan Air Base. Later appointed to the Air Force’s Special Victims Unit (SVU), he prosecuted sexual assault cases at thirty Air Force bases around the world, from Germany to Hawaii. His military decorations include the Air Force Commendation Medal and the Korean Defense Service Medal.
After leaving active duty, John was appointed as an Assistant United States Attorney under the Trump administration. He served as a federal prosecutor in Idaho, convicting illegal alien drug traffickers and child predators. He also used the GI Bill to attend Harvard University’s Extension School, graduating with a Master’s in International Relations. He continues to serve as a prosecutor in the Air Force Reserve.
John is married to Mercedes Shirts, a high school teacher. They spend their time on the family ranch in Weiser.- Law Enforcement / Veterans
Idaho’s law enforcement and veterans make incredible personal sacrifices. John will always back the blue. Upholding the law, doubling down on law and order and pushing for mandatory minimum sentences for those who deal deadly fentanyl will keep Idahoans safe. John knows that committing the needed resources and funding to law enforcement helps them keep us safe.
John will fight just as hard for Idaho’s veterans. A veteran himself, John knows that those who have served deserve our utmost respect for their dedication to our country. After leaving active duty, John was appointed as an Assistant United States Attorney under the Trump Administration and continues to serve as a prosecutor in the Air Force Reserve. - Fiscal Maintaining low taxes, cutting regulations, and eliminating government waste is essential for protecting the limited government ways that has made Idaho great. John is a fiscal conservative who understands that low government spending allows more freedom for Idaho families. Keeping government oversight in check allows individuals to prosper, leading to economic growth and job creation for Idahoans. Safeguarding free-market policies will empower businesses and entrepreneurs, and foster innovation and competition keeping Idaho’s economy strong for decades to come.
- Protecting Idaho Agriculture John grew up as a 5th generation Idahoan working on his family’s ranch. Idaho farmers and ranchers are the backbone of our state and contribute to keeping our state and nation prosperous. Unfortunately, agriculture is under attack from liberals in Boise and Washington DC. John will fight to stop agriculture killing policies and protect our water.
Idaho has always been a state that defends the sanctity of life and the fundamental rights enshrined in the Second Amendment. John is staunchly pro-life and will advocate for policies that protect the unborn and promote a culture of life.
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
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
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.
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See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on April 30, 2024
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jacyn Gallagher (R) |
Idaho House of Representatives District 9A 2024-Present |
Succeeded by - |
