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Rick Just

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Rick Just
Image of Rick Just
Prior offices
Idaho State Senate District 15
Successor: Codi Galloway
Predecessor: Fred S. Martin

Elections and appointments
Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Boise State University, 1979

Graduate

Boise State University, 2003

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Marine Corps

Years of service

1969 - 1971

Personal
Birthplace
Blackfoot, Idaho
Profession
Chief planner for the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation
Contact

Rick Just (Democratic Party) was a member of the Idaho State Senate, representing District 15. He assumed office on December 1, 2022. He left office on December 1, 2024.

Just (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Idaho State Senate to represent District 15. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Biography

Rick Just was born in Blackfoot, Idaho. He graduated from Firth High School. Just served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1969 to 1971. He earned a bachelor's degree in English/communications in 1979 and a master's degree in public administration (MPA) in 2003 from Boise State University. His career experience includes working as a writer, the executive director of Presto Preservation Association, a coordinator for the Idaho Recreation and Tourism Initiative, and the chief of planning at the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation.[1][2]

Just has been affiliated with the following organizations:[1][3]

  • Friends of Idaho State Parks, president
  • Boise District Bureau of Land Management Resource Advisory Council, member
  • Idaho Writers Guild, former board member
  • National Association of Recreation Resource Planners, former president
  • National Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals, past board member
  • Learning Lab of Boise and the Anser Charter School board, past board member
  • Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals, former president
  • Presto Preservation Association, executive director

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

2024

See also: Idaho State Senate elections, 2024

General election

General election for Idaho State Senate District 15

Codi Galloway defeated incumbent Rick Just in the general election for Idaho State Senate District 15 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Codi Galloway
Codi Galloway (R)
 
51.8
 
12,846
Image of Rick Just
Rick Just (D)
 
48.2
 
11,934

Total votes: 24,780
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Idaho State Senate District 15

Incumbent Rick Just advanced from the Democratic primary for Idaho State Senate District 15 on May 21, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Rick Just
Rick Just
 
100.0
 
1,753

Total votes: 1,753
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Idaho State Senate District 15

Codi Galloway advanced from the Republican primary for Idaho State Senate District 15 on May 21, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Codi Galloway
Codi Galloway
 
100.0
 
3,290

Total votes: 3,290
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Just in this election.

Pledges

Just signed the following pledges.

  • U.S. Term Limits

2022

See also: Idaho State Senate elections, 2022

General election

General election for Idaho State Senate District 15

Rick Just defeated Codi Galloway and Sarah Clendenon in the general election for Idaho State Senate District 15 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Rick Just
Rick Just (D) Candidate Connection
 
49.8
 
9,193
Image of Codi Galloway
Codi Galloway (R) Candidate Connection
 
48.0
 
8,866
Image of Sarah Clendenon
Sarah Clendenon (Constitution Party)
 
2.2
 
413

Total votes: 18,472
Candidate Connection = 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 15

Rick Just advanced from the Democratic primary for Idaho State Senate District 15 on May 17, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Rick Just
Rick Just Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
1,498

Total votes: 1,498
Candidate Connection = 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 15

Codi Galloway defeated incumbent Fred S. Martin and Dorothy Greenzang in the Republican primary for Idaho State Senate District 15 on May 17, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Codi Galloway
Codi Galloway Candidate Connection
 
53.0
 
3,668
Image of Fred S. Martin
Fred S. Martin
 
41.2
 
2,853
Dorothy Greenzang
 
5.8
 
398

Total votes: 6,919
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Constitution primary election

Constitution primary for Idaho State Senate District 15

Sarah Clendenon advanced from the Constitution primary for Idaho State Senate District 15 on May 17, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Sarah Clendenon
Sarah Clendenon
 
100.0
 
10

Total votes: 10
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2020

See also: Idaho State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Idaho State Senate District 15

Incumbent Fred S. Martin defeated Rick Just in the general election for Idaho State Senate District 15 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Fred S. Martin
Fred S. Martin (R)
 
53.0
 
12,009
Image of Rick Just
Rick Just (D) Candidate Connection
 
47.0
 
10,654

Total votes: 22,663
Candidate Connection = 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 15

Rick Just advanced from the Democratic primary for Idaho State Senate District 15 on June 2, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Rick Just
Rick Just Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
2,953

Total votes: 2,953
Candidate Connection = 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 15

Incumbent Fred S. Martin defeated Sarah Clendenon in the Republican primary for Idaho State Senate District 15 on June 2, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Fred S. Martin
Fred S. Martin
 
75.5
 
3,322
Image of Sarah Clendenon
Sarah Clendenon
 
24.5
 
1,078

Total votes: 4,400
Candidate Connection = 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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Rick Just did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia
Released Apr 9, 2022

Candidate Connection

Rick Just completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Just's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

I had a 30-year career with the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, serving as the agency spokesperson for years and retiring as the chief of planning.

During that public service career, I found time to write, mostly about Idaho history. In 1989 and 1990 I produced the official Centennial Radio Series, Idaho Snapshots. The daily program aired on 40 stations statewide. A couple of years ago I resurrected some of those 200 stories and began writing a daily blog about Idaho history, called Speaking of Idaho. That led to my writing a history column for The Idaho Press and for the Morning News over in Blackfoot, as well as a series of books.

In addition to my writing and my career in government, I’ve served my community in several ways, including as a Boise City Planning and Zoning Commissioner. I love learning and enjoy helping others learn. I have been a member of the Learning Lab board, which provides literacy education. I also served on the Anser Charter School board and I’m currently the director of Writers at Harriman, the popular summer writing camp for gifted high school students.

  • I want to bring better balance to Idaho’s Legislature.
  • I will work to find additional funding for education in Idaho.
  • I want to find solutions that will lead to a better quality of life through access to affordable health care, better wages, and affordable housing.
As an outdoor enthusiast and Idaho state parks professional, I am most passionate about public land policy. Our identity as Idahoans is strongly connected to our natural resources. They give us our strong sense of freedom and provide opportunities to bring us all together. We must protect public lands so future generations can hunt, fish, hike, and enjoy everything about the great outdoors. I believe we have the potential to become a national leader in sustainability.

As a writer, I am also passionate about education. I am the director of a state writing program for high school students and have served in several other positions that sought to enhance education in Idaho. Education is directly tied to a community’s success in just about every area, and our state is notoriously at the bottom. We must work to adequately fund education at the state level to address existing disparities. Our children deserve the chance to compete for the jobs of tomorrow and a great education system will bring those opportunities here.

I am also passionate about policies related to our quality of life. This ties back to sustainable growth, wages, and healthcare. As a former Boise Planning and Zoning Commissioner I understand the need to keep Boise a livable city with a variety of transportation choices. My conversations with voters tell me just how important it is to focus on providing access to affordable healthcare, livable wages, and affordable housing.
My political heroes are Robert E. Smylie and Cecil Andrus. They were great Idaho governors from different parties who could work across party lines for the good of the state.
Honesty, transparency, and a willingness to admit it when they are wrong.
Representing the district that elects them to the best of their ability. One doesn't have to vote the way every constituent wants you to vote. That's impossible. But you need to listen to what they have to say and understand their point of view. Constituent service is another vital aspect of the job. If you have a constituent, who has a problem with government at any level, you need to be able to at least direct them to someone who can seriously consider their situation.
Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner. This Pulitzer Prize-winner tells a fictionalized version of the story of a key Boise couple in the late 1800s. It depicts the tragedies and triumphs of those settling the American West.
Balance. We have three coequal branches of government in Idaho. We need a governor who will work with legislators and vice versa. Recent actions by the Idaho Legislature have been designed to take away power from the governor and from the courts.
Managing the challenges of growth. An increasing population brings with it many resources for government. We need to focus on the infrastructure needs that impact all citizens, particularly in education, transportation, and water quality and quantity.
This isn't an issue in Idaho. Since there is only one unicameral state legislature in the country, this isn't worth spending time on.
Previous experience is beneficial in any job. Legislators need to have a good understanding of government. That can come through elected office or from working for the government. It can also be gained by following politics closely. Our biggest need in the Idaho Legislature is to have a wide variety of life experiences in the legislative body so that legislators can learn from one another.
Of course. You need to understand what shapes the views of your fellow legislators. Building a personal relationship will make you listen more closely.
An independent redistricting commission such as the one Idaho already has.
There are many from both parties who I admire. I'll learn from them and chart my own course based on their experiences.
Emergency powers need to reside in the Governor's office. He or she can act nimbly when time is important. The Legislature can make decisions about issues that come out of the emergency in due course and more leisurely deliberation.
Compromise and collaboration are essential in policymaking. It is only inappropriate when the issue is about human rights.

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.

2020

Candidate Connection

Rick Just completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Just's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

I had a 30-year career with the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, serving as the agency spokesperson for years and retiring as the chief of planning.

During that public service career I found time to write, mostly about Idaho history. In 1989 and 1990 I produced the official Centennial Radio Series, Idaho Snapshots. The daily program aired on 40 stations statewide. A couple of years ago I resurrected some of those 200 stories and began writing a daily blog about Idaho history, called Speaking of Idaho. That led to my writing a history column for The Idaho Press and for the Morning News over in Blackfoot, as well as a series of books.

In addition to my writing and my career in government, I've served my community in several ways, including as a Boise City Planning and Zoning Commissioner. I love learning and enjoy helping others learn. I have been a member of the Learning Lab board, which provides literacy education. I also served on the Anser Charter School board and I'm currently the director of Writers at Harriman, the popular summer writing camp for gifted high school students.
  • Ethical and Accountable Government - I want to bring better balance to the Idaho Legislature so that our elected officials are more accountable to the people they serve. The dominance of a single group has led to powerful special interests and elected officials who are unwilling to cooperate with standards of transparency. Our state needs more policies that prove to its citizens that it can be trusted.
  • Education - Every child in Idaho deserves equal access to a quality education. Our legislature passes the burden of funding our schools onto property owners, creating a huge disparity in the quality of education that our children receive. Teachers are leaving for better wages and we are only one of two states that does not fund pre-k. It is time we make the necessary investment in our schools for the sake of everyone's future.
  • Quality of Life - The ultimate goal of our state government should be a high quality of life for everyone. Healthcare, a living wage, affordable housing, smart growth, and protecting our public lands are all part of that. We must collaborate across government to overcome challenges to growth and assure our communities have the resources they need to thrive.
As an outdoor enthusiast and Idaho state parks professional, I am most passionate about public land policy. Our identity as Idahoans is strongly connected to our natural resources. They give us our strong sense of freedom and provide opportunities to bring us all together. We must protect public lands so future generations can hunt, fish, hike, and enjoy everything about the great outdoors. I believe we have the potential to become a national leader in sustainability.

As a writer, I care deeply about education. I am the director of a state writing program for high school students and have served in several other positions that sought to enhance education in Idaho. Education is directly tied to a community's success in just about every area, and our state is notoriously at the bottom. We must work to adequately fund education at the state level to address existing disparities. Our children deserve the chance to compete for the jobs of tomorrow and a great education system will bring those opportunities here.

I am also passionate about policies related to our quality of life. This ties back to sustainable growth, wages, and healthcare. As a former Boise Planning and Zoning Commissioner I understand the need to keep Boise a livable city with a variety of transportation choices. My conversations with voters tell me just how important it is to focus on providing access to affordable healthcare, livable wages, and affordable housing.
My political heroes are governors Robert E. Smylie and Cecil D. Andrus. They were statesmen of different parties who managed to transcend partisanship. I will strive to follow their example and work with stakeholders on all sides of an issue so that I can better understand their viewpoints and needs.
I am an excellent listener who is accustomed to public hearings and has substantial knowledge of local, state, and federal government processes.
Listening is at the top of the list. You must listen to your constituents to understand their needs. That doesn't mean you just wait for them to call or send an email. You must take every opportunity to talk with them about their concerns and assist them when you can cut through some red tape.
Letters of Long Ago, by Agnes Just Reid. Written by my great aunt in 1923 and still in print, it is the early history of my pioneer Idaho family. I reread it at least once a year to remind myself of the hardships they faced and overcame.
It is not just beneficial, but crucial to build a relationship with other legislators. Each of them, regardless of party, will have more expertise than I do on certain issues. I want to better understand their views and how they came to them. By being attentive to their concerns I can improve my service to my own constituents who may share their viewpoints. I want to work collaboratively to seek common sense solutions.
I will serve where needed, but my preference would be to serve on the Senate Resources and Environment, State Affairs, and Education committees.
Time and again I have heard from constituents about their struggles trying to make ends meet and the challenges they have in finding access to affordable healthcare and affordable housing. That often comes from those working two or three minimum wage jobs, but it also impacts professionals, such as a married couple I talked with recently who were both teachers. They love Boise and want to stay here, but they fear they might have to go out of state for wages that are $20,000 higher for each of them.

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.


Rick Just campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024* Idaho State Senate District 15Lost general$155,022 $179,625
2022Idaho State Senate District 15Won general$74,259 $73,576
2020Idaho State Senate District 15Lost general$63,082 N/A**
Grand total$292,363 $253,201
Sources: OpenSecretsFederal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Idaho

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.


2024

In 2024, the Idaho State Legislature was in session from January 8 to April 10.

Legislators are scored on their stance on civil liberties issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues.
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.


2023









See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on June 19, 2020.
  2. LinkedIn, "Rick Just," accessed January 15, 2023
  3. Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on April 11, 2022

Political offices
Preceded by
Fred S. Martin (R)
Idaho State Senate District 15
2022-2024
Succeeded by
Codi Galloway (R)


Current members of the Idaho State Senate
Leadership
Majority Leader:Lori Den Hartog
Minority Leader:Melissa Wintrow
Senators
District 1
District 2
Phil Hart (R)
District 3
District 4
Ben Toews (R)
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
Ben Adams (R)
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
Josh Kohl (R)
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
District 35
Republican Party (29)
Democratic Party (6)