Sarah Zabel (Idaho)

Sarah Zabel

Independent

Candidate, U.S. House Idaho District 1

Elections and appointments

Next election

November 3, 2026

Education

High school

Devine High School

Bachelor's

U.S. Air Force Academy, 1987

Graduate

University of Texas at San Antonio, 1996

Graduate

U.S. Army War College, 2007

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Air Force

Years of service

1987 - 2018

Personal

Birthplace

Burbank, CA

Profession

Military officer

Contact

Campaign website

Personal website

Sarah Zabel (independent) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Idaho's 1st Congressional District. She declared candidacy for the 2026 election.^[source]

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

Biography

Sarah Zabel was born in Burbank, California. She served in the U.S. Air Force from 1987 to 2018. She earned a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1987, a graduate degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1996, and a graduate degree from U.S. Army War College in 2007. Her career experience includes working as a military officer.

Elections

2026

See also: Idaho's 1st Congressional District election, 2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for U.S. House Idaho District 1

Incumbent Russ Fulcher (R), Ken Brungardt (D), and Sarah Zabel (Independent) are running in the general election for U.S. House Idaho District 1 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Russ Fulcher (R)
	Submit photo	Ken Brungardt (D)
		Sarah Zabel (Independent)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Endorsements

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Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Sarah Zabel completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Zabel's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Sarah Zabel retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2018 as a major general. Making her home in Idaho, she wrote a book about the science of depression and became an Adjunct for RAND Corporation. She entered the race for US Congress as an Independent in November 2025.

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?

• As a country, we are facing serious problems, but we have overcome equally challenging problems before. We know how to solve our problems.
• The federal government is burdening the economy with tariffs and excessive workforce controls. Reduce those burdens and we can make living more affordable.
• We need to reform our laws and enforce them fairly and evenly.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

National debt, affordability, and foreign affairs.

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

True motivation to serve their constituents and the nation as a whole.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

We are facing significant challenges with affordability, especially of health care. Going forward, the economic disruption posed by artificial intelligence and robotics will become increasingly significant.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Yes. It ensures continuing accountability to the voters.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Yes. Our laws affect the whole nation. Congress can't just serve a single constituency.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

We need to reform our tax policies. Revising tax law will be a very high priority for me.

What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?

I researched and wrote a book about the science of depression. It opened my eyes about mental health and illness and was truly challenging.

What role should the United States government have in the development or use of artificial intelligence?

The U.S. government must ensure that people are held accountable for what they do. In the area of artificial intelligence, the government needs to ensure transparency, so that people know when they are interacting with AI rather than a person. They need to know when artifacts such as video or audio recordings are generated by AI. The learning path of AI must be documented. The government can ensure such transparency by establishing technical standards and legal accountability for their violation.

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 the Federal Elections Commission. That information will be published here once it is available.

See also

2026 Elections

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Government

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External links

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Candidate

U.S. House Idaho District 1

Website

Personal

Website

Footnotes

[show]

Idaho's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Mike Crapo (R)

Jim Risch (R)

Representatives

District 1

Russ Fulcher (R)

District 2

Michael Simpson (R)

Republican Party (4)