Scott Syme

Scott Syme

Republican Party

Prior offices

Idaho House of Representatives District 11A

Successor: Julie Yamamoto

Predecessor: Gayle Batt

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Elections and appointments

Last election

May 21, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

College of Idaho, 1976

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Years of service

1982 - 2014

Personal

Birthplace

Weiser, Idaho

Religion

Presbytarian

Profession

Retired

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Scott Syme (Republican Party) was a member of the Idaho House of Representatives, representing District 11A. He assumed office on December 1, 2016. He left office on December 1, 2022.

Syme (Republican Party) ran for election to the Idaho State Senate to represent District 9. He lost in the Republican primary on May 21, 2024.

Syme completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Scott Syme was born in Weiser, Idaho. Weiser served in the U.S. Army from 1982 to 2014. He earned a bachelor's degree from the College of Idaho in 1976. He has been affiliated with the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, National Rifle Association, and Disabled American Veterans.

Committee assignments

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.

2021-2022

Syme was assigned to the following committees:

• Change in Employee Compensation Committee
• Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee
• Joint Millennium Fund Committee
• Appropriations Committee
• House Commerce and Human Resources Committee, Vice-chair
• Transportation and Defense Committee

2019-2020

Syme was assigned to the following committees:

• Change in Employee Compensation Committee
• Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee
• Appropriations Committee
• House Commerce and Human Resources Committee
• Transportation and Defense Committee

2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

Idaho committee assignments, 2017
• Commerce and Human Resources
• Education
• Transportation and Defense

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

2024

See also: Idaho State Senate elections, 2024

General election

General election for Idaho State Senate District 9

Incumbent Brandon Shippy defeated Rachel Buck in the general election for Idaho State Senate District 9 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brandon Shippy (R)	82.9	20,745
		Rachel Buck (D)	17.1	4,292

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 25,037
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Idaho State Senate District 9

Rachel Buck advanced from the Democratic primary for Idaho State Senate District 9 on May 21, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rachel Buck	100.0	412

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 412
= 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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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Idaho State Senate District 9

Incumbent Brandon Shippy defeated Scott Syme in the Republican primary for Idaho State Senate District 9 on May 21, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brandon Shippy	51.7	4,404
		Scott Syme	48.3	4,114

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,518
= 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

Syme received the following endorsements.

• Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R)

2022

See also: Idaho House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Idaho House of Representatives District 9B

Incumbent Judy Boyle won election in the general election for Idaho House of Representatives District 9B on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Judy Boyle (R)	100.0	14,274

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 14,274
= 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 House of Representatives District 9B

Incumbent Judy Boyle defeated incumbent Scott Syme in the Republican primary for Idaho House of Representatives District 9B on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Judy Boyle	50.0	4,636
		Scott Syme	50.0	4,630

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 9,266
= 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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2020

See also: Idaho House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Idaho House of Representatives District 11A

Incumbent Scott Syme defeated Jacob Lowder in the general election for Idaho House of Representatives District 11A on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Scott Syme (R)	80.6	19,087
	Submit photo	Jacob Lowder (D)	19.4	4,596

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 23,683
= 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 House of Representatives District 11A

Jacob Lowder advanced from the Democratic primary for Idaho House of Representatives District 11A on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Jacob Lowder	100.0	1,235

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,235
= 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 House of Representatives District 11A

Incumbent Scott Syme defeated Mila Wood in the Republican primary for Idaho House of Representatives District 11A on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Scott Syme	67.2	5,458
	Submit photo	Mila Wood	32.8	2,659

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,117
= 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.

2018

See also: Idaho House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for Idaho House of Representatives District 11A

Incumbent Scott Syme won election in the general election for Idaho House of Representatives District 11A on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Scott Syme (R)	100.0	15,353

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 15,353
= 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 House of Representatives District 11A

Incumbent Scott Syme defeated Josh Gibbons in the Republican primary for Idaho House of Representatives District 11A on May 15, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Scott Syme	60.7	3,806
	Submit photo	Josh Gibbons	39.3	2,461

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 6,267
= 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.

2016

See also: Idaho House of Representatives elections, 2016

Elections for the Idaho House of Representatives were held in 2016. The primary election took place on May 17, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was March 11, 2016. Incumbent Gayle Batt (R) did not seek re-election.

Scott Syme defeated Edward Savala in the Idaho House of Representatives District 11A general election.

Idaho House of Representatives, District 11A General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Scott Syme	80.36%	15,561
	Democratic	Edward Savala	19.64%	3,802
Total Votes				19,363
Source: Idaho Secretary of State

Edward Savala ran unopposed in the Idaho House of Representatives District 11A Democratic primary.

Idaho House of Representatives District 11A, Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate
	Democratic	Edward Savala  (unopposed)

Scott Syme defeated Tammy Nichols, Marty Galvin, Mike Pullin and Myron Amsden defeated in the Idaho House of Representatives District 11A Republican primary.

Idaho House of Representatives District 11A, Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Scott Syme	47.17%	2,056
	Republican	Tammy Nichols	32.97%	1,437
	Republican	Marty Galvin	11.40%	497
	Republican	Mike Pullin	4.24%	185
	Republican	Myron Amsden	4.22%	184
Total Votes				4,359
Source: Idaho Secretary of State

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Scott Syme completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Syme's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a Reagan Republican who believes in limited government, spending within our means, listening to my constituents and an Idaho native. I have a considerable amount of varied experience that is necessary to be a leader in the Idaho State Senate. Raised on a farm near Weiser we didn't have a lot of money so I am very fiscally conservative. I grew up hunting upland game and coyotes in the foothills behind my home. After high school I attended the College of Idaho where I graduated Suma Cum Laude with a degree in Business Administration. After graduating I was hired in the lumber industry and worked there until the economy turned down and I enlisted in the US Army as a private. After my initial enlistment I was commissioned an officer in the US Army Reserve and retired 32 years later as a Colonel. I served two tours of duty in Iraq. During my time in the Reserve Forces I worked in retail and owned a preschool run by my wife. Later I was licensed as a Real Estate agent and now own a Real Estate company. Along the way we have also owned other business which gives me a vast history of experience to draw on as a state Senator. In addition my 3 terms in the Idaho House of Representatives gives me a leg up to hit the ground running.

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?

• I have the experience and leadership necessary to be an effective senator in the Idaho legislature.
• I am pragmatic and not an extremist. Pragmatism is the key to drafting and passing good solid legislation.
• My service to the nation in the US Army and my 3 terms in the Idaho House of Representatives give me the leadership experience necessary to be able to navigate complicated issues.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Taxes. Both property and sales tax on food. In District 9 the sales tax on food is keeping the area around Fruitland from getting a real grocery store.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Colin Powell's book.

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

Honesty and courage. Telling people the truth and not what they want to hear takes courage.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

A varied background with a considerable amount of experience.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Serving your constituents is primary. I want to be the Senator they can call to help them when they have problems with the government.

What legacy would you like to leave?

That I was a legislator who could be counted on to help his constituents.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember hunting for Easter eggs on our farm.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I made $1.25 per hour doing tractor work for my neighbor.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Captain America

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

Where each is independent but working toward the same goals of what is right for Idaho.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Transportation and education funding. The transportation system and education system will experience unprecedented growth and funding will be a challenge.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Absolutely. Navigating the complex issues that arise requires experience to know how to deal with them.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

To pass legislation you need the help of your fellow legislators.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Ronald Reagan

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

Just have to see what God has in store for me.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

No. Emergencies need quick and decisive action. Once the emergency has passed and the recovery phase is entered it would be appropriate for the legislature to act.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

Property tax relief for senior citizens on a fixed income.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Governor Little, Former Governor Otter, The Idaho Sugar Beet Industry, Payette County Sheriff.

What committees interest you?

Education

Commerce and Human Resources

State Affairs

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Idaho does a great job with financial transparency and accountability. It is the peoples money and we must be held accountable for how it is spent.

Do you support or oppose changes to the current state ballot initiative process? If so, what kind of changes would you consider?

NO

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.

2022

Scott Syme did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Scott Syme did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign finance summary

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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.

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Scott Syme campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Idaho State Senate District 9	Lost primary	$21,219	$47,966
2022	Idaho House of Representatives District 9B	Lost primary	$65,663	$47,033
2020	Idaho House of Representatives District 11A	Won general	$36,666	N/A**
2018	Idaho House of Representatives District 11A	Won general	$-4,699	N/A**
2016	Idaho House of Representatives, District 11-Position A	Won	$43,110	N/A**
Grand total			$161,960	$94,999
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal 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

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show].

In 2024, the Idaho State Legislature was in session from January 8 to April 10. ACLU Idaho Legislators are scored on their stance on civil liberties issues. Club for Growth Foundation Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues. Idaho Association of Commerce & Industry Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues. Idaho Freedom Foundation Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues. Idaho Wildlife Federation Legislators are scored on how they voted on sportsman-related bills. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

2023

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show].

In 2023, the Idaho State Legislature was in session from January 9 to April 6. ACLU Idaho Legislators are scored on their stance on civil liberties issues. Idaho Freedom Foundation Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues. Idaho Wildlife Federation Legislators are scored on how they voted on sportsman-related bills. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. The Institute for Legislative Analysis Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.

2022

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show].

In 2022, the Idaho State Legislature was in session from January 10 to March 31. ACLU Idaho Legislators are scored on their stance on civil liberties issues. Citizens Alliance of Idaho Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to upholding and defending Idaho values. Idaho Association of Commerce & Industry Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business and economic issues. Idaho Business for Education Legislators are scored on their stance on education policy. Idaho Freedom Foundation Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues. Idaho Wildlife Federation Legislators are scored on how they voted on sportsman-related bills. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2021

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show].

In 2021, the Idaho State Legislature was in session from January 11 to November 17. ACLU Idaho Legislators are scored on their stance on civil liberties issues. Idaho Business for Education Legislators are scored on their stance on education policy. Idaho Freedom Foundation Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues. Idaho Wildlife Federation Legislators are scored on how they voted on sportsman-related bills. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2020

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show].

In 2020, the Idaho State Legislature was in session from January 6 to March 20. ACLU Idaho Legislators are scored on their stance on civil liberties issues. Club for Growth Foundation Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues. Idaho Freedom Foundation Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues. Idaho Wildlife Federation Legislators are scored on how they voted on sportsman-related bills. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2019

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show].

In 2019, the Idaho State Legislature was in session from January 7 through April 11. ACLU Idaho Legislators are scored on their stance on civil liberties issues. Club for Growth Foundation Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues. Idaho Freedom Foundation Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2018

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show].
In 2018, the Idaho State Legislature was in session from January 8 through March 28. ACLU Idaho Legislators are scored on their stance on civil liberties issues. Idaho Freedom Foundation Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2017

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show].
In 2017, the Idaho State Legislature was in session from January 9 through March 29. ACLU Idaho Legislators are scored on their stance on civil liberties issues. Idaho Freedom Foundation Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

See also

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Candidate

Idaho State Senate District 9

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Gayle Batt (R)	Idaho House of Representatives District 11A 2016-2022	Succeeded by Julie Yamamoto (R)

[show]

Current members of the Idaho State Senate

Leadership

Majority Leader:Lori Den Hartog

Minority Leader:Melissa Wintrow

Senators

District 1

Jim Woodward (R)

District 2

Phil Hart (R)

District 3

Doug Okuniewicz (R)

District 4

Ben Toews (R)

District 5

Carl Bjerke (R)

District 6

Dan Foreman (R)

District 7

Cindy Carlson (R)

District 8

Christy Zito (R)

District 9

Brandon Shippy (R)

District 10

Tammy Nichols (R)

District 11

Camille Blaylock (R)

District 12

Ben Adams (R)

District 13

Brian Lenney (R)

District 14

C. Scott Grow (R)

District 15

Codi Galloway (R)

District 16

Alison Rabe (D)

District 17

Carrie Semmelroth (D)

District 18

Janie Ward-Engelking (D)

District 19

Melissa Wintrow (D)

District 20

Josh Keyser (R)

District 21

Treg Bernt (R)

District 22

Lori Den Hartog (R)

District 23

Todd Lakey (R)

District 24

Glenneda Zuiderveld (R)

District 25

Josh Kohl (R)

District 26

Ron Taylor (D)

District 27

Kelly Anthon (R)

District 28

Jim Guthrie (R)

District 29

James Ruchti (D)

District 30

Julie VanOrden (R)

District 31

Van Burtenshaw (R)

District 32

Kevin Cook (R)

District 33

David Lent (R)

District 34

Doug Ricks (R)

District 35

Mark Harris (R)

Republican Party (29)

Democratic Party (6)