Jake Ellis
Jake Ellis (Democratic Party) was a member of the Idaho House of Representatives, representing District 15B. He assumed office in 2018. He left office on December 1, 2020.
Ellis (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Idaho House of Representatives to represent District 15B. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Biography
Representative Ellis attended Skyline High School in Idaho Falls then graduated with a communications degree from Boise State University in 1998. He joined the Boise Fire Department in 1988 and fought wildland fires with the Bureau of Land Management for seven seasons. Ellis was awarded Firefighter of the Year in 1992. He attended the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy and went on to become the Battalion Chief of the Boise Fire Department. He retired from the Department in 2014. Ellis has served on the board of Conservation Voters of Idaho, the board of Idaho AFL-CIO, and worked to found a new Idaho Workers Memorial.[1]
Committee assignments
2019-2020
Ellis was assigned to the following committees:
- Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee
- House Commerce and Human Resources Committee
- Revenue and Taxation Committee
Elections
2020
See also: Idaho House of Representatives elections, 2020
General election
General election for Idaho House of Representatives District 15B
Codi Galloway defeated incumbent Jake Ellis in the general election for Idaho House of Representatives District 15B on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Codi Galloway (R)  | 52.6 | 11,975 |
 | Jake Ellis (D) | 47.4 | 10,785 | |
| Total votes: 22,760 | |||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Idaho House of Representatives District 15B
Incumbent Jake Ellis advanced from the Democratic primary for Idaho House of Representatives District 15B on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jake Ellis | 100.0 | 3,084 |
| Total votes: 3,084 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Idaho House of Representatives District 15B
Codi Galloway advanced from the Republican primary for Idaho House of Representatives District 15B on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Codi Galloway | 100.0 | 3,832 |
| Total votes: 3,832 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Lori Rouse (R)
- Jefferson West (R)
2018
General election
General election for Idaho House of Representatives District 15B
Jake Ellis defeated incumbent Patrick McDonald in the general election for Idaho House of Representatives District 15B on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jake Ellis (D) | 50.9 | 9,089 |
 | Patrick McDonald (R) | 49.1 | 8,769 | |
| Total votes: 17,858 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Idaho House of Representatives District 15B
Jake Ellis advanced from the Democratic primary for Idaho House of Representatives District 15B on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jake Ellis | 100.0 | 2,084 |
| Total votes: 2,084 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Idaho House of Representatives District 15B
Incumbent Patrick McDonald advanced from the Republican primary for Idaho House of Representatives District 15B on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Patrick McDonald | 100.0 | 3,630 |
| Total votes: 3,630 | |||
| = 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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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 Patrick McDonald defeated Jake Ellis in the Idaho House of Representatives District 15B general election.[2][3]
| Idaho House of Representatives, District 15B General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Patrick McDonald Incumbent |
56.18% | 10,506 | |
| Democratic | Jake Ellis | 43.82% | 8,194 | |
| Total Votes | 18,700 | |||
| Source: Idaho Secretary of State | ||||
Jake Ellis ran unopposed in the Idaho House of Representatives District 15B Democratic primary.[4][5]
| Idaho House of Representatives District 15B, Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Jake Ellis (unopposed) | |
Incumbent Patrick McDonald defeated Rod W. Beck in the Idaho House of Representatives District 15B Republican primary.[6][7]
| Idaho House of Representatives District 15B, Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Patrick McDonald Incumbent |
57.95% | 1,418 | |
| Republican | Rod W. Beck | 42.05% | 1,029 | |
| Total Votes | 2,447 | |||
| Source: Idaho Secretary of State | ||||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jake Ellis did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jake Ellis completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Ellis' responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
Education - We must begin investing more in our children's future, taking care of our educators, and creating more economic opportunity in the state. Protecting our Quality of Life - We must expand Medicaid to strengthen the overall health of our community. Idaho's wilderness is a treasured value that we all share; they should not have to face the threat of being sold off to private interests. Ethics and Accountability - The standards for accountability must be raised for our legislators. We have some of the loosest ethics laws in the country and reestablishing trust between our government and the people it serves is a high priority.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
As someone who spent their career as a Boise firefighter, I am extremely passionate about policy related to workers' rights. Since retirement, I have dedicated my time as a board member of the Idaho AFL-CIO so that I can continue to advocate for Idaho's working families. I am also passionate about policy related to our environment. I serve on the board for the Conservation Voters of Idaho, ensuring that our public lands remain protected and promoting policies that help preserve Idaho's wilderness.
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
I believe that having a passion for serving others and the courage to do what is right is extremely important. Far too many politicians seem to forget that they are public servants. Instead, they use their authority inappropriately and quickly lose touch with the people that elected them. It is also important to represent the best interests of the people you serve, even if it means challenging the majority. I see legislators today bending to the will of their political party and fellow legislators far too easily. This lack of courage has created unfair representation for our communities. I believe that my experience has provided me with these.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
A keen interest in public service that is extended to the residents of District 15 whether or not they voted for me. I expect that those I serve would hold me accountable during my term and not only at election time. That requires me to consistently connect with the residents through social media, email, town halls, coffee appointments, etc. While we may not always agree, I believe by listening I can learn various viewpoints on policy and laws that will lead to better decisions.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
The core responsibilities for an elected official are to establish trust and transparency with their constituents, truly listen to their needs and making them heard, and holding themselves accountable to fighting for them.
What legacy would you like to leave?
The personal connection I create with the residents I represent and courageous decisions that serve the people of Idaho and District 15.
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.
Ballotpedia biographical submission form
The candidate completed Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form:
| “ | What is your political philosophy?
I believe that the value of public service must be upheld as the primary motivation for our elected officials. Our government is only as strong as the ethical standards that are set and its level of transparency and accountability. We are obligated to provide the families we serve a high quality of life. This is done through responsibly investing our taxpayers’ money to give their children a quality education, providing them with the healthcare and infrastructure they need, and standing up for the dignity our workers. Our responsibility extends to the land that we all live on, by acting as responsible stewards of our environment and protecting it for generations to come. Is there anything you would like to add? I am a fourth-generation Idahoan who has spent nearly half my life in public service as a Boise firefighter. After retiring at the rank of Battalion Chief, I have been a strong advocate for some of the issues most important to Idahoans. I serve on the board for the Conservation Voters of Idaho, ensuring that our public lands are protected and we can continue to enjoy them. I am also a board member for the Idaho AFL-CIO, where I promote the rights of our working families, so they can live a life of stability. I am running because I became worried for Idaho. I couldn’t keep watching the legislature continue to cater to special interests and felt like I was not being fairly represented. We need new leaders for new solutions that meet the demands of a growing Idaho. By standing up for the dignity of our workers, investing in the quality education our children deserve, and defending our land against attack from special interests, we can ensure our community’s bright future.[8] |
” |
| —Jake Ellis[9] | ||
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.
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.
2020
In 2020, the Idaho State Legislature was in session from January 6 to March 20.
- 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 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.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Idaho State Legislature was in session from January 7 through April 11.
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See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ "Idaho Legislature", "Rep, Jake Ellis," accessed February 13, 2020
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State, "General election candidate list," accessed August 16, 2016
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State, "Nov 08, 2016 General Election Results," accessed November 25, 2016
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State, "Declaration for March 11, 2016, primary," accessed March 11, 2016
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State, "Official primary election results," accessed May 17, 2016
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State, "Declaration for March 11, 2016, primary," accessed March 11, 2016
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State, "Official primary election results," accessed May 17, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Information submitted via email on October 12, 2018
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Patrick McDonald (R) |
Idaho House of Representatives District 15B 2018-2020 |
Succeeded by Codi Galloway (R) |
