SANDPOINT — After 31 years in the Air Force, Sarah Zabel thought she’d found her little slice of heaven in North Idaho.

While the scenery was stunning, the more Zabel paid attention to the nightly news, the more she felt the decision makers in the United States were disconnected from the everyday person. That was until one day when she decided she was going to do something about it. 

“I guess I got tired of yelling at the TV, and I figured, if I really believe that they're doing the job poorly, that I can do better, then I need to get out there and do it,” Zabel said. “I need to stand up and say, ‘I can do it better.’ Put my money where my mouth is. And I got it, and I decided to run for office.” 

Running as an independent, Zabel is seeking election to the U.S. House of Representatives in Idaho’s District 1, challenging incumbent Republican Russ Fulcher. Zabel said she’s running to represent those who feel like they don’t have a voice at the federal level. 

Raised in a conservative military family, Zabel said she was a registered Republican and voted as such until later in her life. It wasn’t until President Donald Trump’s first term that Zabel said she found herself in the midst of a political soul searching. 

"When MAGA took over the Republican Party, it changed its philosophy,” Zabel said. “I think that I can make more of a difference if I lose narrowly as an independent than if I win as a Republican. That’s what it's about, it's about making a difference.” 

Zabel said she feels she can make more of a difference running as an independent, gathering voters and support without the backing of a political institution. As a self-described realist, Zabel said she is always looking for conceivable solutions. 

That’s one of the reasons that Zabel took an unorthodox approach, announcing her candidacy as she works through her policy agenda. Zabel said her free time has been spent thinking about issues she wants to tackle and hopes to have a complete policy layout before the New Year. 

While she’s still working through the latter half of her policies, Zabel said addressing the affordability crisis in the country is the most important issue to her.  

“I was buying some pecans to make a cake that I make at Christmas. And, you know, this little bag of pecans is $10 and I'm thinking ‘What on Earth?’” Zabel said. “People can't afford that. They feel like they can't afford their lives anymore.” 

Zabel said she feels the costs of basic living necessities have risen far too high because of tariffs put on foreign goods by the Trump administration. Zabel said discussion around affordability from the federal government is disconnected from what residents are feeling. 

Two large-scale issues Zabel said she was hoping to put forward solutions for were the rising national debt and the concerns around Social Security’s future. Zabel said these are two issues that seem far out, but will have disastrous consequences, if not handled now. 

Zabel said she’d like to revamp the country’s tax system to include an increase in taxes on the country’s highest earners and work to close loopholes. 

“All these, these problems that we're seeing right now, so many of them come from the fact that Congress is making these really bad decisions about the country's money,” Zabel said. “If they wanted to make our lives more affordable, they wouldn't be giving the money to the people with the most money.” 

Zabel said she takes great pride in her military service and hopes to restore honor to the act of service. She said she opposed the president’s sending the National Guard into American cities and the tactics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

Although Zabel has never held a public office before, she said she feels her 31 years of service gives her plenty of expertise at the federal level. Zabel said she plans to begin a tour of District 1 in January. 

“I'm going to want to meet with people and talk to them and make sure that when I look at problems that the whole country has, I'm really emphasizing the problems that are being here in Idaho,” Zabel said. “We are a microcosm of the whole country.” 

More information can be found on her website zabelforcongress.com.