SANDPOINT — Democratic candidate for Idaho governor Terri Pickens, who is challenging incumbent Gov. Brad Little, made her way up north for a meet-and-greet March 21. 

Pickens, a fourth-generation Idahoan, works in law under her own practice, Pickens Law P.A., of Boise. While Pickens said her career in litigation has been satisfying, she wanted to run for governor because she believes Little wasn’t doing enough to stand up for residents. 

“We love our freedom up here in Idaho, everywhere in Idaho, but particularly up here,” Pickens said. “I remember the days when we said, ‘Keep federal agents off our streets,’ and we've got a governor who's inviting it, and I just couldn't stay silent for it anymore.” 

Pickens said she realizes running under the Democratic ticket presents challenges in the overwhelmingly Republican Panhandle but said she hopes to be a candidate who can cross party lines. As an avid hunter and former Republican, Pickens said she hopes to shake off the typical notions of what a Democratic candidate can be. 

The event, which Pickens is doing throughout the state, is one way she hopes to break out of the mold and hear about the issues that residents are facing. Pickens said the economy and housing affordability are the issues she continues to hear about from Idahoans. 

“I think we're hitting a point where people aren't going to just vote for the letter behind your name,” Pickens said. “Nobody says it's just great that I'm paying $5 a gallon for gas, and it's just great that I can't get one bag of groceries for under $100. No one is saying that. When you have that conversation, you can build the bridge to the next question is, how do we fix it together?” 

Pickens said if elected she would start by standing up to the Idaho Legislature and rebuilding the state’s revenue by undoing recent income tax cuts. She pinned the blame for the state’s current budget deficit, and subsequent cuts, on Little, who signed the bills into law last year. 

“I would say the biggest failure of the governor is his inability to leave his office, walk across the hall, walk into the offices of the legislators, and lobby for a better life for Idahoans,” Pickens said.  

With the state’s revenue potentially increasing, Pickens said she would move to fully fund the state’s public education system and move money toward local fire districts. She said she would also move to restore more local autonomy to cities and counties, which Pickens said the state is micromanaging. 

Pickens criticized bills like House Bill 896, which would allow the state attorney general to sue a government agency, official or employee for violating any state law that enacts a ban and others like H.B 659. She said letting the Legislature run the state cannot be the policy for a governor. 

“I don't think a bunch of fellows sitting in a big room in Boise should be telling the mayor of Sandpoint how he should be allocating his city funds,” Pickens said. “When you can't get state funds or you can't apply for federal funds because the state has kneecapped you there, how are you supposed to do this? You can't. It is actually an impossibility.” 

As someone who used to visit Sandpoint to recreate, Pickens said she supports keeping public lands, like Lake Pend Oreille, in the hands of the public. The push to de-federalize these lands reemerged with a proposal from Senator Mike Lee from Utah last summer. 

Idaho is more than 60% public land, according to Idaho Capital Sun, and Pickens said she would not recognize it if land was beginning to be sold off to private investors. 

“If you go hike, and you get your paddle board on the side and all of a sudden someone else owns it and says you can't stop here? That would be catastrophic to the community here,” Pickens said. “No one's talking about it because they just assume that it's going to be there, and it isn't if we continue on this path. That that would break my heart.” 

Pickens’ name will appear against two other democratic challengers, Chanelle Torrez and Maxine Durand, on the May 19 ballot. More information on voting in Idaho can be found on voteidaho.gov.