A Boise business owner is challenging District 15’s only Republican in a race for the Idaho House. Shari Baber, who owns textured hair salon Cut ‘n Up and Company, will face incumbent Rep. Dori Healey in November.
Healey is an advanced practice registered nurse and is in her first term in the Idaho House, Seat B. The district that covers West Boise is also represented by Democrats Sen. Rick Just and Rep.
Steve Berch — but before the election two years ago, Berch was the sole Democrat in the district. Healey, 42, said she’s running for reelection to continue to be an advocate as one of few health care providers in the Idaho Legislature. When former longtime District 15 Sen.
Fred Martin was defeated in the 2022 primary, Healey said she felt like “it left a gap in representation from the health care community.” She wanted to run to “be an advocate for health care policy.” Her other top priorities include creating stronger schools and combating inflation.
Baber, 63, runs the nonprofit Boise Soul Food Festival and Brown Like Me, a mentorship program for Black children who are adopted into non-Black households. She was inspired to run after taking the Brown Like Me children on a trip to Washington, D.C.
to show them that “their voices matter in government.” “When I came back, it struck me that I’m teaching my kids how their voices mattered in government, and I had the opportunity to help amplify voices in government by running in my district,” Baber said. .