Scott Herndon, Idaho Senate LD1

Political Potatoes · April 2026

Citizens Alliance of Idaho PAC, which backed him in 2024, gets over 99% of its funding from a national PAC that draws over 72% of its money from a Pennsylvania gaming company being sued by the state AG for sidestepping gambling laws.
The group deployed door-knockers, mailers, and social media to boost hard-right primary candidates including Herndon.

Idaho Education News · April 2026

Herndon touts his Idaho Freedom Foundation score of 96.2% Freedom and wants to abolish property taxes entirely, arguing spending cuts could offset the lost revenue amid a projected $44.1 million state deficit.
Idaho Children Are Primary rates Herndon at 36% on its Kids Matter Index, compared to incumbent Woodward's 86%.

Sandpoint Reader · April 2026

Bonner County Sheriff Daryl Wheeler states that Herndon, as BCRCC chairman, locked up primary endorsements months before filing even opened, working with a private PAC that controls a majority of BCRCC seats.
Wheeler challenged the process at a BCRCC meeting and was shouted down and not allowed to speak.
The BCRCC listed Wheeler's name on their voter guide without his knowledge or consent to legitimize their slate.

Bonner County Daily Bee · April 2026

A former Sandpoint Middle School principal writes that Herndon's group placed large signs with graphic fetal imagery at the school entrance; she spent hours fielding calls from distressed parents of 12- and 13-year-olds who had just walked past them.
When she contacted Herndon's side about the disruption to students, the response was not concern but a reminder that they had legal rights and intended to use them.
Herndon's side later confirmed he "called the disruption necessary."

Sandpoint Reader · April 2026

In 2020, Herndon sued the city of Sandpoint claiming the right to carry a gun into the annual Festival (a private event); courts rejected his argument, costing local taxpayers more than $300,000.
In 2024, he introduced a bill to override the court ruling, which would have effectively shut down the Festival and its $4 million annual economic impact on the region.
In 2023, he voted to make the state ballot initiative process harder after 60% of voters had approved Medicaid expansion, calling the voters' decision an "over-extension of governmental authority."

Bonner County Daily Bee · September 2023

He personally drove a controversial superintendent candidate to his hiring meeting and spent party funds to fight the recall of the board members who hired him.
The community recalled those board members anyway, and the superintendent was forced to resign.

Sandpoint Reader · May 2023

His campaign paid $80,000+ to a firm with Proud Boys ties to run attack ads against a fellow Republican.
He later led a "no-confidence" vote against another Republican for not voting with the Idaho Freedom Foundation.

Idaho Statesman · January 2023

On a public livestream, he declared that if the government ignores the will of the people, "Americans responded in a very particular way to taxation without representation. And we would like not to get to that point, but if it came down to it, we would."
In 2012, he shot his neighbor's dog in the back as it ran away from him. Sheriff's records show the dog was 80 feet from his chickens and had not touched any of them.

Bonner County Daily Bee · November 2022

He pushed to remove rape and incest exceptions from Idaho's abortion ban, a position the legislature itself rejected as too extreme.
Hospital maternity wards have closed and doctors have left Idaho due to the abortion laws he supported.

Idaho Capital Sun · August 2022

He is documented as part of a network with ties to white supremacist and Christian nationalist groups.
This is from independent journalism, not from political opponents.

hypocriteherndon.com · citizen-compiled public record documentation

He took $10,000 in federal CARES Act money while telling his supporters not to take federal money.
Primary source documents are linked from the citizen-compiled record.

Coeur d'Alene Press · January 2024

He voted against the Idaho State Police budget bill.
All ten legislators who voted no were top-rated by the KCRCC and Idaho Freedom Foundation.