What is Reclaim Idaho?
In 2018, Reclaim Idaho spearheaded a campaign to expand Medicaid in Idaho. In a landslide victory, 61% of Idahoans voted to expand the program.
But for six years prior to the people’s vote, Idaho’s elected officials refused to take action even as hundreds of Idahoans died preventable deaths and thousands more fell deep into debt from unpaid medical bills.
For far too long, Idaho’s political establishment has been out of touch with working families on a wide range of issues. Survey after survey tells us that the vast majority of Idahoans value strong public schools, and yet Idaho is dead last of 50 states in funding for K-12 education. In every region of the state, Idahoans are struggling to make ends meet. But year after year, elected officials prioritize an agenda of tax giveaways for large corporations and the rich.
our Mission
Reclaim Idaho’s mission is to build a statewide organization of politically engaged Idahoans—an organization strong enough to change our state’s balance of power and make government work for all Idahoans, not just the wealthy and well-connected.
our Strategy
We win the change we seek through bottom-up, grassroots organizing in every Idaho community. We wage campaigns that focus not on political candidates or political parties but on issues that bring Idahoans together—issues like Medicaid Expansion and increased funding for K-12 education. One campaign at a time, we seek to grow a statewide movement of local leaders and volunteers with the power to demand change.
Theory of Change
At the center of our theory of change is the ballot initiative. By running winnable ballot initiatives that promise to improve people’s lives on a large scale, we don’t just change policies; we also help people get organized in communities across the state. Through working on initiatives, local networks of citizens develop the relationships, the skills, and the commitment needed to engage effectively in the political process.
Engagement doesn’t end with a successful signature drive or a successful “vote yes” campaign. The citizens who join the political process through our initiative campaigns can change the balance of power in our state by advocating against harmful bills during legislative sessions, by hosting town hall events that hold politicians accountable, by supporting local measures such as supplemental school levies, and in countless other ways.
One campaign at a time, we are organizing to make Idaho’s government work for all of us.
