Meet David Roth, running for U.S. Senate in Idaho
David believes that many citizens get left behind by leaders who are chasing votes or money. He wants to be a leader who gives these people a voice and makes sure that they feel heard.
Growing up in Idaho falls, David learned early on the value of taking care of others and loving everyone around him. In high school, he started his own computer company—then he went on to work in higher education and even real estate. Shortly after, he found himself as an emergency staff member at group homes that would take in children coming from crisis situations. His time spent working in juvenile reception led him to connect with many different types of kids from all ages, who all came from different situations. This sparked his interest in being a foster parent who could help some of these children out of harsh situations. David has since adopted two brothers who both come from the foster care system and were at risk of being separated! David’s current role is in youth drug prevention.
David sees that the current leadership in his state isn’t willing to find and discuss solutions to the problems that face the people. As an openly gay Democrat running in a red state, David knows that he is in a difficult position. But at the same time, David sees this as a positive thing. He knows that he can speak out about the difficult issues that many other candidates in his state will shy away from in order to avoid losing votes from certain groups. David knows that there are pressing issues that deserve attention and knows that there is value in being the one to speak out about them, even if he doesn’t win. After winning his primary with 60% of the votes, David believes that the people of Idaho are ready for a politician who gives a voice to the people.
We learned that in David’s state, 44% of the population work but do not make enough to make ends meet. Low wages cause people to have to work multiple jobs. Working in shelters and soup kitchens, David has seen an increase in working families needing to reach out for help even with full time jobs. With 30 years of a Republican supermajority, David says that they haven’t seen enough improvement in the lives of the people in Idaho. As a Senator, David aims to work with the people who are in the communities working to solve real problems. He wants to see more partnerships where the citizens are empowered to create change and given the right tools to do it. Being involved in community programs for most of his life, David is someone who knows what communities need to be supported. David vows to make decisions based on how they will benefit his constituents along with meeting with citizens to listen to their needs and concerns.
David loves Idaho because it is a beautiful state full of public lands. While campaigning, David has seen amazing views, forests, vistas, and even deserts. He says that his state has skiing, fishing, and plenty of great outdoor activities. David’s state also has the research facilities to find new green and renewable energy and he believes they should lean into that type of progress. After seeing environmental decline in his state due to climate change, David wants to make sure that the right decisions are made now in order to protect the natural environment.
David has a cat and a few aquariums in his house with many different types of fish! His two sons are 14 and 11 and they even have their own aquariums themselves. David loves cooking and told us that being a parent is the most rewarding thing he has ever done! Even when the world is mean, David knows that his family and his sons are there for him to make him feel loved! He wants people to know that every seat matters and every position is equally important as any other position.