Mark Fitzpatrick

Mark Fitzpatrick earned a bachelor's degree from the California State University, Northridge in 2000. Fitzpatrick's career experience includes working as an owner.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Mark Fitzpatrick is a Christian, principled man, a husband of 23 years to Sarah, father of six, retired police officer, serial entrepreneur, and owner of a wedding venue and Old State Saloon in Eagle, Idaho. A lifelong Republican from a conservative law enforcement family, he homeschools his children and is a bold culture warrior. He founded “Heterosexual Awesomeness Month” to defend biblical design and has taken other unapologetic, conservative stances that went viral globally.

Fitzpatrick is running for Governor of Idaho in the 2026 Republican primary on May 19 to challenge incumbent Brad Little, whom he sees as a weak RINO enabling compromise and insider politics. Fitzpatrick is not a career politician, bringing outsider conviction, and fearing only God, not man.

He’ll establish a populist style governorship rallying We the People directly through monthly open town halls, a Governors Podcast, daily social media updates, and mobilizing citizens including young adults to demand real change and hold government accountable.

His platform includes slashing taxes drastically, shrinking government, exposing corruption, deporting all illegal aliens, ending incentives for invaders, defending life from conception, parental rights, Second Amendment freedoms, religious liberty, and biological reality in sports and spaces. He opposes Sharia law, gender ideology in schools, foreign funding, and government overreach in healthcare or family decisions.

Vote Mark Fitzpatrick for Governor.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Populist Style: Slash Taxes, Shrink Government

Mark Fitzpatrick brings no RINO insider baggage or career politician compromises. We will slash taxes drastically across the board, expose and root out corruption in state government, shrink bloated bureaucracy to the bare essentials, and return power and money to the people. In true populist style, he will rally We the People directly w/ monthly open public town halls, a Governor's Podcast for unfiltered discussions on faith, freedom, borders, and values, near daily social media updates, and massive mobilization of citizens including college students and young adults to demand real change and hold legislators accountable. Principled America First leadership starts now. Vote May 19!Secure Borders, Americans First

Mark Fitzpatrick will secure Idaho's borders aggressively and put hardworking Americans first in every policy. He will work to deport all illegal aliens, end every incentive that attracts them including benefits and sanctuary policies, ban all sanctuary cities or counties statewide, and fully cooperate with federal enforcement to remove criminal non citizens. No safe havens, no taxpayer funded services for those here illegally, and no more pressure on jobs, housing, schools, or safety nets for Idaho families. Illegal immigration threatens our communities, economy, and sovereignty. Idaho is not for sale. Vote May 19 to restore order and prioritize citizens!Faith, Family, Freedom First

Mark Fitzpatrick is a faith driven husband, father of six, retired police officer, and bold culture warrior who homeschools his children and defends biblical values unapologetically. As Governor, he will defend life from conception without exception, defend traditional marriage as one man and one woman per Idaho's Constitution, protect parental rights in education and health decisions, safeguard religious liberty for all believers, and enforce biological reality in sports, bathrooms, locker rooms, and shelters. No gender ideology or progressive compromise will be tolerated. Idaho will remain God honoring and family first under his leadership. Fear God, not man. Vote May 19 in the Republican primary!

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am personally passionate about key policies to keep Idaho free and prosperous. First, lower taxes drastically so Idahoans keep more of their hard-earned money. Second, new state legislation to fight illegal immigration: make it a crime for employers to knowingly hire illegal aliens, mandate E-Verify with criminal penalties including fines and jail time, deport illegals, and end all incentives. Third, expose corruption in government at all levels for real transparency and accountability. Finally, protect Idaho's water and natural resources through responsible stewardship for families, farmers, and future generations. These honor God-given rights and self-reliance.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

-Recommended Candidate: Kootenai County Republican Central Committee

-Ian Carroll, culture commentator/influencer

-Many business owners, political activists, etc

Campaign websiteFitzpatrick's campaign website stated the following:PRIORITY ONEEnd Government Waste & CorruptionI will expose and eliminate corruption at every level of government, ensuring no exceptions for elites, backroom deals, or protected interests.TOP-DOWN AGENCY AUDITI’ll establish an independent ethics commission with enforcement authorityProhibit elected officials from accepting lobbyist giftsReduce bloated agencies through targeted waste elimination and bureaucracy cutsOpen GovernmentI’ll strengthen Idaho’s public records law with shorter response deadlinesI’ll require all legislative committee meetings to be livestreamedI’ll create a public dashboard tracking state spending in real timeCitizen ProtectionsSafeguard the citizen initiative and referendum process from legislative interferenceI will veto any legislation that weakens Idaho’s citizen initiative and referendum process and propose reforms that strengthen voter access and ballot transparencyEnsure government exists solely to serve the people, not control themPRIORITY TWOProtect Constitutional RightsI’ll defend the Constitution without compromise — your right to speak freely, worship freely, and bear arms is non-negotiable.PROTECT the 2nd AmendmentI’ll oppose any state or federal legislation that infringes on the right to keep and bear armsI’ll support constitutional carry and concealed carry reciprocityI’ll defend Idaho’s preemption law preventing local gun restrictionsENFORCE RELIGIOUS FREEDOMI’ll defend free speech, free assembly, and the right to worship without government interferenceI will ensure Idaho law protects religious liberty to the fullest extent allowed under the U.S. Constitution and defend citizens against government policies that burden sincerely held religious beliefsI’ll stand firm when culture and bureaucracy push back against faithPRIORITY THREEEducation and Parental RightsI’ll put parents first, protect children, and invest in Idaho’s workforce by prioritizing how existing education funding is actually used.PARENTAL RIGHTS PROTECTEDParents, not bureaucrats, decide what their children learnI’ll guarantee full curriculum transparency for every schoolI’ll expand school choice so families have real optionsTRADE SCHOOL EDUCATIONIdaho already generates tens of millions through the Lottery; I’ll reprioritize that funding toward real job training, not bureaucracyExpand apprenticeship pipelines tied directly to Idaho employersPut workforce development ahead of administrative spendingHigher Education AccessStop sending Lottery dollars into government building projects first—put students firstUse existing Lottery funds to expand scholarships and reduce costsI’ll invest in community college capacity for high-demand fieldsPRIORITY FOURDeportation and Illegal ImmigrationI will require full cooperation between Idaho law enforcement & federal immigration authorities, prohibit any local policies that obstruct federal law, and ensure Idaho does not provide benefits or safe harbor to those who are in the country illegallyBACK FEDERAL AUTHORITIESI will support federal efforts to secure the southern border while strengthening Idaho’s efforts to combat drug trafficking and human smuggling within our own communitiesI’ll support increased funding for Border Patrol agents and technologyI will prohibit any state or local policy that limits cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and ensure Idaho remains fully compliant with federal lawOpen GovernmentI’ll strengthen Idaho’s public records law with shorter response deadlinesI’ll require all legislative committee meetings to be livestreamedI’ll create a public dashboard tracking state spending in real timePRIORITY FIVEProperty Tax ReformI’ll ensure Idaho families are not taxed out of their homes by reforming the state’s broken property tax system.Cap Property Tax IncreasesI will propose legislation to limit annual property tax growth for primary residences and tie increases to inflation to prevent families from being taxed out of their homesI’ll require voter approval for any levy or bond that exceeds the capI’ll protect seniors and disabled homeowners with an enhanced homestead exemptionHOMEOWNER TAX RELIEFI’ll rebalance the property tax formula so commercial and industrial properties pay their fair shareI’ll close loopholes that allow large landholders to avoid reassessmentI’ll create a transparent public dashboard for property tax rates by countyLOCAL GOV'T ACCOUNTABILITYI’ll require local governments to hold public hearings before any property tax increaseI’ll mandate fiscal transparency reports for all taxing districtsI’ll empower citizens with easier access to tax assessment appealsPRIORITY SIXWater & AgricultureI’ll protect Idaho’s water rights and support the agricultural economy that sustains our rural communities.Defend Idaho Water RightsI will aggressively defend Idaho’s water sovereignty in coordination with the Attorney General and push back against federal overreach that infringes on our state-managed water systemI’ll invest in aquifer recharge and water storage infrastructureI’ll ensure that water policy prioritizes Idaho farmers and ranchers over out-of-state interestsBack Family Farms/RanchesI’ll reduce regulatory burden on small and mid-sized agricultural operationsI’ll expand access to low-interest loans and crop insurance for beginning farmersI’ll promote value-added agriculture and local food systemsPRIORITY SEVENEnergy IndependenceI’ll achieve energy independence through an all-of-the-above approach that keeps costs low for Idaho families.Cheaper Energy for FamiliesI will appoint Public Utilities Commissioners committed to protecting Idaho ratepayers and opposing policies that unnecessarily increase electricity costsI’ll support hydropower as Idaho’s backbone energy sourceI’ll promote energy efficiency programs for homes and businessesExpand Energy ProductionI’ll support responsible development of all Idaho energy resourcesI’ll encourage nuclear energy innovation and small modular reactorsI’ll support the Idaho National Laboratory as a center of innovationPRIORITY EIGHTHealthcare AccessI’ll ensure every Idahoan has access to affordable, quality healthcare, especially in rural communities.Protect Rural HealthcareI’ll prevent rural hospital closures through targeted state fundingI’ll expand telehealth services to every corner of the stateI’ll recruit and retain healthcare providers in underserved areasLOWER PRESCRPTION COSTSI’ll support state-level drug price transparency legislationI will pursue all available federal waivers to allow safe prescription drug importation and increase competition to lower costs for Idaho familiesI’ll encourage generic drug competition and biosimilar adoptionPRIORITY NINEPublic Lands and Natural ResourcesI’ll protect Idaho’s public lands, forests, and wildlife for current and future generations.Public Land in Public HandsI’ll oppose any transfer of federal lands to the state or private interestsI’ll advocate for full funding of the Land and Water Conservation FundI’ll protect access for hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreationWildfire PreventionI’ll increase state funding for wildfire prevention and suppressionI’ll support active forest management to reduce wildfire riskI’ll improve air quality monitoring during fire seasonPRIORITY TENInfrastructure & TransportationI’ll invest in Idaho’s roads, bridges, and broadband to support economic growth and public safety.Fix Idaho’s Roads & BridgesI’ll prioritize maintenance and repair of existing infrastructure over new projectsI’ll increase state funding for local road improvements in rural countiesI’ll implement performance-based project selection to maximize return on investmentExpand Broadband to Every Idaho CommunityI’ll leverage federal broadband funding to connect underserved rural areasI’ll reduce permitting barriers for broadband providersI’ll establish a statewide broadband office to coordinate deployment— Mark Fitzpatrick's campaign website (April 22, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.