Janice Kyes McGeachin (; born January 18, 1963) is an American far-right politician and businesswoman who served as the 43rd lieutenant governor of Idaho from 2019 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party, she was previously a member of the Idaho House of Representatives from 2002 until 2012.
Educated at the University of Arizona, McGeachin owned several businesses in Idaho Falls. She entered politics in 2002 when elected to a seat in the state house. She was elected lieutenant governor in the 2018 election, to serve with the governor, Brad Little. She is the first female lieutenant governor of Idaho. As lieutenant governor, McGeachin aligned herself with Donald Trump and frequently clashed with Little. She unsuccessfully challenged Little in the Republican primary for governor in the 2022 election.
Early life and education McGeachin was born Janice Kyes on January 18, 1963, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. She graduated from Skyline High School in Idaho Falls and earned her B.S. in finance and accounting from the University of Arizona.
Career
Business ventures McGeachin has had a number of business ventures. She owns an Irish pub in Idaho Falls and co-owns a wholesale automotive parts supply store and a torque converter remanufacturing facility with her husband.Alysha Love, 5 things to know about Idaho's 1st female lieutenant governor, Idaho Statesman, November 9, 2018. Retrieved May 31, 2021.Madeleine Coles, McGeachin says business experience will help her in lieutenant governor role, Associated Press (January 13, 2019).
2000 to 2017 McGeachin unsuccessfully ran for Bonneville County commissioner in 2000, her first bid for elected office. As a Republican, she was a member of the Idaho House of Representatives from 2002 to 2012. As chair of the state House Health and Welfare Committee, she cut Medicaid funding and voted against legislation to create a state-based health insurance exchange. An ally of the Tea Party movement, McGeachin was considered a possible Republican primary challenger to U.S. Representative Mike Simpson in 2010, but chose not to run.
McGeachin supported Mitt Romney in the 2008 Republican Party presidential primaries and the 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries.
McGeachin was a delegate for Donald Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention and was vice-chair of Trump's Idaho campaign committee.Justin Rohrlich, Idaho's Anti-Lockdown Lieutenant Governor Has Gone Rogue, Daily Beast (May 25, 2020).
Lieutenant governor Campaign and election In April 2017, McGeachin filed to run for lieutenant governor of Idaho. In the voter pamphlet she wrote, she hoped to help the governor "by increasing our freedoms and liberties, free from the bonds of excessive government regulations". Her candidacy was supported by state Senator Dean Mortimer. McGeachin narrowly won the Republican primary election on May 15, 2018, with 28.9% of the vote, then defeated Democratic nominee Kristin Collum in the November general election. During the 2018 campaign, McGeachin took security guards with her to a debate at the Idaho Public Television station in Boise, although there was no known threat against her, and characterized them as "friends."Candidate's security team seen as unusual for Idaho politics, Associated Press (October 24, 2018).
Far-right connections In February 2019, McGeachin posted a photo on her Facebook page of her posing in front of her Idaho State Capitol door with two members of the Three Percenters, an anti-government militia movement group. The men wore shirts promoting Todd Engel, who was sentenced to prison in connection with the Bundy standoff fatal encounter with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). For the caption, she wrote "Sending love to Todd Engel from the Idaho Capital and 'getting to know' the new Senate Pages." McGeachin faced public criticism for the photo and quickly deleted it. In a subsequent statement, McGeachin described the men as "two Second Amendment supporters who were here to support Todd Engel, an Idahoan who was treated unjustly by the court system," and said that she deleted the post after "a few people had begun erroneously assigning sinister motives which are contrary to my true character." The Idaho Falls Post Register editorial board criticized McGeachin for embracing the 3 Percenters and militia movement.Editorial Board, Dangerous Embrace of the Militia Movement, Post Register (April 23, 2019).
In February 2022, McGeachin appeared as a surprise video guest speaker at the America First Political Action Conference, hosted by prominent white nationalist Nick Fuentes.Ian Max Stevenson, Idaho Lt. Gov. McGeachin speech played at conference organized by white nationalist, Idaho Statesman (March 3, 2022).Keith Ridler, McGeachin delivers taped speech to white nationalist meeting, Associated Press (February 26, 2022). McGeachin was apparently one of the highest-ranking elected officials to address the far-right conference. McGeachin's speech to the conference was criticized by Democrats and some Republicans for its antisemitic and pro-Putin contents.
Indoctrination task force and public records violations In 2021, McGeachin convened an "education indoctrination task force" co-chaired by fellow Republican Priscilla Giddings. The committee was premised on the notion that "the scourge of critical race theory, socialism, communism, and Marxism" was "infiltrating" the Idaho school and college system.Clark Corbin, McGeachin's education task force discusses calls to disband State Board of Education, Idaho Capital Sun, via Idaho Statesman (August 1, 2021).Becca Savransky, 'A Very McCarthyism Feel': Idaho Teachers Say Indoctrination Task Force Stokes Fear, Idaho Statesman. Via EdWeek (July 29, 2021). Committee members discussed proposals to abolish the Idaho State Board of Education. Idaho teachers described McGeachin's committee as a McCarthyist attack on teachers and a distraction from the challenges faced by Idaho's education system in reality. The Idaho Statesman editorial board described the effort as "a manufactured witch hunt" driven by the "far-right fringe of Idaho's politics."Editorial Board, Idaho's far-right 'indoctrination' witch hunt comes up short in Boise State investigation, Idaho Statesman (May 24, 2021). The president-elect of the Idaho School Boards Association resigned from McGeachin's task force a week after its first meeting, writing that the task force seemed aimed at "partisan campaigning."Blake Jones, ISBA rep leaves indoctrination task force, decrying 'partisan campaigning', Idaho Ed News (June 4, 2021).
In August 2021, a state judge fined McGeachin $750 for violating the Idaho Public Records Act by failing to turn over documents requested by the Idaho Press Club. The judge found that McGeachin acted "in bad faith" and that "It appears to the court that respondent would stop at nothing, no matter how misguided, to shield public records from the public."Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin fined $750 over public record violations, KBOI-TV (August 26, 2021). A civil suit brought against McGeachin by the Idaho Press Club was settled in November 2021, with a court ordering McGeachin to pay the club almost $29,000 in fees and costs.Jake Garcia, Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin settles Idaho Press Club Lawsuit, KIVI-TV (November 3, 2021).Clark Corbin, Public records show McGeachin billed nearly $17,000 for her own legal fees in records lawsuit, Idaho Capital Sun (February 2, 2022). McGeachin submitted a supplemental budget request, seeking for that sum to be paid by taxpayer funds. The legislature declined McGeachin's request to have the costs of the settlement paid by the state budget.Keither Ridler, Idaho leaders don't act on McGeachin legal fee request, Associated Press (March 11, 2022).
COVID-19 pandemic and strained relationship with Governor Brad Little
As lieutenant governor, McGeachin had a strained relationship with the governor, Brad Little,Derek Hawkins, Idaho lieutenant governor banned mask mandates while the governor was out of town. It didn't last, Washington Post, May 28, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2021.Chris Cillizza, Republican infighting in Idaho over the coronavirus has reached a new low, CNN (October 29, 2020). despite the fact that both were conservative Republicans. McGeachin frequently criticized Little's strategy regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.Heath Druzin, Low Turnout For COVID-19 Skeptic Rally Headlined By Idaho Lieutenant Governor, Boise State Public Radio (August 3, 2020). The clashes intensified amid an intra-party split among Republicans on COVID-19 vaccinations, masks, and pandemic-related issues, on which traditional Republicans and the far-right disagreed.Rebecca Boone, 'Loss of hope': Idaho hospitals crushed by COVID-19 surge, Associated Press (September 3, 2021).
During the pandemic, McGeachin repeatedly criticized Little for taking steps (such as closing physical businesses) to prevent the spread of the disease.Rebecca Boone, Idaho healthcare leaders plead for coronavirus mask mandate, Associated Press (July 14, 2020).Rebecca Boone, Cases of coronavirus in Idaho spike after businesses reopen, Associated Press (July 7, 2020). In late-April 2020, McGeachin urged reopening all businesses in Idaho by April 30,Devin Ramey, Lt. Gov. McGeachin urges Gov. Little to reopen all businesses in Idaho by April 30, KTVB (April 21, 2020). and also spoke at a protest in eastern Idaho against stay-at-home directives.Activist apologizes after refusing to leave playground, Associated Press (April 26, 2020). In a May 2020 editorial, McGeachin wrote: "I lose sleep at night because the heavy hand of our government is hurting so many Idahoans." By July 2020, after the state's economy had reopened, Idaho saw a spike in coronavirus cases. In August 2020, McGeachin headlined a rally organized by the right-wing, conspiracist John Birch Society at the rally in Twin Falls, where speakers decried public health measures to combat the coronavirus.Ryan Blake, 'Freedom' rally in Twin Falls decries moderate Republicans, public education, masks and the media, Times-News (August 1, 2020). At the rally, McGeachin criticized Little and other state officials. In October 2020, McGeachin appeared in a video by the right-wing Idaho Freedom Foundation in which she wielded a gun and Bible, railed against COVID-19 public-health measures, and questioned whether "a pandemic may or may not be occurring."Teo Armus, Idaho lieutenant gov. appears in video slamming virus rules, whether 'a pandemic may or may not be occurring', Washington Post (October 30, 2020).
In November 2020, McGeachin submitted a proposal to Governor Little's Coronavirus Financial Advisory Committee, seeking to spend $17 million in federal COVID-19 aid funds to purchase and operate two "walk-through disinfectant cubes" at the Idaho state Capitol. McGeachin criticized the governor's coronavirus policies while touting the technology, although a National Institutes of Health study published months earlier determined that the use of "walk-through sanitation gates" was ineffective, possibly dangerous, and violates global health standards.Idaho Lt. Governor promotes 'walk-thru disinfectant cubes', Associated Press (November 25, 2020).
In July 2020, McGeachin condemned federal economic relief granted during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, McGeachin's Idaho Falls-based business accepted two partially forgivable loans, totaling $314,727, from the federal Paycheck Protection Program. After the company's acceptance of the PPP funds was publicized, McGeachin said that the company accepted the funds to counter what she called harm "by the heavy hand of government in 2020."Idaho lieutenant governor got pandemic loans for business, Associated Press (December 4, 2020).