Born in Twin Falls, Scott Bedke has deep Idaho roots. He is a fourth-generation cattle rancher, whose heritage dates to the late 1800s when his relatives homesteaded in Oakley Basin.

Bedke has a long history of government service. He also has experience working as the former president of Idaho Cattle Association and the former director of National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

Bedke began his political career in 2000 when he was elected as a representative for district 27. He had 11 terms in the Idaho State House and over the years, he has served on a variety of House committees such as the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee, Revenue and Taxation Committee, Resources and Conservation committee and others. Today, he serves as the 44th lieutenant governor of Idaho, a role he assumed in 2023.

Outside of this work, Bedke is a devoted husband, father and grandfather.

Rachael Bickerton has led government and external relations for the University of Idaho’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences for one year, working from Boise to support the Moscow-based institution’s land grant mission. Her most significant recent accomplishment was rapidly learning Idaho’s agricultural industry and building stakeholder relationships across the state.

“I was overwhelmed with the willingness and kindness shown to me by representatives of our Idaho agricultural commodities, inviting me to visit their farms and ranches to teach me about the challenges and opportunities in ensuring Idahoans and the nation have quality food on their table,” Bickerton said.

She holds an English law degree and brings diverse experience from BMG Entertainment/RCA Records, Warner Music, Boise State University and The Coca-Cola Company. Her biggest challenge was overcoming initial hesitation about her non-agricultural background, traveling more than 7,000 miles across Idaho in her first three months to listen and learn.

Her goals include shepherding completion of the Idaho Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment in Rupert, which will feature the nation’s largest research dairy.

Brian Blad was elected as the mayor of Pocatello in 2009 and has led the city for 16 years and is currently running for re-election for what would be his fifth term as mayor should he win in November.

In the last election for mayor, Blad secured 56% of the vote. He is the 36th mayor of the city.

A family man, Blad has been married for 35 years to his wife, Laura, and has four adult children and five grandchildren.

During his leadership, the City of Pocatello has recently been awarded $4.84 million in grant money for wildfire risk reduction and has undergone several community improvements. Its population growth has been subdued compared to other regions in the Gem State, increasing 4.8% from 56,436 in 2010 to an estimated 58,839 in 2025. Blad attributes this to “smart controlled growth with the use of TIFF districts.”

In a candidacy interview, Blad stated that “Pocatello is an incredible place to live. I have had the privilege of serving this community as the mayor and have seen many changes happen during my administration.”

Karianne Fallow is an experienced business executive and corporate and government affairs expert with more than 25 years of leadership expertise under her belt.

For the past 11 years, she served as the CEO of Dairy West. There, she was the lead steward and primary brand ambassador for the company, overseeing daily operations, compliance, stakeholder relationships and partnerships. Before that, she served in leadership positions for Albertsons and Walmart.

In July 2025, she transitioned to her newest role as the Idaho State Director for AARP. In this position, Fallow is responsible for leading strategic direction, advocacy, communications and community engagement efforts on behalf of the organization’s 180,000-plus members across the state.

Outside of her professional work, Fallow stays engaged in her community, serving on the boards of the Idaho Foodbank and the Southwest Idaho Mountain Bike Association. She’s also a high school mountain bike team coach and is a volunteer mountain ambassador at Tamarack Ski Resort.

Dana Kirkham has a wide variety of business and government experience, and has a deep love for Idaho, evidenced by her service as the former mayor of the city of Ammon. She also served for two terms on the Ammon City Council, which included six years as the president. After leaving her mayoral role, Kirkham stepped into the position of CEO for Regional Economic Development for Eastern Idaho, then served as the project manager for special initiatives and government interface for Fluor Idaho.

Kirkham also worked for nearly four years as the fire commissioner for Bonneville Fire District, was the director of the Bank of Idaho for more than three years, and joined the Idaho Environmental Coalition in 2022. Today, she’s the senior director of regulatory services, where she oversees the company’s entire environmental regulatory activities and ensures it meets all requirements.