A message from the Gang of 8, originally published at Zito for Idaho Substack
The Idaho Education Association (IEA) has launched a campaign to reclaim power, not in classrooms, but in the Capitol.
They’re calling it May Matters, a statewide effort to oust conservative lawmakers in the 2026 Republican primaries. The plan? Flood key races with union-friendly Democrats and independents who re-register as Republicans, then back candidates who will carry the union’s agenda under a red banner.
It’s not subtle, and it’s not new. But this time, the IEA is going all in, organizing voter drives, mobilizing members, and pouring resources into an all-out political offensive. And they’re doing it while claiming Idaho’s public education system is somehow being dismantled.
Let’s get the facts straight.
Since 2016, Idaho’s public school budget has grown from $1.81 billion to $3.29 billion—a more than 80% increase in less than a decade. Public education now accounts for 31.7% of the entire state budget, second only to health and human services at 39.3%.
Idaho has fully funded its K–12 system, and then some.
So what exactly is the IEA so upset about?
Simple, control. And they’re not acting alone.
The IEA isn’t just a local teachers’ group, it’s the Idaho branch of the National Education Association (NEA), the largest teachers’ union in the country and one of the most powerful political machines on the American Left. The NEA has formally endorsed every Democratic presidential candidate since Jimmy Carter and pours over 95% of its political spending into Democrat campaigns and progressive causes. Its leadership has declared that the classroom is a political battleground and proudly trains teachers to be activists.
From promoting critical race theory and radical gender ideology to opposing school choice and parental rights, the NEA sets the agenda, and the IEA carries it out in Idaho, step by step.
The IEA follows that playbook to the letter.
Their “professional development” programs mirror the NEA’s ideological training. Their political spending aligns almost entirely with Democrat and progressive causes. And their May Matters campaign, targeting conservatives in Republican primaries, is straight out of the NEA’s national strategy: use local unions to flip red states to blue, from the inside.
The IEA wants to replace Idaho legislators who defend parental rights with union-approved candidates who will rubber-stamp their agenda.
It’s not about education policy.
It’s about power.
We may not all agree on every policy detail, but as the Gang of 8, we stand united on this:
Parents — not union activists — should decide what education is best for their children.
Idaho’s public schools are more than fully funded, with over $3.29 billion this year alone. But funding alone isn’t the issue. Parents demand transparency, accountability, and the freedom to choose what’s best for their children.
That’s what we’ve been fighting for, and what the union is trying to roll back.
Meanwhile, the IEA is busy manipulating primaries and pretending to represent Idaho values, all while taking cues (and funding) from a national union that’s openly hostile to conservative principles.
If the NEA and IEA want to play politics, fine.
But they can do it without taxpayer-funded perks like payroll deductions, union release time, or special access to school resources.
It’s time to cut the strings.
Let them spend their own money.
Let Idaho parents, not union activists, decide the future of education.
In the coming months, the IEA will organize, recruit, and exert outside influence on local races.
We need to be ready.
The Gang of 8 isn’t going anywhere. We’re not backing down from our commitment to parents and their right to choose what education is best for their child.
In Liberty,
Senator Christy Zito, District 8
[email protected]
Senator Glenneda Zuiderveld, District 24
[email protected]
Substack: @glenneda
Senator Josh Kohl, District 25
[email protected]
Substack: @joshkohl4idaho
Representative Faye Thompson, District 8
[email protected]
Representative Lucas Cayler, District 11
[email protected]
Substack: @lucascayler
Representative Kent Marmon, District 11
[email protected]
Substack: @kentmarmon
Representative Clint Hostetler, District 24
[email protected]
Substack: @theidahoresolve
Representative David Leavitt, District 25
[email protected]
Substack: @leavitt4idaho
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