IDAHO FALLS — Incumbent state Rep. Britt Raybould and challenger Larry Golden are making their cases to Republican voters in Legislative District 34B ahead of the May 19 primary election. The race marks Golden’s second attempt to unseat Raybould, who has held the seat since first winning election in 2018.
District 34 covers Madison County in eastern Idaho. Both candidates were given the same set of questions and asked to respond in 250 words or fewer. Their answers offer a clear contrast in backgrounds, priorities, and approaches to representing the district in Boise.
Raybould Highlights Legislative Record and Water Policy
Raybould brings a substantial legislative record to the race. During her time in the Idaho House, she has served on four committees with direct relevance to Madison County — Joint Finance and Appropriation, Revenue and Taxation, Resources and Conservation, and Environment, Energy and Technology. She says she has carried more than 60 bills that were signed into law, covering areas ranging from teacher pay increases to state emergency services funding and public lands protections.
Her professional background is rooted in agriculture and small business. She serves as chief financial officer of her family’s third-generation farm, working alongside her father and brother. She also operates a consulting business focused on strategy and marketing for small business owners, which she founded nearly two decades ago. Earlier in her career, she served on the National Potato Council’s Board of Directors, becoming its first female president in 2020.
Raybould holds a bachelor’s degree from Boise State University, a master’s degree from Westminster College, and this spring completed a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration with a focus on water issues in the western United States.
On policy, she lists education, water rights, and online child safety as her top priorities. She points to improving third-grade literacy rates as a measure of long-term student success and backs expanding career-technical education to keep trained workers in Idaho. On water, she describes the coming summer — forecast to be hot and dry — as a critical test of the state’s resource management. “We need to be smart and thoughtful about how we protect and manage our water,” she has stated in her campaign responses.
Golden Brings Military, Tech, and Entrepreneurial Experience
Golden comes to the race with a background that spans military service, law enforcement, corporate America, and small business ownership. He served in the Navy with deployments to Mogadishu and the Persian Gulf, then moved into law enforcement in Washington State before joining Microsoft, where he worked in data, analytics, and program management. He later ran a multi-million-dollar small business and has helped manage family ventures including a food truck and a freeze-dried candy business. He currently works as a director of operations for a wood refinishing company.
He and his wife have been married nearly 30 years and live in Madison County with their youngest daughter. They have grandchildren and are active in their LDS faith community. Golden serves as president of the Rexburg Farmers Market and has deep roots in civic service, including years of involvement in Scouting and leadership roles in beekeeping organizations in the Pacific Northwest.
Golden says his motivation for running stems in part from watching Washington State’s trajectory — rising taxes, expanding government bureaucracy, and what he describes as the erosion of individual freedom. He argues Idaho families deserve accountable leadership that preserves their self-determination and resists the policy drift he witnessed in the Pacific Northwest.
Voters in the Bonneville and Madison County area are also watching several other races on the May 19 ballot. Local judicial contests are drawing attention as well, including a contested race for a seat on the 7th Judicial District bench — Judge Steven Boyce has explained his reasons for seeking another term, while prosecutor Randy Neal has laid out why he chose to challenge for the same seat.
What Comes Next
The Republican primary for District 34B is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19. Because the district leans heavily Republican, the primary winner will be considered the strong favorite heading into the November general election. Both Raybould and Golden are competing for the opportunity to represent Madison County residents in the 2027 legislative session in Boise. Voters can check their polling location and registration status through the Idaho Secretary of State’s office ahead of Election Day.