A former classroom teacher from Nampa is taking her campaign for Idaho state superintendent statewide, launching general election events last week as she prepares to challenge an incumbent who last won by nearly 30 points.

Becky Sundin Mitchell, a Democrat who taught English at a Caldwell public charter school for 14 years and earned Idaho’s Teacher of the Year award in 2018, kicked off her general election bid with appearances in Ada and Canyon counties. She ran unopposed in last month’s Democratic primary.

An Uphill Race Against a Dominant Incumbent

Sundin Mitchell faces Republican incumbent Debbie Critchfield, who captured close to 70 percent of the vote in the 2022 general election against Democrat Terry Gilbert. That margin represents a significant shift from the previous two cycles, when the superintendent’s race was genuinely competitive — Republican Sherri Ybarra won the 2014 election with just over 50 percent of the vote and narrowly held on again in 2018 with 51.5 percent.

The race also features Constitution Party candidate Teresa Roundy, making it a three-way contest heading into November.

Sundin Mitchell became chairwoman of the Canyon County Democratic Party in December, adding organizational experience to her background as an educator. Her plan for the general election involves visiting all 44 Idaho counties before November. “I’m just trying to make sure that every community feels heard,” she said.

Private School Choice at the Center of the Race

A central issue in the campaign is Idaho’s new private school choice program, enacted by the Republican-controlled Idaho Legislature earlier this year. The program, funded at $50 million, provides refundable tax credits of up to $5,000 for non-public school students and up to $7,500 for students with special needs. The Idaho State Tax Commission administers the credits.

Sundin Mitchell has not called for repealing the program outright, but says she would push for stronger accountability measures around how the money is spent. She argues the issue resonates broadly with voters she has met across the state.

“The thing that I hear everywhere I go is, ‘How on earth are we giving $50 million to private schools?'” she said.

Critchfield and legislative Republicans who backed the measure have framed it as expanding educational opportunity and empowering families to choose the learning environment best suited to their children.

Mobilizing an Unlikely Voting Bloc

Sundin Mitchell has also identified public school teachers as a potential source of support she believes has been largely untapped. She has cited figures suggesting a large share of teachers do not regularly vote, and sees that group as a constituency worth activating in a statewide race where margins have historically been decided by a relatively small number of ballots in the most competitive cycles.

Her campaign’s county-by-county tour strategy reflects the challenge Democrats face in Idaho’s political geography — building enough support outside the Treasure Valley to meaningfully close the gap with a well-known Republican incumbent.

What to Watch

With the November general election still months away, the race for state superintendent will likely hinge on whether Sundin Mitchell can translate her teaching credentials and grassroots energy into broader voter appeal in a state that has trended heavily Republican in statewide races. Her positioning on school choice — seeking accountability rather than elimination — may be an attempt to appeal to moderate voters who support parental options but have concerns about public fund oversight.

Critchfield enters the fall with a substantial incumbency advantage and a commanding electoral record. Whether Sundin Mitchell can replicate the closer margins seen in 2014 and 2018, or whether the race more closely resembles the 2022 blowout, will be one of the more closely watched down-ballot contests as Idaho heads toward November.