Idaho House of Representatives
Rep. Chris Mathias
Rep. Chris Mathias serves part of Boise in the Idaho House of Representatives. He holds Seat B in District 19, and his committee assignments have included agriculture, education, ethics and the judiciary.
From this interview
12clips
How is Idaho expanding into nuclear energy, and what do you make of it?
Why has Idaho's minimum wage stayed the same?
What is the Qatari section of Mountain Home Air Force Base?
How can politicians balance the needs of rural and urban Idaho?
How much influence do politicians have over what happens in classrooms?
How much should politicians rely on their own judgement when setting school policy?
Where does religion fit in Idaho politics?
What do you value most in education?
How do you balance the need for dams against salmon migration in Idaho?
Is there any certainty in politics?
How can politicians avoid their own biases when drafting bills?
How do you change policy as a Democrat in a Republican-majority Idaho House?
Full interview
Full Interview: Rep. Chris Mathias
The full interview with Rep. Chris Mathias, on politics, schools, Boise, and his day to day.
Background
- Office
- Idaho House of Representatives
- District
- District 19, Seat B, Boise
- Party
- Democrat
- In office since
- December 2020
He enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard after high school, working in search and rescue and law enforcement and later in shipboard communications aboard an icebreaker.
He earned a B.S. in criminal justice administration from Boise State University, where he was student body president and a McNair Scholar, and later earned a J.D. and a Ph.D. in law and public policy.
Before the Legislature he was chief academic officer for the Idaho State Board of Education and a law clerk in the U.S. Senate.
He is the first African American man to serve in the Idaho Legislature, and his committees have included Agricultural Affairs; Education; Ethics and House Policy; and Judiciary, Rules and Administration.