Russ Fulcher

Russ Fulcher is a Republican politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Idaho's 1st congressional district. A fourth-generation Idahoan, he grew up on a dairy farm in Meridian and later earned both a Bachelor of Business Administration (1984) and a Master of Business Administration (1988) from Boise State University. Before entering public office, Fulcher spent 24 years in the technology industry, including 15 years at Micron Technology and nine years at Preco Electronics, where he held various leadership roles in international business development and sales. Fulcher's political career began in the Idaho State Senate, where he served from 2005 to 2014 and was elected by his colleagues as the Majority Caucus Leader for six of those years. He was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018 and assumed office on January 3, 2019. In Congress, he serves on the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Natural Resources, and is a member of the House Freedom Caucus. Outside of his legislative work, he has also worked as a commercial real estate broker.

Fulcher's policy positions are rooted in fiscal conservatism and the decentralization of federal authority. He advocates for reducing federal spending, rooting out fraud in entitlement programs, and eliminating the federal Department of Education to restore local control over schooling. On healthcare, he is a vocal opponent of the Affordable Care Act and has proposed legislation to create a voluntary parallel healthcare system. Regarding immigration, Fulcher supports strict border security measures, including the construction of a border wall, and favors a merit-based immigration system over the current visa lottery. His environmental platform emphasizes 'local control' of public lands, advocating for state-level management of Idaho's federally owned territories and the pursuit of national energy independence.