BOISE, Idaho — Bellevue Mayor Ned Burns will join the Idaho House when the Legislature begins the 2022 session in January.
Gov. Brad Little announced Thursday that he has appointed Burns to the District 26 seat left open by the resignation of former Rep. Muffy Davis, who was recently appointed to fill a vacancy on the Blaine County Board of Commissioners. Burns will serve the remaining year of Davis's term. The seat is up for election in Nov. 2022. He intends to run for election to a full term.
Burns is originally from Twin Falls. He served on the Bellevue City Council before being elected mayor in 2018 and again in 2020. He is a graduate of the University of Montana, and works as a realtor with Coldwell Banker Distinctive Properties of the Wood River Valley. Burns, a Democrat, has previously served in the Idaho House as a substitute for Davis and Representative Sally Toone.
“I’m humbled and honored to be appointed to fill out the remainder of Rep. Davis’ term by Gov. Little, and excited to get to work bettering the lives of all District 26 residents and Idahoans everywhere. I look forward to bringing my perspective and ideas to all of the issues we’ll be addressing in the upcoming legislative session,” Burns said in a statement released by the Idaho House and Senate Democrats. “I hope to help advance smart, well-crafted policy to better our state for future generations by making critical investments in infrastructure and public education, as well as finding real solutions to provide meaningful property tax relief — all of which are my top priorities and where our focus should be in 2022. It’s time to move Idaho forward.”
In the House and Senate Democrats' statement, Davis said she is "thrilled" Gov. Little chose Burns as her successor, and called him well prepared to jump into the role.
Burns was one of three names submitted to the governor’s office to fill the vacancy by the Idaho Democratic Party’s District 26 Legislative Committee, which was responsible for selecting candidates.
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