The 2025 Statesman of the Year

Recognizing a job well done.

Starting in 2023, the Gem State Chronicle began awarding the Statesman and Stateswoman of the Year to two political figures who best exemplify the American tradition of selflessness and service. In selecting honorees, I look at the full picture—ideology, effectiveness, and, perhaps most importantly, a long-term vision for our state and our communities. In 2023, the Chronicle honored Eagle Mayor Jason Pierce and Sen. Glenneda Zuiderveld. Last year, I selected Health & Welfare Director Alex Adams and Idaho GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon.

Today I would like to honor someone who has not only done tremendous work in politics but has also been a force for good in his community. The Gem State Chronicle’s 2025 Statesman of the Year is Rep. Jordan Redman.

In only his second term, Rep. Redman has already left a significant mark on Idaho law, especially in health-care policy. During his first term, he sponsored bills expanding access to telehealth and clarifying pharmacy regulations. Last year, he introduced an ambitious bill to ease Idaho’s doctor shortage by expanding licensure for assistant physicians, though it did not pass committee.

Over the past two years, Redman has sponsored several bills moving administrative rules into statute, returning policymaking authority to the people’s elected representatives. This year he sponsored House Bill 109, restricting candy and soda purchases under SNAP benefits in Idaho. The bill aligned with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, and Redman was invited to the White House for RFK’s MAHA Report in May.

Redman also sponsored House Bill 135 this year, ensuring that taxpayer-funded benefits do not go to those in the country illegally.

Perhaps his biggest challenge has been Medicaid, particularly Medicaid Expansion. In 2024 he introduced House Bill 419 to place guardrails on the program, which has far exceeded the cost projections made by the initiative’s backers in 2018. The bill prioritized funding for those who truly needed assistance and imposed work requirements on able-bodied adults.

H419 unfortunately fell in committee, with Democrats and some Republicans worried about potential reductions in benefits. Redman returned in 2025 with House Bill 138, which passed both committee and the House but stalled in the Senate.

He didn’t quit. Instead, he worked with a broad coalition of legislators and executive-branch stakeholders to draft House Bill 345, a sweeping reform of the Medicaid program. While no one got everything they wanted, and time will tell whether the move to managed services reduces costs, H345 includes important provisions such as work requirements for Medicaid Expansion enrollees.

Beyond sponsoring bills, Rep. Redman stays fully engaged in legislative work. He serves as vice chair of the House Business Committee and sits on two additional committees. He is also part of at least six interim committees, including the Medicaid Review Panel and the COVID-19 Response Study Group.

That latter committee met once and concluded that the State of Idaho violated citizens’ constitutional rights during the pandemic by closing businesses and churches, issuing a stay-at-home order, and appropriating federal money without legislative oversight.

Yet somehow Jordan Redman still makes time for family, business, and charity. He and his wife, Amy, have six children, and he owns multiple businesses in North Idaho. Together they operate 208 Ministries, which raises money for charitable causes locally and around the world. When a sniper murdered several firefighters in Kootenai County earlier this year, 208 Ministries raised funds to support their families.

Jordan Redman is a man of purpose and vision. He is hardworking and devoted to his family, his community, and the Lord Jesus Christ. I’m proud to honor him as the Gem State Chronicle’s 2025 Statesman of the Year.

Stay tuned for the 2025 Stateswoman of the Year!

Feature image James Dawson, Boise State Public Radio