Hello, I’m Representative Lauren Necochea

District 19 is where I was born and raised. It is also where my husband and I chose to raise our family.

I know how fortunate I was to attend strong public schools, to be born to a family with economic stability, and to live in a community where I was welcome. District 19 gave me a solid foundation that helped me to build a life for my own family.

I am working to make sure that every child in Idaho can attend a great school and that every family’s hard work is rewarded with financial security. I am working to ensure that every Idahoan feels welcome and finds opportunity, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or birthplace.

My grandmother had four young children when she was widowed. It was the social security survivor’s benefit that allowed my grandmother to support her children and see them go to college. State support of our colleges and universities made Boise State University (then Boise Junior College) an affordable option for my father. He paid his yearly tuition fees with the fair wages he earned through his summer jobs.

With accessible educational opportunities, my parents were able to build a life in Boise and raise four children. Those children, in turn, could go to college and find good jobs here in their hometown.

The math looks much different today. Higher education is expensive due to the state’s persistent refusal to make meaningful investments. Low wages and the prospect of crushing student debt are barriers for young Idahoans. We must do more to create pathways to a skilled workforce. This will keep our economy strong and allow Idahoans to earn family-sustaining wages.

I was taught that service is a way of life.

My parents instilled in me the value of public service from my earliest years. Whether my mother was volunteering at a neighborhood food pantry or delivering home-cooked meals to youth in foster care, I was there, learning from her example.

I studied economics in college because I wanted to learn how to spur economic growth and ensure everyone benefits from it. Then I got to work.

I learned about the challenges of building a small business, including access to start-up funding, from women entrepreneurs in Peru. I learned about the challenges of accessing quality, affordable housing while leading the Healthy Homes Division of the Baltimore City Health Department.

Back home in Boise, I spent eight years building coalitions, talking with Idahoans across the state, and advocating on a range of issues, including health care, education, child well-being, and fiscal policy.

Today I am proud to continue serving the people of my home state as your District 19 representative in the Idaho Legislature.