Perry Shumway
Republican | Idaho
Candidate Profile
Leans Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Perry Shumway
Party
Republican
Election Year
2026
Election
Primary
Race
U.S. Rep., Dist. 2
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, MBA, 1991-1993
Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, BA, 1983-1989
WORK & MILITARY
Madisonhealth, Brand Strategy Manager, 2019-2026
Sweetwater Property Management, Regional Director, 2018-2019
Rexburg Housing, Leasing Manager, 2015-2018
Perkley, LLC, Director of Videography, 2013-2015
NAVEX Global, Implementation Specialist, 2012-2013
Teriyaki Express, Founder / Manager, 2010-2012
Dickinson Frozen Foods, Production Supervisor, Swing Shift, 2009-2010
Elegy Media, LLC, Founder / Videographer, 2005-2009
Razor Wire International, LLC, Founder / Partner, 1998-2005
American Fence Corporation, Tech Rep / Business Analyst, 1989-1997
AFFILIATIONS
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Full-time missionary (Spanish-speaking), 1984-1986
Boy Scouts of America, Eagle Scout, 1979-
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
School Board (Soda Springs, Idaho), 2002-2005
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Human life deserves legal protection from conception until natural death.
Strongly Agree
Killing a baby right after conception is not nearly as bad as killing one in his or her third term. And it's not helpful to call abortion "murder," unless you're ready to impose capital punishment on everyone involved - the mom and dad, the doctor, the nurses, etc. Still, unborn life is human life, and it should be protected, but at the state level. Just as Roe vs. Wade was profoundly wrong, so also would a nationwide ban on all abortions be the wrong approach to protecting life.
The lives of human embryos created through artificial methods ought to be protected from purposeful destruction.
Strongly Agree
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
In clear cases of rape, incest, or if the life of the mother or the baby is in danger of death or severe deformity.
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should receive taxpayer funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Disagree
The Comstock Act, which bans interstate transportation of abortion-inducing drugs, should be enforced.
Neutral
Invoking the Comstock Act is a cynical, constitutionally questionable way of resurrecting an obscure, seldom-cited nineteenth century law to force states to do the bidding of Washington. Individual states with laws against abortions should police the passing of abortion-inducing drugs into their boundaries themselves, without the heavy hand of Washington enforcing their policies for them.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
Congress should never establish a state religion; Congress should also never stop anyone, including government officials, from the free practice of their own religious beliefs, so long as that practice doesn't infringe on anyone else's God-given rights.
NATIONAL SECURITY
With regard to America's foreign policy, which view most closely resembles yours: A) The United States should intervene whenever freedom is threatened. B) The United States should selectively help countries trying to grow democracy and fight tyranny. C) The United States has become too involved in others' policies and should remain focused on issues regarding our own sovereignty unless in imminent danger. D) The United States should stay out of foreign conflicts completely.
"D," no question. Virtually every foreign conflict we get involved in comes back to bite us, in one way or another. We have an awful track record of trying to be the world's police force. If individual Americans want to send their own money to various overseas causes or governments (Ukraine, Israel, etc.), let them do it, by all means. But the federal government has no right to compel citizens to pay taxes (or go into debt) to support pet causes in wars on the other side of the globe.
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Strongly Agree
International free trade is the best means of partnering with China and ultimately reducing the threat they pose to us.
Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?
Because Israel is a strong democracy in the Middle East, and because so many Americans have relatives living in Israel, our relationship is very important. We should, however, end all government-driven foreign aid payments, both to Israel and to every other foreign government, permanently. If private US citizens wish to support Israel financially, they should be free to do that. But no American should be compelled to have any tax revenue (or debt revenue) sent to Israel, or to anywhere else.
Islamic terrorism is a threat to the United States' national security.
Strongly Agree
HEALTHCARE
What most closely matches your view on healthcare: A) Healthcare for all should be guaranteed and funded by the government with no private healthcare option. (includes "universal healthcare," "medicare for all," etc.) B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. D) Taxpayer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be defunded.
"D," for sure. Medicare and Medicaid, though popular with many people, have contributed to driving US healthcare costs sky-high. If our healthcare system were a true market in every sense, with zero government involvement, costs would plummet, and the quality of care would increase.
The government should keep a database of people with various ongoing medical illnesses to assess the economic burden of treatment.
Strongly Disagree
ECONOMY
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
People who can afford to pay more taxes should do so in order to provide relief for working families.
Strongly Disagree
The government should cut spending in order to reduce the national debt.
Strongly Agree
List your top 3-5 priorities to eliminate government waste.
1. The complete phasing out of unconstitutional, federal-level departments and agencies: Commerce, Education, Energy, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Labor, FDA, EPA, SSA, Medicare, Medicaid, and many more. 2. A ground-up restructuring of the US military to modernize it, with the closing of multiple overseas bases and the elimination of relics of the military-industrial complex and corporate cronyism of the past. 3. A complete revamp of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
IMMIGRATION
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Peace-loving people without criminal histories, who want to contribute and who come here seeking safety, freedom, and prosperity, should be allowed to immigrate, but without the possibility of citizenship.
I support the existence of sanctuary cities to protect undocumented persons.
Strongly Disagree
EDUCATION
I support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and giving control back to states and communities.
Strongly Agree
Foreign governments should be prohibited from funding American education.
Neutral
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Government has a responsibility to protect children from sexual exploitation during online activities.
Strongly Agree
An important caveat: this is not a federal government job; nothing in the Constitution authorizes it. But I would fully support state and local governments protecting kids in this way.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
None. When the public owns guns, the public is safer.
ABOUT YOU
Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.
Never
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.
Never
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?
Very Conservative
The term "conservative" has been hijacked by so many people and groups, it has unfortunately lost its meaning. I'm very conservative in the traditional sense - small government, live and let live, old-fashioned values, etc. People who see conservatism as populism, favoring protectionism, ethnic nationalism, and anti-intellectualism, would characterize me more along the libertarian side of the spectrum.
VALUES
Attempts to physically or socially transition a child to the opposite sex constitute child abuse.
Strongly Agree
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition.
Strongly Agree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a believer in Jesus Christ. I have attended church all my life, and I value my relationship with God above all else. I embrace the freedom of all people to worship however and whomever they please, or to be atheistic or agnostic. I also think people in public office should be free to put words to their spiritual beliefs, and that such beliefs can and ought to guide their public actions.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
EQUALITY
Biological males should not be allowed to participate in women's sports or occupy biological women's spaces whether it be bathrooms, locker rooms, sorority houses, women's shelters, or prison.
Strongly Agree
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
Domestic production and refinement of fossil fuels
