About Me

I was born into a military family. My father was a WW-II Navy corpsman and landed on Okinawa on the first day of the invasion. He retired as a captain in the Medical Service Corps as a hospital administrator. It goes without saying, that as a child we moved from base to base, from Philadelphia to San Diego to the Subic Bay, Philippines.

 I lived most of life in California from the time I was about 10 years old moving from base to base. I took my BA from the California State University, Long Beach and then two years graduate work at University of California, Santa Barbara. In 2001 I enrolled at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California and received my MDiv in 2005. I am currently working on another master’s degree at Liberty University in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Mental Health has been a passion for me since Kathy ever since I planted and pastored a church for 5 ½ years in Simi Valley, Calif.  There I learned that I needed more understanding about the mental health challenges against which people struggle. Professionally, throughout the years, I worked as data analyst and programmer for companies such as AT&T, Latham & Watkins, Countrywide, Bank of America and Blue Cross of Idaho.

 Kathy, my youngest son and I relocated to Idaho 9 years ago as political refugees wanting more freedom. I saw California change from a state that elected Republican governors to become a one-party leftist playground. Many parts of the state are still conservative, but the political structures are so deeply entrenched with socialist thinking.

 I first visited Boise over 30 years ago and fell in love with Idaho right away. It felt like the America I grew up in. People look you in the eye and say “howdy” and make small talk. Waving is a thing here and I love that. Over the years I visited the Treasure Valley another half-dozen times. My wife and I spent a long weekend here about 25 years ago looking to relocate at that time. It didn’t work out then, but Idaho remained a relocation destination for me.  But once we finally moved here, we realized that a lot of the things we left in California had already taken root here in Idaho too. My assessment of Idaho is most people here hold conservative values, but many on the management team? Not so much!

 Also, I am a Platform Republican. Furthermore, I am a conservative Christian Republican. I am not a libertarian. I have signed the pledge to support the Idaho GOP platform, and it is on file with the District 13 central committee of the Republican party and at the state party office. That means that I do my best to vote in accordance with the GOP platform. To read the platform go to idgop.org and look under Party Resources. I encourage you to do this. That way you know what I stand on. I am NOT one of those people that put an “R” by their name at election time, but then vote like a Democrat once elected. Not me.

 It is the privilege of a lifetime and a deep honor to serve in the state legislature representing legislative district 13.  As I promised, I voted consistently according to Republican platform values. I introduced three bills in my first freshman session and all three were signed into law in 2025.  And I’m just getting started.   I have bills already drafted for next session.

Also, I am on the House Education Committee.  As a life-long learned, education is a passion for me.  In order for kids to become productive adults and citizens, they need a solid foundation in education. I believe that school choice is a vehicle to provide competition in education so that all education options will strive for improvement. But I also support public schools. I want public education to be better. Much better!  But we need to rethink how we are doing it.

 I am Steve Tanner, Candidate for Legislative District 13B and I approve this message.