Meet Sarah

I am Sarah Zabel, and I am an Independent candidate for U.S. Congress in Idaho’s first district.

Use of military rank, title, or photographs in uniform do not imply endorsement by the Department of the Air Force or the Department of Defense.

Our nation is facing serious problems. We paid more in interest on the national debt over this last year than we did for defense, Medicare, or border security. Meanwhile, costs for housing, health care, insurance, and daily life are growing faster than we can cope. And we watch as the federal government swings wildly between underreacting and overreacting to long term challenges like illegal immigration. All of these problems have grown over decades, under both parties; neither one is willing to fix them.

But we know how to deal with these problems. We faced the same level of debt following the Second World War, and overcame it while building a thriving economy that became the envy of the world. We’ve seen that when government burdens that economy with heavy regulation, tariffs, and excessive workforce controls, costs go up. Reduce the burdens and we can reduce costs too. And we can do a lot better in many areas, including immigration, if we reform and streamline our laws, resource them, and enforce them fairly and evenly. None of this is quick or easy, but it is doable.

We are also facing new challenges that we need to deal with, like trust. We are entering a world of AI-generated deep fakes. We question the risks and effectiveness of medicines and vaccines. We question the motivations of people in positions of power, and the security and validity of our elections. And we should. But we need a way to answer our questions and hold people accountable for what they do.

I made Idaho my home after more than 30 years of active military service. I was a Republican throughout those years, but the party has changed into something I don’t recognize. The Democrats aren’t bringing answers either; just more of the same. Fixing our problems, and moving forward into security and prosperity, demands a Congress that functions. I am running to break the party deadlock, to provide another choice and a new direction.

We can do so much better than this.