Idaho Gov. Brad Little appoints new legislator for District 26 House seat

Idaho Gov. Brad Little appointed Ned Burns of Bellevue to the District 26 House seat vacated by Rep. Muffy Davis, Little announced in a press release Thursday.

Davis announced earlier this month that she would vacate the seat to replace Jacob Greenberg on the Blaine County Board of Commissioners.

Burns, who serves as the mayor of Bellevue, is a realtor at Coldwell Banker Distinctive Properties for the Wood River Valley by trade.

“I hope to help advance smart, well-crafted policy to better our state for future generations by making critical investments in infrastructure and public education, as well as finding real solutions to provide meaningful property tax relief – all of which are my top priorities and where our focus should be in 2022,” Burns said in a press release. “It’s time to move Idaho forward.”

He has previously served as a substitute for Reps. Sally Toone and Davis in the Idaho Legislature, according to the news release.

Burns, originally from Twin Falls, is a Democrat who will serve out the remainder of Davis’ term, which ends at the end of 2022. When a legislative seat is vacated midterm, the political party of the legislator who left the seat submits three recommendations for replacements for the governor’s consideration.

Karma Fitzgerald, the vice chair of the Lincoln County Democrats, and Don Lappin, the former Democratic precinct captain for Sun Valley, were the other two candidates put forth by the Democratic Party, according to Boise State Public Radio.

Idaho’s legislative District 26 includes Blaine, Gooding, Camas and Lincoln counties.