Todd Engel

My name is Todd Engel. I am an Idahoan of almost 30 years, a hunter, fisherman, off-grid living cabin builder, and working-class citizen of the great state of Idaho.
I grew up “south of here” and arrived in Bonner County just as an incident was taking place on a ridge called Ruby. It was a pivotal moment and changed me forever. From then on, I chose to educate my fellow Idahoans on our shared history and the concerns I had that our foundations were eroding away.
In 2009 I became politically active in the Tea Party movement and witnessed firsthand the concerted efforts by those in DC to destroy any opposition to the status quo.
In 2014 an incident unfolded at the Bundy Ranch that caught my attention. Not trusting the news, I drove to Nevada to investigate for myself what was occurring.
Soon after I arrived, a spontaneous protest unfolded, protesters were threatened with deadly force and rifles were aimed at them by federal authorities. To ensure the safety of a 1st Amendment protest, I stood in defense of the protesters and also worked with Nevada State Troopers to ensure the safety of all participants.
For my participation in that protest, I was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison. After 4.5 years behind bars, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the jury's convictions due to constitutional and due process violations and the government refused to put me on trial again. I was released from prison “with prejudice” with my rights restored.
I understand federal overreach is concerning for all of us. Returning to normal life after I was released, I was very troubled to see how much Idaho had changed. This helped me make the decision to run for Idaho State Representative to protect you and your family from mandates, CRT, burdensome taxes and most of all to never allow the injustices I suffered to happen to you.