Mary Souza is an American politician and former nurse who was a Republican member of the Idaho Senate. She was first elected in 2014 to 2022.
Mary Souza | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Idaho Senate from District 4 | |
| In office December 1, 2014 – November 30, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | John Goedde |
| Succeeded by | Ben Toews |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Rick |
| Children | 4 |
| Residence | Coeur d'Alene, Idaho |
| Alma mater | Pacific Lutheran University |
| Occupation | Nurse |
Controversies
editIn 2015, she co-sponsored a bill that would allow parents to withdraw their children from any activity that "impairs the parents’ firmly held beliefs, values or principles."[1]
In December 2020, Souza signed on to an Amicus Brief in support of Texas' attempts to overturn the results of the presidential election in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin (Texas v. Pennsylvania).[2]
Political positions
editSouza is opposed to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and is also opposed to expanding Medicaid.[3]
In the 2022 elections, Souza ran for Secretary of State of Idaho. Souza made baseless claims of voter fraud, echoing Donald Trump's baseless claims of voter fraud in the 2020 United States presidential election.[4] Souza lost the race to Phil McGrane.[5]
Personal life
editSouza and her husband, Rick, have four children and two grandchildren. They reside in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.[6]
Electoral history
edit| Year | Candidate | Votes | Pct | Candidate | Votes | Pct | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 Primary[7] | Mary Souza | 1,853 | 53.9% | John Goedde (incumbent) | 1,587 | 46.1% | |||
| 2014 General[8] | Mary Souza | 7,406 | 74.6% | Ray Writz | 2,520 | 25.4% | |||
| 2016 Primary[9] | Mary Souza (incumbent) | 3,198 | 100% | ||||||
| 2016 General[10] | Mary Souza (incumbent) | 13,233 | 62.9% | Kristi Milan | 7,793 | 37.1% |
| Idaho Secretary of State Republican primary election, 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Phil McGrane | 113,894 | 43.0% |
| Republican | Dorothy Moon | 109,690 | 41.5% |
| Republican | Mary Souza | 41,057 | 15.5% |
Souza is challenging Dorothy Moon for Idaho Republican Party Chair at the 2024 Summer Convention.[11] Souza was defeated by Moon only receiving 228 votes to Moon's 376.[12]
References
edit- ^ Russell, Betsy Z. (March 17, 2015). "Idaho Senate passes Sen. Mary Souza's parent rights measure". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
- ^ "MOTION FOR LEAVE (1) TO FILE BRIEF OF LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR JANICE MCGEACHIN, SENATOR LORA REINBOLD, REPRESENTATIVE DAVID EASTMAN, ET AL (ELECTED STATE OFFICIALS) AS AMICI CURIAE IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFF, AND (2) TO DO SO IN AN UNBOUND FORMAT ON 81⁄2-BY-11-INCH PAPER, AND (3) TO DO SO WITHOUT TEN DAYS' ADVANCE NOTICE TO THE PARTIES" (PDF). US Supreme Court. December 10, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ Collingwood, Ryan (October 15, 2016). "Senate hopefuls share differences in debate". CDA Press. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
- ^ "Republican candidate for Idaho secretary of state spreads unverified reports of voter fraud". 14 March 2022.
- ^ "Ada County Clerk wins Republican nomination for Idaho secretary of state". May 18, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ "Mary Souza's Biography". Project VoteSmart. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
- ^ Ysursa, Ben. "May 20, 2014 General Election Results: Legislative Totals". Boise, Idaho: Secretary of State of Idaho. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
- ^ Ysursa, Ben. "November 4, 2014 General Election Results: Legislative Totals". Boise, Idaho: Secretary of State of Idaho. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
- ^ Denney, Lawerence. "May 17, 2016 Primary Election Results: Legislative Totals". Boise, Idaho: Secretary of State of Idaho. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
- ^ Denney, Lawerence. "Nov 8, 2016 General Election Results: Legislative Totals". Boise, Idaho: Secretary of State of Idaho. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
- ^ "Mary Souza challenges Idaho Republican Party Chairwoman Dorothy Moon ahead of convention in Coeur d'Alene". Idaho News 6 Boise Twin Falls (KIVI). 2024-06-06. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
- ^ Corbin, Clark (2024-06-15). "Dorothy Moon reelected as chairwoman of the Idaho Republican Party • Idaho Capital Sun". Idaho Capital Sun. Retrieved 2024-06-20.