Mary Souza is a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the

Idaho Senate The Idaho Senate is the upper chamber of the Idaho State Legislature. It consists of 35 Senators elected to two-year terms, each representing a district of the state. The Senate meets at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise, Idaho. Composition of t ...

and former

nurse Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...

. She was first elected in 2014.

Controversies

In 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." 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 ''Texas v. Pennsylvania'', 592 U.S. ___ (2020), was a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the administration of the 2020 presidential election in certain states, in which Joe Biden defeated incumbent Donald Trump. Fil ...

'').

Political positions

Souza is opposed to the

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presi ...

(Obamacare) and is also opposed to expanding

Medicaid Medicaid in the United States is a federal and state program that helps with healthcare costs for some people with limited income and resources. Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, including nursing home care and pers ...

. In the

2022 elections The following elections are scheduled to occur in 2022. The National Democratic Institute also maintains a calendar of elections around the world. * 2022 United Nations Security Council election * 2022 national electoral calendar * 2022 local e ...

, Souza ran for

Secretary of State of Idaho The secretary of state of Idaho is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is an elected position within the Executive (government), executive branch of the state government. The current secretary of state is Lawerence ...

. Souza made baseless claims of voter fraud, echoing

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

's baseless claims of voter fraud in the

2020 United States presidential election The 2020 United States presidential election was the 59th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. The Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and the junior U.S. senator from California Kamala Ha ...

. Souza lost the race to

Phil McGrane Philip McGrane is an American politician from Idaho who is serving as the Secretary of State of Idaho. He previously served as the county clerk for Ada County, Idaho. He is a member of the Republican Party. As a candidate for secretary of state, ...

Personal life

Souza and her husband, Rick, have four children and two grandchildren. They reside in

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Coeur d'Alene ( ; french: Cœur d'Alène, lit=Heart of an stitching awl, Awl ) is a city and the county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the largest city in North Idaho and the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolita ...

Electoral history

References

External links

*
Blog

Campaign website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Souza, Mary Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) Living people Republican Party Idaho state senators People from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Women state legislators in Idaho Brigham Young University alumni American nurses American women nurses 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians