My name is Mark Fitzpatrick. I was born in Los Angeles in 1978 to a loving family. My father served 40 years as a police officer, and my mother helped raise my sister and me. My parents are now retired and live nearby in Eagle, Idaho. I grew up attending Catholic schools but became a committed non-denominational biblical Christian in my late teens. I played Division 1 soccer at Cal State Northridge from 1997 to 1999, graduated with a BA, and then attended the Orange County Sheriff’s Academy. I served as a police officer with the Newport Beach Police Department from 1999 to 2014, leaving in good standing with a clean record. While on duty, I met my wife Sarah during a lunch break when she was my server at a diner. On our first date, I told her clearly that I was looking for a wife. We agreed to court, got engaged two months later, and were married four months after that. We have been happily married for 23 years and have six children, ages 12 to 21. We homeschool our kids and are raising them grounded in faith, family, and freedom. I am a serial entrepreneur who has hired and employed hundreds of people over the years. I have had to fire some along the way, but that comes with the territory as they say. Today, I own a real estate brokerage and development company, an events center, and Old State Saloon in Eagle, Idaho. I have become known as a bold culture warrior. I founded Heterosexual Awesomeness Month to stand for God’s design for marriage and family, and several of my posts and events have gone viral, gaining many supporters while also drawing strong opposition from the left. After years of watching government corruption, including investigating Somali daycares in Boise, I realized our system is badly broken. Our current governor refuses to respond to the people, avoids accountability, and is rarely challenged by the leftist media. After much prayer, and with the full support of my wife and children, I have decided to run for Governor of Idaho. I love this state and its people. Idaho needs truth, transparency, and a governor who will lead with courage, put God first, and fight for the people rather than the insiders.

No, I was not fired. I left police work on good terms with a clean record. In my later years as a police officer, one of my businesses was growing rapidly. I had over 20 full-time employees while still working full time as a police officer. At the same time, my wife and I had six young children. Life was extremely busy. Even though I loved being a police officer, it eventually became too much to do both jobs well. I had to make a choice. I decided to pursue my dreams as an entrepreneur full time. I took the leap, left the security of a steady paycheck and benefits, and went all in on building my businesses. I left the Newport Beach Police Department in good standing with no complaints or issues. It was simply a matter of needing to focus my time and energy on my growing family and my entrepreneurial calling.

No, I do not support the idea of a monarchy for the United States or for Idaho. While I love the thought of living as a subject under Jesus Christ, the King of kings, who will one day reign forever in perfect righteousness in His new Kingdom as described in Revelation 21 and 22, that is not the best form of government for us here on earth right now. A monarchy puts far too much power in the hands of one single person, and any human being can be corrupted by that kind of power. History has shown us repeatedly what happens when too much authority rests with one ruler. God has blessed us with an amazing Constitutional Republic. Our Founders gave us a system designed to protect liberty and limit government. The problem is not the system, but that too many of us have failed to be good stewards of it. We the People must stay actively involved, hold our leaders accountable, demand transparency, and shine the light of truth on corruption and evil. This Republic can be restored if we elect leaders who love the Lord first, refuse to sell out, and put the Constitution and the people above their own power or personal gain. As Governor, I will govern as a servant of the people under our Constitutional Republic — not as a king. My job will be to protect your God-given rights and freedoms, not to rule over you.

No, I am not. I was a police officer with the City of Newport Beach, California for 15 years. I left the department in good standing with a clean record and no complaints against me. The man who was arrested and convicted for sex crimes is a completely different person. He has the same first and last name, but he has a different date of birth and a different middle initial. He worked for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, not Newport Beach. I did not know this man. I have never worked with him, and I am not associated with him in any way. I have explained this fact multiple times, yet some on the left continue to deliberately lie and defame me by mixing up the two men. This is a dishonest smear campaign because they cannot attack my actual record or my positions. My record is clean. My character is clean. And I will not allow these lies to go unchallenged.

Yes, it is true. My wife Sarah and I adopted our son through the foster care system over 13 years ago. He is our fifth child out of six, and we love him deeply. Recently, an anonymous leftist on X asked me, “Why do you have a brown kid? Who cheated?” And, they had the audacity to call me a racist. Let me be very clear: that question reveals far more about the ugly heart of the person who asked it than it does about me or my family. My wife and I chose to foster and then adopt a Mexican/Native American baby because we believe every child deserves a loving home. We didn’t see skin color. We saw a child who needed a family. I am a strong supporter of adoption. The Bible is very clear on this. James 1:27 says, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble.” We need far more Christians and private citizens stepping up to care for orphans and vulnerable children instead of leaving it all to the government. Our family is living proof that love and commitment are far more important than biology or skin color. I will never apologize for adopting our son or for loving him as my own. https://x.com/oldstatemark/status/2039459176867664229?s=20(https://x.com/oldstatemark/status/2039459176867664229?s=20)

No, I am not an antisemite. I do not hate LDS/Mormons, and I do not hate Muslims. I am a Christian. I love people, and I believe every human being is made in the image of God and deserves to be treated fairly and equally under the law, exactly as our Constitution demands. However, because I am a Christian, I will never apologize for speaking the truth of the Gospel. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He lived a sinless life, was crucified, and rose from the dead, conquering sin and death. As sinners, the only way we can be saved is through faith in Him as our Savior, the One who took the punishment we deserved on the cross. If someone hears that message from me and rejects it, that is their right. I will not force anyone to believe. But I also will not cower or water down the truth to make people comfortable. We can still work together as fellow Idahoans to make our state safer, freer, more prosperous, and better for our children; even if we disagree on matters of faith. Fair treatment under the law does not require me to deny the Gospel. My faith in Jesus Christ guides my life, but it does not prevent me from treating every person with dignity and respect while I serve as Governor.

I am pro-America, always. I love this country deeply, but because I love America, I am also willing to be critical of America when it is deserved. That same standard applies to every other nation on earth, including Israel. I do not support giving any foreign country, including Israel, a blank check with American tax dollars or unconditional loyalty. I am critical of the Israeli government when its actions do not serve American interests, just as I am critical of our own government. I am especially wary of the enormous influence of groups like AIPAC and any foreign lobbying that puts another nation’s interests ahead of America’s. I will never accept money, donations, or support from Israel, AIPAC, Mossad, or any other foreign government or lobbying organization. My loyalty belongs only to the United States and the people of Idaho. As Governor, my foreign policy stance will be simple: America First. No more blank checks to any foreign nation. No more putting other countries’ interests ahead of our own. Every decision will be judged by one standard: that which is best for the American people and the state of Idaho.

I am strongly against the legalization of marijuana in Idaho, including medical marijuana. While I have considered the potential economic value of hemp and understand that some of those arguments have merit, Idaho is simply not in a mature enough position to have this discussion right now. Our state government is plagued with too much corruption, deception, and massive lobbyist influence. Many of our own Republican representatives have shown themselves to be frauds who cannot be trusted with this issue. As long as that corruption and lobbyist control exists, I am a hard NO on any form of marijuana legalization. Only after we clean up the corruption, expose the deception, and remove the massive lobby influence should we even consider discussing medical marijuana. I refuse to support anything that would lead to more teenagers using marijuana, developing lifelong psychosis, becoming dependent on Big Pharma, and turning into a permanent burden on society and their families. Idaho must protect our young people and our communities first. Legalizing marijuana is not progress. It is a step backward.

I am strongly against Ranked Choice Voting. Ranked Choice Voting is a dangerous scheme that confuses voters, weakens election integrity, and often produces winners who do not have majority support. It allows candidates to win without ever receiving the most first-choice votes, which undermines the basic principle of “one person, one vote.” In practice, Ranked Choice Voting hides backroom deal-making between candidates, discourages clear choices, and makes it nearly impossible for average citizens to understand how the final result was reached. It has already caused chaos and controversy in other states and cities that have tried it. Idaho has a simple, straightforward voting system that works. We should keep it that way. As Governor, I will fight any attempt to bring Ranked Choice Voting to Idaho and I'd veto it if it hit my desk. We need clear, honest elections where the candidate with the most votes wins.

I support selling Idaho’s power and water to other states only when it clearly benefits Idahoans first and only after our own people and future needs are fully taken care of. Idaho’s water and energy resources belong to the people of Idaho. They are not for sale to the highest bidder while our farmers, families, and communities go without. Before any surplus is sold out of state, Idaho must be in a strong, secure position with reliable water supplies for agriculture and drinking water, and abundant, affordable power for our homes, businesses, and growing population. Any potential sale must meet strict conditions: it must generate significant revenue that directly lowers taxes or improves infrastructure for Idahoans, it must not risk future shortages for our state, and it must never come at the expense of Idaho families or farmers. If those conditions are clearly met, then and only then would I consider it. Even then, every deal would be completely transparent. The terms would be made public immediately so the people of Idaho can review the details and make their voices heard with their representatives. No backroom deals. No hidden contracts. Idaho’s resources exist to serve Idahoans first. As Governor, I will never sell our birthright to benefit other states while our own people suffer or pay higher costs.