I’m David Roth, and I’m a Democrat running to represent Idaho in the United States Senate.

I see firsthand many of the REAL problems faced by everyday Idahoans — because I often face those same problems! I serve on nonprofit boards throughout the state, am raising two sons as a single parent, lead a non-profit focused on improving the futures of our youth, help care for my aging grandmother, and volunteer in the community.

Here are just a few of the challenges we face:

• Lack of affordable housing: It’s no secret that housing prices have been increasing at a record pace, and Idaho is no exception. Working families are priced out of buying a home — and many struggle to find affordable rentals. I’ve been part of the solution. I have been working as a board member for a local housing non-profit to find REAL solutions, I’m proud that we secured $3 million in funding to build Communities of Hope, a pioneering project in Idaho Falls to create sustainable workforce housing. Our efforts will create a realistic path to homeownership for those who live and work in our communities. This project represents our potential when the government works with communities and individuals to solve growing problems. 
• Healthcare is under attack: Like 37 million other Americans, I have diabetes.  I also work for a small employer that does not offer any type of health insurance. Thankfully millions of families in this position can purchase an individual policy through the state insurance exchange due to the Affordable Care Act. Without the ACA I could easily be denied coverage because of my pre-existing illness.  Without insurance, the medications which keep me healthy, able to work, and allow me to care for my children would cost me approximately $24,000 per year.  Without my ACA insurance, I would not be able to meet this expense.  It is critical that we not only work to protect the ACA but that we work to continue to reduce the cost of various necessary and life-saving treatments. 
• Our immigration system is broken: We must face the reality that we have an immigration policy that does not meet the needs of the United States. Our agricultural industry depends on immigrant labor. In fact, the American Farm Bureau has stated that increased enforcement without reform will add to the cost of American food production. Nearly ten years ago the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program was put into place. Now, a decade later, we’re no closer to a citizenship path for these individuals. We have educated these individuals and invested in their futures. The nearly 3,500 DACA recipients in Idaho contribute about $150 million a year to Idaho’s economy. It is time to take meaningful action on immigration. 
• The fentanyl crisis: Our nation is facing one of the deadliest epidemics related to substance use in our history. The deaths related to opioid overdose, especially fentanyl, are increasing at an alarming rate. As the executive director of a community coalition focused on reducing substance use among youth, I work with individuals every day who know someone affected by this drug. The “war on drugs” has been a failure. Evidence shows that the only effective means of reducing overdose deaths is through prevention efforts and harm reduction initiatives. Our leaders are too focused on pointing a finger at the border to consider anything that might help. Most of the fentanyl coming into this country is smuggled through legal ports of entry. We need to expand and fund our prevention and harm reduction efforts.  As an established leader in the world of prevention, I can make sure that money and focus are directed at programs that actually work.