Lauren Necochea

Lauren Necochea
Chair of the Idaho Democratic Party
Incumbent
Assumed office
March 12, 2022
Preceded byDeborah Silver (Acting)
Member of the Idaho House of Representatives
from the 19th district
In office
December 2019 – November 30, 2024
Preceded byMat Erpelding
Succeeded byMonica Church
Personal details
Born
Lauren Bentley Smith

Boise, Idaho, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Children2
EducationPomona College (BA)
Princeton University (MPA)

Lauren Necochea (née Smith) is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served in the Idaho House of Representatives since 2019. She represents the 19th district, which includes a portion of Boise, the state capital. Since 2022, she has served as chair of the Idaho Democratic Party.[1]

Early life and education

Necochea was born Lauren Bentley Smith in Boise, Idaho to Dr. Michael Smith and Susan Smith.[2] Her father is a dentist and her mother founded the Idaho Women's Charitable Foundation.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Pomona College and a Master of Arts in public affairs from Princeton University.[3] Necochea was the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship.

Career

After earning her master's degree, Necochea worked as a program evaluator for the Baltimore City Health Department.[4] She later returned to Boise. She worked as the director of the Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy and Idaho Voices for Children.[5] Necochea was on the steering committee for the Idahoans for Healthcare campaign, which supported the 2018 Proposition 2 campaign to expand Medicaid in Idaho.[1]

Political career

In December 2019, Necochea was appointed to the Idaho House of Representatives by Governor Brad Little, succeeding Mat Erpelding, who resigned from the House to take a lobbying position.[6][7] She was elected in the 2020 and 2022 House of Representatives elections.

In March 2022, she was elected chair of the Idaho Democratic Party, replacing acting chair Deborah Silver.[1] Necochea announced February 2024 that she will not run for re-election and focus on being chair of the Idaho Democratic Party.[8]

Personal life

In 2006, she married Alejandro José Necochea, a Yale School of Medicine-educate internal physician.[2] Necochea lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband and two daughters.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c Lords, Christina (2022-03-13). "Idaho Democratic Party elects Necochea as new chairwoman". Idaho Capital Sun. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  2. ^ a b "Lauren Smith, Alejandro Necochea". The New York Times. 2006-07-02. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  3. ^ "Gov. Little appoints Necochea to replace Rep. Erpelding in state House". Idaho Press. 23 December 2019. Retrieved 2020-09-06.
  4. ^ Barton, Janet (2019-03-25). "Lauren Necochea | Director of the Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy". Idaho Healthcare Summit. Retrieved 2020-09-06.
  5. ^ "Gov. Little appoints Lauren Necochea to District 19 House seat". ktvb.com. 23 December 2019. Retrieved 2020-09-06.
  6. ^ Barnhill, Frankie. "Meet Lauren Necochea, Idaho's Newest Lawmaker". www.boisestatepublicradio.org. Retrieved 2020-09-06.
  7. ^ "Idaho governor appoints new House lawmaker for Boise area". AP NEWS. 2019-12-23. Retrieved 2020-09-06.
  8. ^ https://x.com/NecocheaforID/status/1755830000421585222?s=20. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. ^ Betsy, Posted by (23 December 2019). "Little appoints Necochea to Erpelding's District 19 House seat". Idaho Press. Retrieved 2020-09-06.
Party political offices
Preceded by Chair of the Idaho Democratic Party
2022–present 		Incumbent