Raised in the Idaho Falls area and Idaho-educated from elementary school through college, Karey Hanks was raised on the values and traditions of the American West.
As a faith representative at the Five County Detention Center with a degree in psychology from Brigham Young University Idaho campus, she has insights stretching across the life experiences of people in the 31st District.
A member of the Idaho Second Amendment Alliance, Karey understands and respects America’s commitment to the Second Amendment and the need to protect those rights from infringement at every level. She hailed the passage of Senate Bill 1389 (Constitutional carry) in 2016 as a victory for individual rights and personal safety, and advocates for additional protection of our gun rights in Idaho.
Her rich and varied work history reflects a woman with a respect for hard work. She has driven a bus for the Fremont County School District, worked as a semi-truck driver for Generation Farms, and as a harvest worker at Crapo Farms.
She and her husband, Burke, have lived and farmed in the Egin Bench area for over 40 years. They know the importance of water rights and the burden of taxes and overregulation.
A lover of the outdoors, be it skiing, biking or hiking, she understands Idahoans’ connection to the land. That’s why it troubles her that 63 percent of Idaho land is controlled by the federal government, and not Idaho’s citizens. She knows that Idaho’s future must be determined by its own people, and not from behind a desk in Washington.
Idaho’s economic development is irrevocably tied to the soil and without control of its own land, Karey knows that the state cannot advance. She is committed to carrying that message to Boise and beyond. A people without control of their land can only be serfs. She views it as an issue of human rights and liberty.
Her political experience began with the Fremont County Central Committee and the Republican Women’s group in a variety of roles. One of her favorites has been speaking before school and scouting groups about Constitutional principles.
She and Burke have been married 45 years and have 7 children and 18 grandchildren.
Karey understands and appreciates the importance of public service, but she also cherishes the awesome significance of her other roles in life: wife, mother, and grandmother.
