Romanian Refugee Attorney Challenges Twin Falls Incumbent Rep. Clint Hostetler in Idaho District 24 Republican Primary
A Twin Falls-area Republican primary race is shaping up as one of the more closely watched contests in Magic Valley ahead of the May 19 election, pitting a first-term state representative against an attorney who came to the United States as a Romanian refugee decades ago.
Rep. Clint Hostetler, R-Twin Falls, is seeking a second term representing Idaho House District 24, Seat A — a district that covers rural Twin Falls, Gooding, and Camas counties. His challenger is Alexandra Caval, an attorney and two-time candidate for the Idaho Statehouse.
A Fiscal Conservative Facing a Primary Challenge
Hostetler, a small business owner who relocated to Idaho from Northern California less than five years ago, was first elected in 2024 alongside fellow conservatives Sen. Josh Kohl and Rep. David Leavitt. Together with Sen. Glenneda Zuiderveld, the four Twin Falls Republicans are members of a group informally known as the “Gang of Eight” — a coalition of Idaho lawmakers who have made opposition to new government spending and rejection of federal money central to their legislative identity. The group ranks at the top of the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s Freedom Index.
Hostetler has been vocal about his philosophy on the role of government in education, including raising questions about whether students with severe special needs belong in public schools — a position that has drawn scrutiny from education advocates and political opponents alike.
“All of us made a commitment to the people that elected us,” Hostetler said. “The people that elected us wanted true conservatives to make the hard decisions.”
Hostetler expressed confidence that members of the Gang of Eight would weather their respective primary challenges in May, noting that all eight face opponents on the ballot.
Challenger Caval Frames Race as a Course Correction
Caval, who previously ran against Sen. Zuiderveld in a primary two years ago, has shifted her focus to the House Seat A contest this cycle. A lawyer who emigrated from Romania as a refugee, Caval brings a personal story shaped by life under a restrictive government — an experience she draws on in her critique of what she characterizes as hardline governance in the Magic Valley delegation.
Caval pushed back on the idea that the 2024 election results represented a genuine realignment among Republican voters in the region. She attributed part of the outcome to what she described as deceptive tactics by the far-right Magic Valley Liberty Alliance.
“I think we’re trying to correct course from what happened in 2024,” Caval said.
While Caval is challenging from within the Republican primary, her candidacy raises questions about the direction Twin Falls County Republicans want to take on issues of school funding, federal dollars for education, and services for students with disabilities — topics that have drawn significant attention at the Idaho Statehouse this session and in prior years.
The race also touches on the broader tension playing out in Idaho between fiscal conservatives who view federal funding as a threat to state independence and those who argue that rejecting those dollars leaves Idaho families — particularly those with children who have special needs — without essential services.
What Comes Next
The Republican primary for District 24 House Seat A is scheduled for May 19. Because District 24 leans heavily Republican, the outcome of the primary is likely to determine who represents the district in the Idaho Legislature. Voters in rural Twin Falls, Gooding, and Camas counties will decide whether Hostetler earns a second term or whether Caval advances to the general election.
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