Idaho House of Representatives · District 5, Seat A
I am Mirna Pleines, a healthcare compliance professional, Coeur d'Alene community leader, and proud wife of a 20-year Air Force veteran. I am running for the Idaho House to bring real-world experience and North Idaho values to Boise.
About Mirna
I came to Coeur d'Alene in 2002 and built my life here. I raised two daughters, put myself through school as a single mother earning $17 an hour, earned a Bachelor's degree from Gonzaga University and a Master of Jurisprudence in Health Law from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, and built a career in healthcare compliance rooted in service to rural and regional communities.
I have served as a Risk, Compliance, and Privacy Officer for a Critical Access Hospital in North Idaho, the backbone of rural healthcare. I understand what it means when a rural hospital struggles, because I have seen firsthand what those communities lose when healthcare is out of reach.
Today I work as a Senior Compliance Professional supporting physician compliance across the region. I know healthcare from the inside, and I know what policies protect patients and what policies put them at risk.
My husband is a Physician Assistant and a 20-year United States Air Force veteran. Both of my daughters have followed that same calling and work in healthcare today. We are, at our core, a healthcare family. We understand what is at stake when access is threatened, costs are out of reach, or rural communities are left behind.
I am running because I am tired of watching decisions get made in Boise by people who have never had to choose between a prescription and a grocery bill, who have never driven an hour on icy roads to reach an emergency room, and who have never built a life from scratch on a working person's wage. I have lived those realities. And I believe the Idaho Legislature needs more voices who have.
I am a Leadership Spokane Class of 2024 graduate and serve on the Spokane-Cagli Sister City Board. North Idaho is my home, and I am running to make sure Boise hears our voice.
My Platform
Policies rooted in North Idaho values and real-world experience, not political talking points.
Critical Access Hospitals are lifelines for rural communities. I will fight to protect CAH funding, rural provider networks, and the policies that keep healthcare close to home in District 5 and across Idaho.
I worked my way up from $17 an hour as a single mother. I know what it takes to build a life here. I will prioritize policies that support working families, fair wages, affordable housing, and real economic opportunity in North Idaho.
Strong public schools and accessible workforce training create the pipeline our businesses need and the opportunities our families deserve. I will support teachers, community colleges, and programs that prepare Idahoans for good jobs.
District 5 includes communities that too often see Boise as a distant capital making decisions that do not reflect rural realities. I will bring the perspective of someone who has lived and worked here for 20 years, protecting local economies, infrastructure, and the quality of life that makes North Idaho special.
As the spouse of a 20-year Air Force veteran, I understand the sacrifices military families make and the support they deserve. I will advocate for veterans' services, healthcare access, and economic opportunity for those who served.
Every Idahoan deserves access to quality healthcare and the right to make informed decisions with their physician. I will stand for policies that protect the patient-physician relationship and ensure women's health is not left behind.
Why Rural Healthcare Matters
Across rural Idaho, Critical Access Hospitals are often the only source of emergency care, obstetric services, and primary care within an hour's drive. When a CAH closes, communities lose more than a building. They lose the safety net that holds a rural economy together.
I have worked inside a Critical Access Hospital. I have seen the compliance pressures, the staffing challenges, and the funding battles that play out far from Boise. That experience drives my commitment to protecting rural healthcare in the Idaho Legislature.
Your Voice Matters
I want to hear from District 5 constituents directly. Your answers help shape my priorities in Boise.
Join the Campaign
Every door knocked, every conversation at a neighbor's kitchen table, every dollar contributed moves us closer to a District 5 that truly represents working North Idaho families.
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