Richard Stallings, former congressman from eastern Idaho, passes at age 85

Former Idaho Congressman Richard Stallings speaks at one of a series of townhalls he held in 2025 with fellow former Idaho Congressman Larry LaRocco. | Courtesy of Larry LaRocco via Idaho Capital Sun POCATELLO – Richard Stallings, a former Congressman from Pocatello, passed away unexpectedly at his home Sunday afternoon. His widow, Rebecca Richards, tells EastIdahoNews.com the 85-year-old man died around 3 p.m. from an aggressive form of lymphoma. He’d been battling cancer for the last 14 years. The couple was vacationing in Paris last Sunday, and Richard wasn’t feeling well. They flew home several days later and went to the emergency room. “On Thursday, he was having trouble swallowing. We were going to start chemotherapy, but he was just getting too weak,” Rebecca says. Although Rebecca is stunned that her husband is dead, she says his health challenges would have made his quality of life miserable, and she’s grateful he could go now instead of continuing to suffer. “I’ve cried a million tears because I’ve just loved living with him, but it was a kind thing for me to let him go, too,” says Rebecca. Rebecca is Stallings’ second wife. They met online in 2018, three years after his first wife, Ranae Garner, died. Rebecca’s kids have a band and are some of the names behind “Yo Gabba Gabba,” the popular children’s TV series. Stallings is a former history and political science professor at Ricks College and is most well-known for his stint representing Idaho in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1985 to 1992. Rebecca describes her late husband as a happy, funny, kind man who was “very accepting” of others. “Most of our mail was full of people wanting money from him,” says Rebecca. “He donated to a lot of causes and was very good with his money.” His sense of humor would surprise you, and he was a really good listener.” Photo of Richard Stallings taken from Wikipedia Stallings’ political career Stallings was born in Ogden, Utah, to Howard and Elizabeth Stallings on Oct. 7, 1940. He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After serving a mission, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Weber State University, and a master’s in history from Utah State University, he went on to teach those subjects at Ricks College in Rexburg. Stallings’ daughter, SalliAnne Stallings Duncan, says it was her dad’s passion for serving and helping others that prompted his interest in those topics. “He studied history and political science because of his interest in people, along with his love of Democracy and government, and wanting to make a difference,” Duncan says. Stallings’ first foray into politics was an unsuccessful bid as a state legislator. In 1976, he served as a campaign manager for U.S. Congressional candidate Stan Cress. Cress ultimately lost the election to George Hansen. In the 1980s, Rebecca says it was John Evans, Idaho’s governor at the time, who asked Stallings to run as a candidate to represent Idaho in the U.S. House of Representatives. RELATED | How a Malad banker became the second Latter-day Saint Democrat to serve as Idaho’s governor Like Stallings, Evans was also a Latter-day Saint, and he was familiar with Stallings as a previous political candidate. Stallings’ occupation as a history professor at Ricks College also caught Evans’ attention. Former Idaho Gov. John Evans, left, and Richard Stallings | Courtesy photos At the time, George Hansen, the Republican incumbent, had previously been found guilty of failing to disclose all his campaign profits. Evans, a Democrat, wanted a fresh face with an untarnished record representing Idaho in Congress, and he felt Stallings, also a Democrat, was the man for the job. Stallings lost to Hansen initially, but beat him by 120 votes two years later. His victory happened at a time when Republican President Ronald Reagan carried the vote in 49 states, including Idaho. Duncan attributes her dad’s political victory to his ability to listen to others and relate with them. “As a Democrat, he was a moderate. I think that appealed to some Republican voters,” Duncan says. “He had a gift for listening to people’s opinions and understanding why they feel the way they feel.” The thing that distinguished Stallings from his Republican colleagues, according to former staffer Cary Jones, was his commitment to those who were less fortunate. “He was not big business-oriented. He was more (about) representing the people that did not have a voice in Washington — the underserved or those who needed help getting through the government bureaucracy to know how to move forward,” Jones explains. Jones says Stallings’ likability led to him earning three votes as a presidential nominee at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. Jones served as Stallings’ assistant on energy, environment, and natural resources during his years in office. He praises Stallings’ ability to work across the aisle and compromise with Republican colleagues on specific legislation. “That was one of the hallmarks of his success,” says Jones. “Unlike the environment we live in today, it was so much fun. It was very civil, it was bipartisan. You worked with other members to get things done for your home state.” Recent photo of Richard Stallings | Courtesy photo Jones cites Stallings’ involvement in the Swan Falls water agreement, which settled a lawsuit about water rights between Idaho Power Company and 7,500 upstream water users, as one of his greatest political accomplishments. Jones says designating Craters of the Moon as a national park is another political high point for Stallings. Stallings also collaborated with what was then the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, providing funding for several projects. “Richard was a strong advocate for the Department of Energy and the work that was being done at the site,” says Jones. “He had a very good relationship with the contractors and the DOE.” Duncan says her dad was proud of the fact that he stayed true to his values. He aligned with most of the Republicans on matters of policy, and it would’ve been easy to compromise on the values that set him apart. Instead, he chose to stick to his guns. Stallings was also proud of his vote against going to war with Nicaragua during the Reagan era. President Reagan deemed Nicaragua “an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States” because of its communist regime. Duncan says her dad was also proud of the role he played in bringing the Brigham Young University Jerusalem Center to the Middle Eastern country. “He also helped many of his constituents become U.S. citizens and helped them navigate the process,” Duncan explains. “He would often come back to (Idaho) to attend and speak at military funerals.” Jones has fond memories of Stallings introducing him to then-Speaker of the House Thomas “Tip” O’Neil, attending Reagan’s State of the Union address as Stallings’ guest, and attending a barbecue at the White House with President George H.W. Bush. “It was a fun time (to be involved in politics),” he says. Stallings resigned his House seat in 1992 to run for a seat in the Senate. He was defeated by Mike Crapo, who still holds that seat today. Following his time in Congress, President Bill Clinton selected him to serve as a nuclear waste negotiator in 1993. Stallings went on to serve on the Pocatello City Council in the early 2000s. He was also involved in NeighborWorks, a Pocatello nonprofit providing financial assistance to first-time homebuyers. He served as chairman of the Idaho Democratic Party from 2005 to 2007. Richard Stallings, left, with his wife, Rebecca, at a recent event with the Bannock County Democrats | Courtesy Idaho Democratic Party ‘A man of great character, courage and compassion’ Jones has kept in touch with Stallings over the years and last saw him in April at an event hosted by the Bannock County Democrats. He spoke to Stallings several weeks ago and he’s sad to hear of his friend’s passing. “I’m truly heartbroken and saddened by what was to me a sudden and unexpected passing of my dear friend,” Jones says. Jones refers to Stallings as the last of four great Democrat leaders in Idaho, which include U.S. Senator Frank Church, Gov. Cecil Andrus and Gov. John Evans. RELATED | Idaho’s last Democratic governor left office 30 years ago. A look at left-wing leadership in a red state RELATED | Remembering Jimmy Carter’s trips to Idaho and his friendship with former Governor Cecil Andrus As a friend and colleague of Stallings for more than 50 years, Jones reflects on the legacy he leaves behind. “He was a champion of Democratic ideals, a dedicated public servant with an effective leadership style who had unwavering integrity. His bipartisan approach to solving critical issues facing Idaho (is another important part of his legacy),” says Jones. “He was a man of great character, courage and compassion.” Former U.S. House Speaker Tom Foley, left, with Richard Stallings | Courtesy Cary Jones Although Duncan has no aspirations to serve in public office, she says her dad has instilled a love of politics. She has a graduate degree in political science and once worked with former Utah Congressional delegates Lisa Shepherd and Jim Matheson. While her father “served the public on a greater scale,” Duncan says she’s happy to serve others on “a more individual basis” as a theater and performance teacher. RELATED | Remembering JFK’s visit to eastern Idaho amid Trump’s effort to declassify assassination files She says Stallings has always been her “safe place to fall” and she’s going to miss his love and support. “I always felt like I could go to him with questions or problems and he would meet me without judgement, with that good listening ear that he had. He really helped guide me through life,” she says. Stallings’ funeral will be held Monday, Nov. 3 at the Pocatello East Stake Center at 930 East Alameda Road. It starts at 11 a.m. A public viewing will be held from 5 – 7 p.m. the night before and at 9 a.m. on Nov. 3. The post Richard Stallings, former congressman from eastern Idaho, passes at age 85 appeared first on East Idaho News.
Source: eastidahonews.com