Although relative newcomers to politics in Kootenai County, Jim and Mary Ann Hollingsworth are no strangers to politics. Both worked on the campaign to elect Barry Goldwater. Mary Ann was part of a group called “The Goldwater Girls” and led by Ronald Reagan. In fact it was a tract “Losing Our Freedoms By Installments” by Ronald Reagan that got the Hollingsworths into politics. They would later be part of a successful campaign to elect Ronal Reagan Governor of California.

Barry Goldwater did not win that election but his candidacy demonstrated that there is a large body of citizens who believe in limited government; a government limited by the Constitution of the Founders. His campaign also prepared the way for the successful election of Ronald Reagan as President. Jim Hollingsworth accepts the Idaho Republican Party Platform simply because it is based on those same Constitutional principles. (www.idgop.org/about)

Jim majored in the Social Sciences at Humboldt State College in Arcata California, in Political Science, History and Economics. He also completed a minor in Geology and studied Engineering, fields that were a great asset in later occupational endeavors. He served in a number of capacities while in college. He and a couple of friends founded the Two Percent Club, a club dedicated to sharing ideas on Liberty. He served on the college President's Commission on Student Rights and Responsibilities.

While serving in that capacity, sitting across the table from twelve left-wing radical students whose main objectives were anti-business, anti-progress and destruction, he learned how easy it is for the average student to succumb to their philosophy, and has diligently opposed their agenda ever since, writing a column called "Viewpoint" for the school paper, "The Lumberjack."

As he watched the take-over of the Berkeley campus in the 1960's by the liberal left, he knew he had to be involved. Jim consistently opposed the radical agendas of the "Students Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Earth Day and Earth First, groups determined to destroy citizen responsibility and our way of life.

Since graduation Jim has worked in budget analysis for the U.S. Navy and was involved in the budgeting process for Bunker Hill Mining Company, the largest employer in Idaho at the time. Jim understands the difficulty of budgeting for large entities.

Jim spent several years teaching in private parochial schools in Idaho, Washington and Nevada. He understands what is needed to teach a child, having taught and worked with children from first grade to grade twelve. From practical experience he knows that if a child learns to read well at an early age he is much more likely to be a credit both to himself and the society in which he lives. The fact that most prisoners do not read well demonstrates the strong connection between a quality education and a crime free life.

Jim was a Boy Scout and served in leadership for many years. It was there he learned the great value of character building and the importance of service to others. Jim Knows that the Boy Scouts is one of the greatest organizations training young men for community leadership.

Jim has spent years working with the less fortunate, in prisons and jails, showing them how to live better lives. He has worked with natives in Mexico and the U.S. helping tribal people to become personally successful. He has worked with the Colville tribe and has a real desire to see Native Americans excel wherever they may be found. Jim also served on the Jail Committee for Kootenai County where he noted the challenges facing law enforcement and the difficulties of rehabilitation. It was during this service that Jim also realized that the need for jail space is growing faster than the general population.

While teaching in Reno, Nevada, Jim experienced the oppressive hand of government when the school and church were shut down over a constitutional issue. Through his efforts the state law was changed so other churches and schools would not experience similar risks. It was during this battle that Jim became acutely aware of the enormous power of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Expressly dedicated to the preservation of religious freedom and liberty, the perversion of the ACLU's stated goals has had just the opposite effect.

Jim Hollingsworth has been a building contractor much of his adult life, most of it in Kootenai County since 1993. He is acutely aware of what is required to bring a project to completion, having dealt with ill-advised ordinances which make it difficult to complete a job. As a contractor, he believes contractor licensing accomplishes very little, but does in fact, limit the number of contractors, stifle free market economics, increase the cost of every project, add another layer of government, and will not solve the problem of dishonest or unethical contractors. He believes there is no substitute for personal vigilance.

Jim and Mary Ann in Alaska The Hollingsworth Girls and some of the grandkids.

Jim and Mary Ann, his wife of 41 years, have successfully raised seven children. They are now living in Alaska, Missouri, Idaho, Brazil and Guinea, West Africa. They are occupied in EMS work (mine exploration safety), construction, and retail sales. Two are missionaries with New Tribes Mission among tribal peoples. The core belief of all the Hollingsworths is to be of service helping others succeed. They now have eleven grandchildren. Children are the fruit of our nation, the seed of our future.

They believe very strongly in pro-life and pro-family values, that unborn children are in fact human persons protected by the Fifth and Fourteenth amendments to the Constitution. The decision to become pro-life activists came while teaching at Moses Lake, WA, counseling unwed mothers involved in or considering abortion to terminate the life of their unborn child. He also talked with doctors performing this crime against humanity, abrogating God's blessing on this nation.

Ultimately, the life experiences of Jim Hollingsworth make him uniquely fitted to fight for the rights and liberty of the less fortunate, working to limit government oppression, no matter where or how it may be found, and uniquely qualified to serve the citizens of Legislative District Four in the Idaho State Legislature. We covet your vote and your support.

Core Understandings