Dave Lent is a Republican senator representing District 33 in the Idaho State Senate. A native of Southeastern Idaho who grew up in Shelley, he worked nearly 40 years in the nuclear industry at the Idaho National Laboratory , retiring as site-wide Training Manager for Fluor Idaho. He received Department of Energy recognition for distinguished leadership, regulatory reform, and cost-cutting. Lent served 12 years on the Idaho Falls School District 91 Board of Trustees , where he helped replace four elementary schools and transition a junior high into a project-based high school. First elected in 2018 after defeating incumbent Tony Potts in the Republican primary and Democrat Jerry Sehlke in the general , he has been reelected to his fourth term. Notable positions include Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, member of the Joint Finance Appropriations Committee , Agricultural Affairs Committee, Education Committee, and appointee to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. He also serves on advisory boards for the College of Eastern Idaho and Idaho State University.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Graduate of Eastern Idaho Technical College and Idaho State University.
• Political Experience: Idaho Falls School District 91 Board of Trustees ; Idaho State Senate, District 33 , with leadership roles in education and finance committees.