Senator Melissa Wintrow is a Democratic member of the Idaho State Senate representing Legislative District 19 in Boise. She serves as the Senate Minority Leader and is currently in her fifth term overall, including her second term in the Senate after three terms in the Idaho House of Representatives.

Born in Troy, Ohio, she moved to Boise in 1999 with her husband, Brad Sneed, whom she met during a cross-country bicycle trip in 1996. A lifelong activist focused on equity, education, and fairness, she fights against bullying and oppressive systems, advocating for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Notable achievements include passing major legislation to establish statewide standards for processing and preserving sexual assault evidence kits, addressing rape kit backlogs, and improving responses for survivors of violence, such as prohibiting firearms from convicted domestic abusers. She serves on the Health & Welfare, Judiciary & Rules, and Transportation Committees, the Idaho Governor’s Criminal Justice Commission, and co-chairs the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee. Additionally, she is on the Board for the National Institute for Civil Discourse and was a former co-chair for a national network of state legislators promoting civility. She owns SAGA Strategic Consulting, specializing in project management, team facilitation, and leadership development.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: B.A. in English Literature from Miami University; M.Ed. in Higher Education from the University of Georgia.
• Professional Experience: Over 25 years in higher education at six universities, including leadership in living-learning communities, housing, advising, instruction, curriculum design, and as Women’s Center Director at Boise State University, where she created advocacy programs for sexual violence survivors.
• Political Entry: Inspired by her role as Program Manager for N.E.W. Leadership , a Rutgers University program encouraging women in politics.
• Current Roles: Senate Minority Leader; committee assignments as noted; national civil discourse involvement.