Maxine Durand is a career public servant with over a decade of experience in government and nonprofits. Originally from a small farm in Richfield, Idaho, she’s lived all over the state as she pursued her career, moving back to the Magic Valley in the summer of 2023. Maxine has worked in healthcare, higher education, and local government, among other areas, and she particularly enjoys mentoring and advising others in the public service space from behind the scenes.

Maxine is a proud member of the Democratic Socialists of America, and is a founding member of the Southern Idaho DSA (SIDSA) chapter in Twin Falls. She first began to consider herself a “lefty” in high school when she began studying comparative government and economics, and fully identified as a socialist after studying Russian history and the collected works of Lenin as part of her bachelor’s degree. Having long considered herself an independent voter, Maxine felt drawn to progressive politics during the Bernie Sanders’ campaign in 2016, and began following DSA around that time.

As a public servant, Maxine feels it is her duty, and her prerogative, to advocate for a world where the welfare and enrichment of peoples’ lives is put first, not the interests of billionaires seeking to make a buck. Socialism is, in Maxine’s eyes, a phase change—it is a pathway toward a more equitable economic reality centered on workers and human need, rather than a system motivated by profit at all costs.

Aside from her current campaign for Idaho Governor, Maxine’s special areas of interest are public transportation, encouraging high school graduates to attend college, and food security. When she isn’t working, she enjoys reading with a glass of Malbec wine, and is a huge fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000, Star Trek, and Game Grumps.