4-H coordinator pinch hits as Idaho House’s top parliamentarian

For a few recent weeks, Cyrus Vore, a University of Idaho Extension 4‑H Youth Development program coordinator, addressed the floor of the Idaho House of Representatives daily and played a central role in making the legislative process work.

UI Extension enabled Vore, 23, to seize the opportunity of a lifetime for a self-described political junkie — allowing him to fill in as acting chief clerk of the Idaho House of Representatives while continuing his job with the Kootenai County 4‑H program remotely.

Throughout most of the 2026 legislative session, Vore read nearly 600 bills, memorials and resolutions to lawmakers, recommended bill committee assignments and did essential behind-the-scenes work. He fulfilled his Extension duties during breaks, nights and weekends.

From his recent experience in the Legislature, he’ll bring newfound authority when he facilitates programs covering 4‑H pillars such as leadership, civics and government.

“Cyrus represented all of Idaho Extension to all of Idaho, and that’s just a huge positive,” said Rusty Gosz, director of UI Extension’s northern district. “Put your stars out front and let them do their thing, and that’s what we got to do with Cyrus.”

Working for 4‑H is another dream job for Vore, who was a participant in the Kootenai County 4‑H program for eight years prior to joining the staff in June of 2025. He believes the program played a major role in preparing him for the successes he’s now enjoying.

“At its core, 4‑H is really public speaking, meeting with people, shaking hands, making friends, making family,” Vore said. “I was constantly doing interviews in 4‑H, so when it came to job interviews, I was like, ‘Sure, let’s do it.’”

4‑H gave Vore an early taste of the political process. He participated for three years in Know Your Government — an immersive experience that teaches youth about government and the judicial system by challenging them to play roles in mock hearings and trials. As a high school senior, he was elected state 4‑H president and was invited to speak in that capacity during the annual Know Your Government Conference, hosted in Boise.

Vore earned enough dual enrollment credits to graduate from high school in 2021 with associate degrees through Northern Idaho College (NIC) in Coeur d’Alene in political science, pre-law and general studies. Following high school, he attended NIC for a year and earned additional associate degrees in education and early childhood education.

He chose to finish a bachelor’s degree in political science at Boise State University (BSU) to be as close as possible to the Idaho State Capitol. During his first year at BSU, Vore accepted a part-time internship with U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho. While working for Crapo’s office, he received an email about another opportunity — serving as assistant chief clerk of the Idaho House of Representatives.

Following his successful application, Vore had a jam-packed schedule in the spring of 2023, taking 19 BSU credits online and working full time for the state Legislature.

“We created all of the physical bills, calendars, vote sheets — all of the physical paper trail and web records,” Vore said of his tenure as assistant chief clerk. “Our job was to work everything on the back side so the representatives could do their job without having to worry about that kind of stuff.”

After graduating from BSU in the winter of 2023, Vore continued his service as assistant chief clerk for two more legislative sessions, before joining the Extension team and reconnecting with his 4‑H roots.

Vore and his wife, Kyra, were on their honeymoon when he received a surprise call from his former boss, Chief Clerk Erica McGinnis. McGinnis informed him she would be on maternity leave throughout most of the 2026 session. McGinnis, House Speaker Mike Moyle and the speaker’s chief of staff, Jason Hancock, immediately thought of Vore as the perfect substitute.

“When I told the speaker I would be out on maternity leave, he said, ‘Well, we’ve got to get Cyrus back,’” McGinnis said. “The speaker pulled the strings and made it happen because Cyrus was the only one who had the next closest level of experience in the office.”

The fact that Vore could accept the job is a testament to the dedication of his county’s 4‑H volunteers, who assured him they could “hold down the fort” and implored him to go help the Legislature. Vore was also fortunate that spring is the slowest season on the 4‑H schedule.

The chief clerk works full time during the session as the top parliamentarian for the House, responsible for advising members on parliamentary procedures, maintaining records of proceedings, handling administrative tasks to support the legislative process, performing clerical duties such as bill processing and maintaining the daily journal and supporting the speaker of the House.

All 70 state representatives have come to know Vore by name, and he’s made invaluable connections, which should lay a solid foundation for his goal of eventually campaigning for office.

“I would love to run someday for something — whether that’s at a lower level like county, city or an advisory board — or even for federal office,” Vore said. “That’s been my end goal ever since seventh grade when I won my first election for student government.”

His brief tenure as chief parliamentarian also changed his views about the snail’s pace at which the legislative process proceeds. Rather than slow, he now describes the process as “deliberate” and “methodical,” understanding that painstaking work is necessary to ensure that proposed code adheres to legal precedent and fits well within the Idaho Constitution.

If there’s a lesson in Vore’s experience, he believes it’s to say “yes” when opportunity knocks.

“You never know where life is going to take you so rather than being worried about logistics, say ‘Yes’ and then figure it out,” Vore said. “Don’t start with no.”