[Vision2020] Idaho election filings close with a rush

[Tom Hansen]

This year's state election crap . . . er . . . uh . . . I mean crop . . . should prove most interesting.

Courtesy of today's (April 12, 2016) Lewiston Tribune.

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Idaho election filings close with a rush
Federal, state and county offices will be up for grabs
Following a flurry of final-day filings, Idaho voters will have plenty of candidates to choose from in the May 17 primary and Nov. 8 general election.
Incumbents dominated the first week of filing for legislative races, but they were outnumbered by challengers by the time the filing period closed Friday - in many cases by candidates from within their own party.
Barring any write-in candidates, 23 Republican and six Democratic legislative seats will be uncontested this year. There will be 35 Republican primary contests in May, as well as seven Democratic primary races, while 64 of 105 Statehouse seats will be contested in the general election.
The final list of filings for north central Idaho includes:
Congress
Sen. Mike Crapo is running for a fourth six-year term. Reps. Raul Labrador and Mike Simpson filed for re-election in the 1st and 2nd Congressional Districts, respectively. All three are Republicans.
Boise Democrat Jerry Sturgill filed for Crapo's Senate seat, as did Idaho Constitution Party candidates Pro-Life of Letha and Ray Writz of Coeur d'Alene.
Labrador has two primary challengers: Gordon Counsil of Caldwell and Isaac Haugen, whose filing information lists a Santa Rosa, Calif., address. Three Democrats also filed for the seat: Staniela Nikolova of Moscow, Boise attorney James Piotrowski and Shizandra Fox, who lists a Glen Ellen, Calif., address.
Idaho Legislature
5th Legislative District
Latah and Benewah counties; all state legislative seats have two-year terms
Sen. Dan Schmidt, D-Moscow; Rep. Paulette Jordan, D-Plummer; and Rep. Caroline Troy, R-Genesee, all filed for re-election.
The three incumbents all drew general election contests. Schmidt will face Moscow Republican John Freeland, who ran for the Moscow City Council last year. Troy goes up against Moscow Democrat Laurene Sorensen, an attorney and Moscow Food Co-op board member, as well as independent candidate Ken De Vries of St. Maries, who ran for the House in 2012 as a Republican.
Jordan drew two Republican challengers: former naval aviator Bill Goesling of Moscow, who currently serves on the Idaho State Board of Education, and Carl Berglund of Kendrick, a former vice-chairman of the Idaho Constitution Party who initially filed to run against Troy.
6th Legislative District
Nez Perce and Lewis counties
Incumbent Sen. Dan Johnson, R-Lewiston, and House Minority Leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston, both filed for re-election.
Johnson is unopposed. Rusche will once again face Lewiston Republican Mike Kingsley, a repeat of their close 2014 contest.
Rep. Dan Rudolph, D-Lewiston, isn't running for re-election. Former Rep. Thyra Stevenson and Lewiston City Councilor Bob Blakey filed for his House Position A seat; Stevenson is a Republican and Blakey is a Democrat.
7th Legislative District
Shoshone, Clearwater and Idaho counties, plus a portion of Bonner County
Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll, R-Cottonwood, filed for re-election, as did Reps. Shannon McMillan, R-Silverton, and Paul Shepherd, R-Riggins.
All three incumbents picked up primary challengers. Nuxoll will face Grangeville rancher Carl Crabtree, with the winner going up against Sagle Democrat Ken Meyers, who ran against Shepherd in 2014.
Shepherd faces Kris Steneck of Elk City, while McMillan is being challenged by former A-10 pilot Priscilla Giddings of White Bird, the daughter of Idaho County Sheriff Doug Giddings. Sandpoint Democrat Jessica Chilcott, who ran against McMillan in 2014, will take on the winner of the McMillan-Giddings race.
Nez Perce County
Incumbent Commissioners Douglas Havens and Douglas Zenner both filed for re-election. Havens is seeking a four-year term representing District 1, while Zenner is running for a two-year term representing District 3. Both are Republicans.
Democrat Ron Wittman, who served eight years on the county commission before losing to Havens in 2010, also filed for the District 1 seat. Zenner drew a general election challenge from Lewiston Recreation Coordinator Brandon "Beeg" Johnson.
Incumbent Sheriff Joe Rodriguez will face Patrick Santos, who also works in the sheriff's office, in the May 17 Republican primary. The winner goes up against Lewiston police officer Terry Koeper, a Democrat, in the November general election.
Deputy Prosecutor Justin Coleman, a Democrat, is unopposed in his bid to replace County Prosecutor Dan Spickler, who is not seeking re-election. Incumbent Port of Lewiston Commissioner Michael Thomason is also unopposed.
Latah County
The incumbent county commissioners are running for re-election unopposed. Tom Lamar, a Democrat representing District 2, is vying for a four-year term. Dave McGraw, a Republican who represents District 3, is running for a two-year term.
Five candidates are opting for the position of county sheriff, which will be left vacant when incumbent Wayne Rausch retires at the end of his term. The candidates are Nathan Reetz of Moscow and Barry Johnson of Potlatch, both Democrats; and Dan Foreman of Viola, Richard Skiles of Potlatch and Brian Strampher of Moscow, all Republicans.
Incumbent Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson, a Democrat, is running unopposed for re-election.
Idaho County
Rusty Bennett of Kamiah and incumbent Mark Frei, both Republicans, have filed for the four-year District 2 commission seat.
In District 3, incumbent Commissioner Jim Chmelik, a Republican, and former Cottonwood Mayor Denis B. Duman, a Republican, have filed for the two-year seat on the county commission.
Sheriff Doug Giddings, a Republican, has filed for re-election. Deputy Carlos Martinez of Kooskia has filed as an independent candidate for sheriff.
Idaho County Prosecutor Kirk A. MacGregor, a Republican, is running unopposed for re-election.
Lewis County
Mike Ponozzo of Winchester has filed to run unopposed on the Republican ticket for the two-year District 3 county commission seat now held by Don Davis, who is not running for re-election.
In District 2 Justin McLeod, a Republican, and Mart Thompson, an independent, both from Nezperce, have filed for the four-year term on the commission. Incumbent Carroll Keith is not running for re-election.
In the sheriff's race, Chief Deputy Jason Davis and Michael Billy Williams, both Republican, have filed for the seat now held by Brian Brokop, who isn't running for re-election.
Lewis County Prosecutor Zachary Pall, an independent, is running unopposed for re-election.
Clearwater County
In District 2, Commissioner John Smith, a Republican, has filed for re-election to a four-year term.
Jerry A. Nelsen, a Democrat, and Rick Winkel, a Republican, have filed for the two-year term on the commission in District 3. The position is now held by John Allen, who is not running for re-election.
Sheriff Chris Goetz, a Republican, has filed for re-election, as has Prosecutor E. Clayne Tyler, also a Republican. Both are unopposed.

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Seeya at the polls, Moscow, because . . .

"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)
http://www.MoscowCares.com
  
Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
  
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