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Library, School and Sewer District Elections 2013
Bonner County is conducting six elections on behalf of library, sewer and school districts on Tuesday, May 21, 2013.

East Bonner County Library Trustee: Two seats
Registered voters within the East Bonner County Library Taxing District are eligible to vote for two of the four following candidates; click candidate's name for profile:

Voting will be in the eastern Bonner County precincts of Airport, Algoma, Baldy, Careywood, Clark Fork, Cocolalla, Colburn, Dover, Edgemere, Gamlin Lake, Grouse Creek, Hope, Humbird, Kelso, Kootenai, Laclede, Lakeview, Oden, Sagle, Sandpoint, Selle, Southside, Washington, Westmond, and Wrenco.

- - -

Lake Pend Oreille School District No. 84, Zone 5 Trustee: One seat
Registered voters within the Lake Pend Oreille School District No. 84, Zone 5 are eligible to vote for one of the following two candidates:

Voting will be in precincts of Dover, Humbird, Kootenai, Sandpoint, and Washington.

- - -

West Bonner County School District No. 83 Maintenance and Operations Levy
Registered Voters within the West Bonner County School Taxing District No. 83 are eligible to vote In Favor or Against this levy question:
Shall the Board of Trustees of West Bonner County School District No. 83, be authorized and empowered to levy a Maintenance and Operations Levy, as permitted by law in the amount of $3,000,000 for the purpose of paying all lawful expenses of maintaining and operating the schools of the district for the year beginning July 1, 2013 and ending June 30, 2014?

This district falls within the voting precincts of Blue Lake, East Priest River, Edgemere, Laclede, Lamb Creek, Oldtown, Priest Lake, Priest River West City, Spirit Valley, and West Priest River Bench.

- - -

West Bonner County School District No. 83, Zone 2 Trustee
Registered voters within the West Bonner County School Taxing District No. 83, Zone 2 are eligible to vote for one of the following three candidates:
Peggylee A. Smith
Drew McLain
Joseph L. English

This zone falls within the voting precincts of Oldtown, Priest River West City, and West Priest River Bench.

- - -

West Bonner County School District No. 83, Zone 4 Trustee
Registered voters within the West Bonner County School Taxing District No. 83, Zone 4 are eligible to vote for one of the following two candidates:
Leonard Parenteau
Sandra Lee Brower

This zone falls within the voting precincts of East Priest River, Laclede, and Priest River West City.

- - -

Kalispell Bay Sewer District Board Member: Two seats
Registered voters within the Kalispell Bay Sewer Taxing District are eligible to vote for the following candidates:
David E. Conboy
James W. Anderson
Gary Rudie
Timothy Ventress

This district falls within the Lamb Creek voting precinct.

- - -

Election topics in the news:


RESOURCES FOR VOTERS


Bonner County Voter Registration & Polling Places

Photo ID now required: As of the November 2010 general election, voters are now required to show picture ID at the polls before being issued a ballot.  
Acceptable forms of picture ID are:

  • Idaho driver’s license
  • Idaho identification card issued by the Idaho Department of Transportation
  • U.S. passport or federal photo identification card
  • Tribal photo identification card
  • Current student photo ID, issued by an Idaho high school or post-secondary education institution.

If you are not able to show an acceptable ID, you have the option of signing an affidavit, attesting to your personal identify. Once that is signed, you will be issued a ballot.


Contact elected officials


Non-Partisan Voter Information

  • Idaho Votes. Check the state's official nonpartisan voting information website with details on state races at IdahoVotes.gov.
  • Project Vote Smart. See biographies, voting records, campaign finances and more about candidates for national office at Vote-Smart.org.
  • Follow the money. See how much candidates are collecting and who is donating at OpenSecrets.org or go directly to the Sandpoint page to see local contributors and recipients. Get more detailed information on statewide and legislative candidate contributions and expenditures at the Idaho Secretary of State's campaign finance Disclosure Database.

Political Party Links
Republican party websites
• Bonner County Republicans
• Bonner County Republican Women
• State Republican website
• Republican National Commitee

Democratic party websites
• Bonner County Democrats
• State Democratic website
• Democratic National Committee

Green Party websites
• Idaho Green Party website
• Green Party of the United States

Libertarian party websites
• State Libertarian website
• National Libertarian Party website


ARCHIVE OF PAST ELECTION RESULTS


2013 LPOSD Supplemental Levy Election

The Lake Pend Oreille School District Supplemental Levy Election held Tuesday, March 12, 2013, passed with 2,626 in favor (58.3%) and 1,876 opposed (41.7%).

The replacement levy is in the amount of $7,883,742 each year for two years, for a TOTAL two-year amount of $15,767,484 for fiscal years beginning July 1, 2013 and ending June 30, 2015.

Projected Cost Per Incremental Valuation Table for Taxpayers
Two-year Total = $15,767,484
* $7,883,742 in year one
* $7,883,742 in year two
Beginning July 1, 2013 and ending June 30, 2015

- Funds approximately 1/3 of ALL district staff
- Funds ALL academic and athletic extracurricular activities
- Funds technology upgrades and technology staff
- Current instructional levy was $6,823,213 for 2012-2013 compared to the Replacement Levy, to be $7,883,742 each year for 2 years.
This new levy replaces the old levy; it is not an additional levy.
- A home with an assessed valuation of $200,000 with homeowner's exemption currently pays $14.99/month; the replacement levy would be $3.68 increase/month.
- LPOSD has the lowest tax rate in North Idaho, which is 53 percent below the state average.
- State revenues for education have declined significantly for several years.

Pros and Cons
    • Pro: Levy is the best use of $20 you'll find (Daily Bee letter to the editor Feb. 17, 2013)
    • Con: "No" vote needed to end the non-stop increases (Daily Bee letter to the editor Feb. 17, 2013

Levy election stories from regional media

    •  Voters approve LPOSD supplemental levy, March 13, 2013 (Bonner County Daily Bee)
    •  Superintendent tackles replacement levy questions, March 3, 2013 (Bonner County Daily Bee)
    •  LPOSD: Permanent levy rumors untrue, Feb. 20, 2013 (Bonner County Daily Bee)
    •  LPOSD OKs $7.8 million levy proposal, Dec. 13, 2012 (Bonner County Daily Bee)


Election Resources

* Citizens for Better Schools website
* Lake Pend Oreille School District website

* Where do I vote? - Click here to find out.

* Questions about voting? - Contact:
Marie Scott, Bonner County Clerk's Office
Attn: Charlie Wurm, Head of Elections
1500 Highway 2
Sandpoint, ID 83864
Phone: 255-3630 ext 1314

* How do I vote absentee by mail? - Submit an Absentee Ballot Request to Bonner County Clerk. Absentee Ballot Request Form:
- Be a registered voter before February 15
- Fill out and sign Absentee Ballot Request Form
- Request form to be received by Bonner County Clerk by March 6 at 5 p.m.
- March 8 at 5 p.m. is the last day for in person absentee ballot applications at the Bonner County Clerk's Office
- Return ballot to Bonner County Clerk by 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 12 (Election Day)


2012 Idaho General Election

The Idaho General Election was held Nov. 6, 2012.


Local Ballot Measures

City of Ponderay - Local Option Sales Tax
Proposes a half cent sales tax with revenues to be used for specified projects only. Tax can run only 5 years unless re-approved by voters. Only those voters who vote in the Kootenai Precinct and who reside within the corporate city limits of Ponderay are eligible to vote on this question. *Rejected*

City of Sandpoint - Local Option Sales Tax
Proposes a half cent sales tax with all revenues dedicated to replacement of the Memorial Field grandstands. Tax can run only 5 years unless re-approved by voters. Only those voters who vote in the following precincts and who reside within the corporate city limits of Sandpoint are eligible to vote on this question: Airport - Baldy - Humbird - Sandpoint - Washington *Rejected*

West Priest Lake Fire District - Two Year Override Levy
Only those voters who reside within the boundaries of the fire district and who vote at the Lamb Creek Precinct are eligible to vote on this question. *Rejected*

Bonner County Candidates

Commissioner, District One:
- Joyce Broadsword (R) - Facebook • Candidate statement *Winner*
- Steve Johnson (I) - Facebook • Candidate statement

Commissioner, District Three:
- Cary Kelly (R) - Website • Candidate statement *Winner*
- Lewis Rich, incumbent (Write-in) - Website • Candidate statement

Prosecuting Attorney:
- Tevis W Hull (I) - Facebook • Candidate statement
- Louis Marshall, incumbent (R) - Website • Candidate statement *Winner*
- Michael Waldrup (I) - Facebook • Candidate statement

Sheriff
- Rocky Jordan (C) - Website • Facebook • Candidate statement
- Daryl Wheeler, incumbent (R) - Website • Candidate statement *Winner*

Legislative Candidates

Legislative District 1
State Senator
- Shawn A. Keough, incumbent (R) - Website • Facebook • VoteSmart profile *Winner*

State Representative, Position A
- Andrew C. Sorg (D) - Facebook
- Eric Anderson, incumbent (R) - VoteSmart profile *Winner*

State Representative, Position B
- George E. Eskridge, incumbent (R) - Website • VoteSmart profile *Winner*

Legislative District 7
State Senator
- Sheryl L. Nuxoll (R) *Winner*
- Jon Contamessa (I)

State Representative, Position A
- Shannon McMillan (R) *Winner*
- Casey Drews (D)

State Representative, Position B
- Paul E. Shepherd (R) *Winner*
- Nancy M. Lerandeau (D)

Non-Partisan Judicial Ballot
Shall Magistrate Barbara be retained in office? *Yes*

Idaho Ballot Measures

Idaho Constitutional Amendments
SJR 102 - State Board of Corrections Shall Manage Adult Felony Probation and Parole *Yes*
HJR 2aa - The Rights to Hunt, Fish & Trap To Be Preserved *Yes*
• Spokesman-Review: Idaho to vote on measure to hunt, fish, trap
• Pro: Idaho Fish and Game Commission supports measure (PDF)
• Con: Common sense needed in wildlife management

Education reform: Propositions 1, 2, 3
- Proposition #1: Limits Negotiated Contracts and Eliminates Automatic Renewal Contracts for Teachers *No*
- Proposition #2: Limits Affect of Legislation on Teacher Performance Pay Based on Certain Criteria *No*
- Proposition #3: Limits Affect of Legislation Amending School Funding for Computing Devices, Online Courses *No*

Visit BallotPedia.org for more details on the five ballot questions, above.

U.S., Idaho Elections

U.S. President
Seat currently held by President Obama
- Ross C. "Rocky" Anderson (I)
- Virgil H. Goode (C)
- Gary Johnson (L)
- Barack Obama (D) *Winner*
- Mitt Romney (R)
- Jill Stein (I)

U.S. House of Representatives - First District
Seat currently held by Representative Raúl Labrador
- Jimmy Farris (D)
- Raúl R. Labrador (R) *Winner*
- Rob Oates (L)
- Pro-Life (I)

    Party designations: C = Constitution; D = Democrat; I = Independent; L = Libertarian; R = Republican

Candidate and election stories from regional media


2011 Sandpoint City Elections

The Sandpoint Mayor's position and three of the 4-year City Council positions were up for election on Nov. 8, 2011.

Candidates for Mayor
- Mose "Mo" Dunkel (Dunkel is his own campaign treasurer) Website • Facebook • Profile
- Allen Hacker (Hacker is his own campaign treasurer) Website • Facebook • Blog • Profile
- Marsha Ogilvie (campaign treasurer Lynne Burns) • Profile *Winner*

Candidates for City Council
- Thomas C. Eddy (Eddy is his own campaign treasurer) • Profile  *Winner*
- Carrie Logan (incumbent; campaign treasurer Stephen Snedden) • Profile  *Winner*
- Aaron Qualls (campaign treasurer Cate Huisman) Website • Facebook • Profile  *Winner*
- Jeff Littlefield (Littlefield is his own treasurer; he has declined to return a profile questionnaire)

Election stories, related stories and resources

Polling places
Polling places will be held at the following Bonner County precincts, open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day:

  • Airport - Bonner County Extension Office
  • Baldy - Farmin Elementary School
  • Humbird - Sandpoint United Methodist Church
  • Sandpoint - Community Hall
  • Washington - Washington Elementary School


2011 Ponderay City Elections

The Ponderay Mayor's position and two City Council positions were up for election on Nov. 8, 2011.

Candidates for Ponderay Mayor
- Current Mayor Carol Kunzeman  *Winner*
- Councilman Steve Geiger

Candidates for Ponderay City Council
- Councilwoman Jody Moreland  *Winner*
- Planning and Zoning member Lawson Tate
- Councilman Rick Larkin  *Winner*
- Former councilwoman Sherry Blood

Polling location
Polling will be held from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8 at Cedar Hills Church, 227 McGhee Rd., Kootenai. For questions, call Ponderay City Hall from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday at 208-265-5468.

Election stories, related stories and resources


2011 Dover City Elections

The Dover Mayor's position and two City Council positions were up for election on Nov. 8, 2011.

Candidates for Dover Mayor
- Randy Curless  *Winner*
- Jason Funk

Candidates for Dover City Council
- Jim Janish
- Marguerite “Peggy” Burge  *Winner*

Write-ins
- Bruce Pederson
- Anne Shaha  *Winner*
- Denise Travis
- Dwayne Parsons

Polling location
Polling will be held from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8 at the Baldy, Dover and Washington precincts (Farmin Elementary, Dover City Hall, Washington Elementary)

Election stories, related stories and resources


LPOSD Replacement Instructional Supplemental Levy 2011
Voters passed the Lake Pend Oreille School District's replacement Supplemental/Instructional Levy with 3,577 yes votes, and 2,163 no votes, in polling March 8, 2011.

- Click to view how each precinct voted (56KB pdf)

Levy details

  • Total amount to be levied over two years is $13,646,624
    - $6,823,312 in year one
    - $6,823,312 in year two
  • Funds 1/3 of all district staff, all academic and athletic extracurricular activities, all curriculum materials, and funds technology upgrades and technology staff
  • Current instructional levy is $6,350,000 for 2010
  • New levy replaces the old levy; it is not added on top
  • A home with an assessed valuation of $250,000 with the homeowner’s exemption currently pays $16.75/month. The replacement levy is a $3.44/month increase.

Levy election stories, related stories and resources

Letters to the Editor - Pros and Cons

General Election 2010

The Idaho general election was held Tuesday, November 2, 2010.

_______________

Candidates for Bonner County offices
County residents vote for all open positions.

County Commissioner, District 2
Brian E. Orr, (D) • Profile • Website
Mike A. Nielsen, (R) • Profile • Website

County Commissioner, District 3
Mel Davis, (D) • Profile • Website
Lewis Rich, (R) incumbent • Profile • Website

Clerk of the District Court
Marie Scott, (D) incumbent • Profile
Bud Mueller, (R) • Profile

Assessor
Jerry Clemons, (R) incumbent • Profile • Website

Coroner
Kathryn "Kitt" Rose, (R) incumbent

Treasurer
Cheryl Piehl, (R) incumbent • Profile

_______________

Video of the Candidates' Forum
View video clips from the Candidates' Forum on Oct. 19 in the Panida via: Sandpoint Online's Channel on YouTube.

_______________

Candidates for State Legislature
County residents vote for candidates in their district. Most of Bonner County lies within Legislative District 1, which extends north to also include all of Boundary County. Nine southern precincts of Bonner County lie within Legislative District 2, which extends south to include much of Kootenai and all of both Shoshone and Benewah counties.

Legislative District 1 – Senator
Shawn A. Keough, (R) incumbent • Profile • Website • Voting Record

Legislative District 1 – Representative, Position A
Eric Anderson, (R) incumbent • Website • Voting Record

Legislative District 1 – Representative, Position B
George E. Eskridge, (R) incumbent • Website • Voting Record

Legislative District 2 - Senator
Joyce Broadsword, (R) incumbent • Website • Voting Record

Legislative District 2 - Representative, Position A
Mary Lou Shepherd, (D) incumbent • Voting Record
Shannon McMillan, (R)

Legislative District 2 - Representative, Position B
Jon Ruggles, (D)
Dick Harwood, (R) incumbent • Voting Record
_______________

Candidates for U.S. Offices
County residents vote for all open positions.

U.S. Senator
P. Tom Sullivan, (D) • Website
Mike Crapo, (R) incumbent • Website

U.S. Representative - District 1
Walt Minnick, (D) incumbent • Website
Raul R. Labrador, (R) • Website
_______________

Candidates for Statewide Office
County residents vote for all open positions.

Governor
Keith Allred, (D) • Website
C.L. "Butch" Otter, (R) incumbent • Website

Lieutenant Governor
Eldon Wallace, (D)
Brad Little, (R) incumbent

Secretary of State
Mack Sermon, (D)
Ben Ysursa, (R) incumbent

State Controller
Donna M. Jones, (R) incumbent
Bruce Robinett, (D)

State Treasurer
Ron G. Crane, (R) incumbent

Attorney General
Lawrence G. Wasden, (R) incumbent • Website

Superintendent of Public Instruction
Stan Olson, (D) • Website
Tom Luna, (R) incumbent • Website
_______________

Non-Partisan Judicial Ballots

Supreme Court
To succeed Jim Jones
- Jim Jones
To succeed Roger Burdick
- Roger Burdick

Court of Appeals
To succeed Karen Lansing
- Karen Lansing

District Court Judges
All 5 northern counties vote in these contests shown below:

To succeed Fred M. Gibler
- Fred M. Gibler
To succeed Lansing L. Haynes
- Lansing L. Haynes
To succeed John Patrick Luster
- John Patrick Luster
To succeed John T. Mitchell
- John T. Mitchell
To succeed Steven C. Verby
- Steven C. Verby

Ballot questions from Local Taxing Districts:
There are four ballot questions from local taxing districts that will be voted on by residents within those districts. Voters will be asked to vote YES or NO on these questions:

  • Sam Owen Fire District - Trestle Creek Annexation - needs 50 percent + 1 Yes Vote to Pass
  • West Bonner County Library District - Bond Election - needs 66 2/3 percent to pass
  • West Bonner County Library District - Levy Election - needs 66 2/3 percent to pass
  • City of Ponderay Bed Tax - Needs 50 percent + 1 Yes vote to pass

Proposed Constitutional Amendments
Four constitutional amendments will appear on the November 2, 2010 ballot.
- S.J.R. 101 - Clarifies that the Board of Regents of the University of Idaho may charge students tuition, as authorized by law.
- H.J.R. 4 - Allows public hospitals to acquire facilities, equipment, technology and real property through a variety of means that aid the public hospital operations, as long as the acquisitions are paid for solely from charges, rents or payments derived from the existing or financed facilities and are not funded by property taxes.
- H.J.R. 5 - Allows local governmental entities that operate airports and regional airport authorities to issue revenue and special facility bonds to acquire, construct, install and equip land, facilities, buildings, projects or other property.
- H.J.R. 7 - This proposed amendment has two parts. The first part allows any city owning a municipal electric system to acquire, construct, install and equip electrical generating, transmission and distribution facilities for the purpose of supplying electricity to customers within its service area. The second part allows any city owning a municipal electric system to enter into agreements to purchase, share, exchange or transmit wholesale electricity to customers within its service area, without voter approval.

- Read more about these proposed amendments by reading the Bonner County Daily Bee article "Constitutional Amendments on Nov. 2 ballot," Oct. 12, 2010
- Click to view the Idaho Voters’ Pamphlet (1.63 MB pdf), which contains information concerning the four constitutional amendments appearing on the Nov. 2 ballot. The pamphlet contains the ballot questions, the statements of meaning, purpose and results to be accomplished, as well as statements for and against each proposed amendment.

Election stories and resources

2009 Sandpoint City Election
The City of Sandpoint will hold an election for four council positions on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009. Voters will see three new names on the ballot, as well as three incumbents for three four-year positions; incumbent John Reuter is running uncontested for the lone two-year seat. Additionally, voters will decide a $17 million bond proposal to expand the city water treatment plant. Voting will be 8 a.m.-8 p.m. at Sandpoint City Hall, and absentee ballots may be cast until 5 p.m. Nov. 2.

    *ELECTION RESULTS*: Challengers sweep incumbents; water plant bond passes. Click for results.

Candidates for 4-year seats
Michael Boge (incumbent) • Candidate profile
Jamie Davis • Candidate profile • Website • WINNER
Helen M. Newton (incumbent) • Candidate profile • Website
Marsha Ogilvie • Candidate profile • Website • WINNER
John O'Hara (incumbent by appointment) • Candidate profile
Justin W. Schuck • Candidate profile • Website • WINNER

Candidate for 2-year seat
John T. Reuter (incumbent by appointment) • Candidate profile • Website • WINNER

Special Water Plant Bond Election
Sandpoint voters approved a $17 million water bond measure during the Nov. 3 election. 763 votes (68%) were in favor, and 367 votes (32%) were opposed. This bond pays for the addition of an immersed membrane filtration process, a larger raw water transmission pipeline and rehabilitation of the plant’s chemical and operations buildings. It will also allow the lake plant to improve its output of 3-3.5 million gallons of water per day to at least 10 million gallons.

Election stories and resources

2009 Ponderay City Election
The City of Ponderay will hold an election for two council positions on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voters will see two new names on the ballot, as well as two incumbents. Voting will be at the Ponderay City Hall, 288 4th Street, from noon-8 p.m.

City Council Candidates
Sherry Blood (incumbent)
John Darling • WINNER
Jesse DeMers
Steve Geiger Jr. (incumbent) • WINNER

Election stories and resources


LPOSD Replacement Instructional Supplemental Levy 2009
Residents of the Lake Pend Oreille School District, encompassing the eastern portion of Bonner County, approved a Replacement Instructional Supplemental Levy. The levy passed with 59.5% approval.

Levy details
The two-year total for the levy is $10,950,000, with $4,600,000 collected in year one, and $6,350,000 in year two.

Levy election stories, related stories and resources


Bonner County Juvenile Justice Facility Override Levy 2009
Bonner County voters rejected a $6.6 million, 2-year override levy to pay for the design and construction of a 32-bed juvenile justice facility. The vote was held on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009.

Levy details
The cost of the juvenile detention facility itself is estimated at $3.8 million. The other $2.8 million is for design, engineering, infrastructure and project management. The cost of the levy will be based on the net assessed value of your property.

Levy election stories


County, State and National Elections 2008
Bonner County voters turned out in record numbers, including absentee ballot voting, to elect several county officials this year, as well as Idaho state legislators for Legislative Districts 1 and 2, and president of the United States.
• For county election results, click here.
• For state election results, click here.
• Plus, to see a rundown on national results, go to USA Today.

Candidates for Bonner County offices
All county residents vote for all candidates regardless of district. Click links to see information about each candidate.

County Commissioner, District 1
Todd J. Crossett, (D) incumbent • Website
Cornel Rasor, (R) • Website • WINNER

County Commissioner, District 2
Joe Young, (R) incumbent • Profile • WINNER
Brian Orr, (D) • Profile

Bonner County Sheriff
Daryl Wheeler, (R) • Website • WINNER
Larry Hanna, (D) • Profile

Prosecutor
Louis Marshall, (R) • Profile • WINNER

Candidates for State Legislature
County residents vote for candidates in their district. Most of Bonner County lies within Legislative District 1, which extends north to also include all of Boundary County. Nine southern precincts of Bonner County lie within Legislative District 2, which extends south to include much of Kootenai and all of both Shoshone and Benewah counties.

Legislative District 1 – Senator
Republican:
Shawn A. Keough, (R) incumbent • Website • WINNER

Legislative District 1 – Representative, Position A
Eric Anderson, (R) incumbent • Website • WINNER
Steve Elgar, (D) • Website

Legislative District 1 – Representative, Position B
George E. Eskridge, (R) incumbent • Website • WINNER
Tom Hollingsworth, (D) • Website

Legislative District 2 - Senator
Joyce Broadsword, (R) incumbent • Website • WINNER
Rand C. Lewis (D) • Profile

Legislative District 2 - Representative, Position A
Mary Lou Shepherd, (D) incumbent • Website • WINNER

Legislative District 2 - Representative, Position B
R.J. "Dick" Harwood, (R) incumbent • WINNER
C.J. Rose, (D) • Website

Candidates for Statewide Office
County residents vote for all open positions.

U.S. Senate
Larry LaRocco, (D) • Website
Pro-Life, (I) • Website
Rex Rammell, (I) • Website
Kent A. Marmon, (L) • Website
Jim Risch, (R) • Website • WINNER

Congressional District One
Bill Sali, (R) incumbent • Website
Walt Minnick, (D) • Website • WINNER

Supreme Court Justice
(to succeed Joel D. Horton)
Joel D. Horton
(to succeed Warren E. Jones)
Warren E. Jones

Appellate Court Judge
(to succeed Sergio A. Gutierrez)
Sergio A. Gutierrez

Candidates for U.S. President
John McCain, (R) • Website
Barack Obama (D) • Website • WINNER
Bob Barr (Libertarian) • Website
Chuck Baldwin (Constitution Party) • Website
Ralph Nader (Independent) • Website

Candidates Forum Reprise

  • Candidates Forum reprise. Watch the recorded webcase of the Oct. 28 local candidates forum at the Panida Theater. The forum included all candidates for local offices - sheriff, commissioner, prosectuor as well as District 1 Legislature - answering questions posed by the audience. Click now to log on to webcast. (Notes: Click the small screenshot under "Keokee Video Clips" to start. This unedited video includes nine minutes of pre-forum footage before candidates begin speaking; you can forward the clip past that. There's also an 11-minute stretch during candidates' opening remarks, from about 18 minutes to 29 minutes, for which sound was lost; you can forward past that as well.) Forum was moderated by Karl Dye of the Bonner County Economic Development Corp, and sponsored by SandpointOnline.com and Blue Sky Broadcasting. Click to read more. 208-263-3573

Sarah Palin - McCain's pick for vice president born in Sandpoint

2008 Presidential Elections
How do the candidates for U.S. president stack up on positions important to you? Here are tools to help narrow the field to candidates that think like you:

  • ElectoralCompass.com. The website ElectoralCompass.com asks three questions about each of 12 different issues, then shows which candidate has positions closest to yours. Click on candidate's photos to compare their positions to your answers.
  • SelectSmart.com. Check the American Presidential Selector take a 26-question quiz and see which candidates most closely share your views and values.
  • USAToday Candidate matcher. This 11-question Candidate Match Game will match you to candidates on seven major issues. On the results screen you can mouse over the bars to see details on candidate positions.
  • Truth-O-Meter. The website PolitiFact.com, sponsored by the St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly, evaluates the truth and accuracy of what candidates are saying in their campaigns.
  • Check their facts. At the website FactCheck.org, there are resources to fact-check candidates' statements and advertising. Provided by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
  • Campaign discourse. Two avowed independent websites that illuminate the national campaigns in different ways include Politico.com and RealClearPolitics.com.


2008 Presidential Primaries

Republican primary. The Republican Party presidential delegates were chosen through the traditional Presidential Preference Primary Election on Tuesday, May 27, 2008, with Sen. John McCain winning statewide. In Bonner County, McCain tallied 2950 votes to the only only remaining opponent on the ballot, Ron Paul, who received 1427 votes; 423 voted for "none of the names shown.. For more information from the local GOP, click to Republicans-Bonner-County.com or call 208-290-2249.

Bonner County Democratic Caucus. Bonner County Democrats held their Presidential Caucus at the Panida Theater on May 5, with an overflow crowd of more than 600 filling the building. The local caucus gave overwhelming support to Sen. Barak Obama, electing 11 of its 13 delegates to the state convention in his favor; the remaining two delegates were elected for Sen. Hillary Clinton. Democrats also voted during the May 27 primary, but all delegates in Idaho are awarded based on the caucus results, not the popular vote. The13 delegates from Bonner County attended the state Democratic Convention June 12 in Boise, where Obama collected about 80 percent of the Idaho delegates pledged to support him at the national Democratic Convention, to be held Aug. 25-28 in Boulder, Colo. Local information at BonnerDemocrats.org.


School District Levy & Trustee Election Results 2008
Residents of the Lake Pend Oreille School District, encompassing the eastern portion of Bonner County, voted May 20, 2008 on a proposed $14.1 million plant facilities levy, as well as two seats on the Board of Trustees.

Trustee election: Two trustee seats, for Zones 2 and 3, were up for election. The declared candidates are:

Zone 2 candidates
Vickie Pfeiffer, incumbent • Click for Candidate profile • Story • Winner
Anna Largen • Candidate has declined to return profile questionnaire
Zone 3 candidate
Joan Fish, incumbent, is unopposed • Click for Candidate profile

Plant facilities levy: Voters approved the levy with 55.9% in favor, and 44.1% against. 

The proposed levy includes $5.1 million for health/safety needs and deferred maintenance items, along with capital equipment, plus $1.2 million for the addition of four classrooms at Sagle Elementary, $6.8 million for construction at Kootenai Elementary and $1 million construction contingency.

2007 Sandpoint City Election
The City of Sandpoint held an election for mayor and four council positions on Tuesday, Nov. 6. The positions up for election were those currently held by Mayor Ray Miller, council president Michael Boge, councilman Chuck Spickelmire and councilwoman Sandra Lamson, all four-year terms. Also, the council position held by Cindy Elliott, who resigned in August, was up for election for a two-year term.

CITY OF SANDPOINT NOV 6, 2007 FINAL BUT UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

MAYOR
Gretchen A. Hellar 923 *WINNER*
Raymond P. Miller 627
TOTAL cast for mayor: 1550

4 YR COUNCIL
William L. Dowling 519
Paul Gollin 151
Doug Hawkins Jr. 846 *WINNER*
Sandra J. Lamson 488
Carrie Ann Logan 578 *WINNER*
Jeffrey R. Rands 303
Ivan Rimar 410
Stephen T. Snedden 756 *WINNER*

2 YR COUNCIL
Michael Boge 769 *WINNER*
Ed Ostrom 214
Dan Young 389

RESORT CITY TAX - 5% HOTEL/MOTEL *APPROVED*
IN FAVOR 1299
AGAINST 216

RESORT CITY TAX - 2% DRINK TAX  *REJECTED*
IN FAVOR 586
AGAINST 676

Candidates for Mayor
Gretchen Hellar: Click for Candidate profile • Web site
Ray Miller (incumbent): Click for Candidate profile • Mayor's blog

Candidates for 4-year Council seats (elect 3)
William Dowling: Click for Candidate profile
Paul Gollin: Click for Candidate profile
Doug Hawkins, Jr.: Click for Candidate profile
Sandy Lamson (incumbent): Click for Candidate profile
Carrie Logan: Click for Candidate profile
Jeffrey Rands: Click for Candidate profile
Ivan Rimar: Click for Candidate profile
Stephen Snedden: Click for Candidate profile • Web site

Candidates for 2-year Council seat (elect 1)
Michael Boge: Click for Candidate profile
Ed Ostrom: Click for Candidate profile • Web site
Dan Young: Click for Candidate profile • Web site

Other 2007 City Elections
In other east Bonner County municipalities, there were only two cities with contested races in the 2007 elections:

In Dover, there was a contest for mayor, current council member Lou Collins faced incumbent Mayor Randy Curless. There were two four-year council positions up for election but only incumbents Jim Janish and Peggy Burge filed.

CITY OF DOVER NOV. 6, 2007 FINAL BUT UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

MAYOR
Randy Curless 79 *WINNER*
Lou Collins 49

CITY COUNCIL
Peggy Burge 94 *WINNER*
Jim Janish 82 *WINNER*

In Ponderay, there were four candidates for the two four-year council seats up for election; they were David Burrough, incumbent Dale Daugharty, Jo Ellen "Jody" Moreland and Marc Woller. The mayor's seat was up for election, but Jessie Demers did not file for re-election and only current councilwoman Carol Kunzeman filed.

CITY OF PONDERAY NOV. 6, 2007 BUT UNOFFICIAL FINAL RESULTS

MAYOR
Carol Kunzeman 49 *WINNER*

CITY COUNCIL
Dale Daugharty 44 *WINNER*
Jo Ellen "Jody" Moreland 44 *WINNER*
Marc Woller 16
David Paul Burrough 12

Other cities with uncontested elections so far are:

  • Kootenai, with two four-year council positions and mayor up for election; only incumbent councilors Jim Macha and Erik Brubaker filed. Incumbent Mayor Maggie Mjelde filed for re-election.
  • Hope; incumbent councilmen Bruce Stutzke and Bill Breen filed for the two two-year seats, while incumbent Bob Lizotte was the only candidate to file for a two-year position.
  • East Hope; candidates for three open seats were Trecy Carpenter, Jacob Both and Jerry Clemons.
  • Clark Fork; candidates for the two four-year council seats up for election were Linda Reed and Jim Junget.

 

LPO School Board Trustee Election 2007

Trustee Mindy Cameron, in Zone 4, was reelected to a three-year term on the Lake Pend Oreille School Board in an election on May 15, 2007. Zone 4 covers south of Highway 200 and includes Sagle and part of Kootenai elementary schools. The election for Zone 1 was nullified when the opposing candidate withdrew from the race. Additional information is available at the LPOSD site or call 208-263-2184. Click below for candidate profiles.

Zone 4 candidates
  • Mindy Cameron: Click for profile *WINNER*
  • Kendon Perry: Click for profile

Zone 1 candidates
  • Melanie Snider: Click for profile *WINNER*
  • Lawrence Pedersen: Withdrew from race

LPO School District Supplemental Levy 2007

Voters approved an $8.96 million, two-year supplemental levy in the Lake Pend Oreille School District by a vote of 3,651 to 2,049 on March 20. The approval margin of 64 percent easily surpassed the required 50 percent plus one the levy needed to pass. The 2007 levy, which replaces a two-year levy expiring June 2007, will help fund school curriculum, extracurricular activities, staff, technology and other expenses not currently covered by the State of Idaho. The turnout for the election was almost twice as high as the last school election, with 5,700 voters turning out compared to 2,869 in March 2005.

General Election 2006

ELECTION RESULTS
The Idaho general election was held Tuesday, Nov. 7. 2006.

• Bonner County election results
• Bonner County turnout statistics
• Idaho statewide election results
• National state-by-state results

Below are ballot propostions and state and county candidates that appeared on the 2006 general election ballot. Scroll farther down for information on voter registration, polling places and voter resources.

Proposed ballot measures
Proposition One: Initiative increasing K-12 education funding for local public schools by adding one percent to state sales tax. Read text. This proposition FAILED.
  • Click for Secretary of State's arguments for and against.
  • For: Yes for Idaho Schools
  • Against: Idahoans for Excellence in Education

Proposition Two: Initiative limiting eminent domain when used for economic development; defining land use and permitting compensation for regulatory takings. Read text. This proposition FAILED.
  • Click for Secretary of State's arguments for and against.
  • For: This House is MY Home
  • Against: Neighbors Protecting Idaho

Proposed Constitutional Amendment H.J.R. No. 2: Aendment to add new language to the Idaho Constitution stating a marriage between a man and a woman is the only recognized legal union in Idaho. This amendment PASSED.
  • Read text of amendment
  • Read statements for and against

Proposed Constitutional Amendment S.J.R. 107: Proposes amending the Constitution to create an Idaho Millennium Permananet Endowment Fund for monies received from a settlement with tobacco product manufacturers. This amendment PASSED.
  • Read text of amendment
  • Read statements for and against

Advisory Vote: Should the state of Idaho keep the property tax relief adopted in August 2006? Click for text of advisory vote. Voters APPROVED the tax relief.


Candidates for Bonner County offices
County residents vote for all open positions.

County Commissioner, District 1
Todd J. Crossett, (D) Profile • Website *WINNER*
Bud Mueller, (R) Website

County Commissioner, District 3
Karl Dye, (R, write-in) incumbent Profile • Website
Lewis Rich, (R) Profile • Website *WINNER*
Wayne Stotts, (Independent)

County Clerk
Kathrynn Feist, (R) Profile
Marie Scott, (D) incumbent Profile

Assessor
Jerry Clemons, (R) Profile *WINNER*
Judie Conlan, (D) incumbent Profile
Carl White, (Independent) Website

Coroner
Kathryn "Kitt" Rose, (R) incumbent *WINNER*

Treasurer
Cheryl Piehl, (R) incumbent *WINNER*

Candidates for State Legislature
County residents vote for candidates in their district. Most of Bonner County lies within Legislative District 1, which extends north to also include all of Boundary County. Nine southern precincts of Bonner County lie within Legislative District 2, which extends south to include much of Kootenai and all of both Shoshone and Benewah counties.

Legislative District 1 – Senator
Shawn A. Keough, (R) incumbent Profile • Website • Voting Record *WINNER*
Jim Ramsey, (D) Website • Profile

Legislative District 1 – Representative, Position A
Eric Anderson, (R) incumbent Website • Profile • Voting Record *WINNER*
Steve Elgar, (D) Profile • Website

Legislative District 1 – Representative, Position B
George E. Eskridge, (R) incumbent Profile • Voting Record *WINNER*
Bob Wynhausen, (D) Profile • Website 

Legislative District 2 - Senator
Joyce Broadsword, (R) incumbent Profile • Voting Record *WINNER*
Steve Johnson, (D) Profile

Legislative District 2 - Representative, Position A
Mary Lou Shepherd, (D) incumbent Voting Record *WINNER*

Legislative District 2 - Representative, Position B
Dick Harwood, (R) incumbent • Voting Record *WINNER*
Richard T. Taniguchi, (D) Profile


Candidates for Statewide Office
County residents vote for all open positions.

Congressional District One
Larry Grant, (D) Website 
Andy Hedden-Nicely, (Natural Law)
Dave Olson, (Independent)
Bill Sali, (R) Website *WINNER*
Paul Smith, (Constitution)

Governor
Jerry Brady, (D) Website 
Ted Dunlap, (Libertarian)
C.L. "Butch" Otter, (R) Website *WINNER*
Marvin Richardson, (Constitutional)

Lieutenant Governor
Larry LaRocco, (D) Website 
Jim Risch, (R) *WINNER*
William Charles Wellisch, (Constitutional)

Secretary of State
Ben Ysursa, (R) *WINNER*

State Controller
Donna M. Jones, (R) Website *WINNER*
Jackie Groves Twilegar, (D) Website 

State Treasurer
Ron G. Crane, (R) Website  *WINNER*
Howard C. Faux, (D) Website

Attorney General
Robert A. "Bob" Wallace, (D) Website 
Lawrence G. Wasden, (R) Website *WINNER*

Superintendent of Public Instruction
Jana L. Jones, (D) Website 
Tom Luna, (R) Website *WINNER*

School Plant Facility Levy Election
Voters turned down a proposed school plant facility levy on Sept. 5, 2006, with 57.6 percent voting nay. There were 5,141 votes cast. The levy, for the amount of $6,288,283 per year for two years, would have finished 45,000 square feet of construction at Kootenai School, plus district-wide pay for new buses and kitchen equipment, upgrade boilers, heating systems, phone systems and other technology.


Idaho Primary Election 2006
The Idaho primary election was held May 23, 2006, with numerous county, legislative and statewide offices up for election.

Recreation District Election Results
A special election to decide on creating a new taxing district, the Pend Oreille Recreation District, failed at the polls by an 88-percent margin, 769 for and 5,814 against, on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2006. A simple majority would have been required to create the district, leading to the construction of the Sandpoint Centre Sports Complex, a non-profit family facility with an indoor swimming pool and a 1,200-seat ice-skating arena. The district's proposed levy rate was 0.00038 - 0.00048. That would have translated to $38-$48 per $100,000 of assessed value. In general, proponents argued the need for more healthy activities for families and kids; opponents argued the tax would hit many who won't use the facilities.

Property Tax Reform Initiative
A group calling itself Idaho Property Tax Reform launched in 2005 an attempt to pass an initiative to establish a 1% cap on real property tax, allowing a 0.8% increase in property value per year. Organizers said they launched the initiative drive due to the inaction of the state Legislature to address the state's dynamically escalating property values, which are causing a corresponding increase in assessed values and property taxes. The 2005 signature drive failed to garner the required number of signatures to place the initiative on the ballot.

2005 City Elections Results
The nine incorporated cities in Bonner County had elections Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2005.

For the Sandpoint City Council, four candidates contended for three open council seats. Incumbent Cindy Elliott was re-elected and challengers Steve Lockwood, former city Planning Commission Chair, and Helen Newton, former City Clerk, won seats. Incumbent Francis Ogilvie was edged out. City Clerk Maree Peck said the election had a high-than-normal voter turnout for a city-council-only election; 1,026 of the 3,703 registered voters cast ballots, a 27.71% turnout. That is almost as good as the last mayoral election, in 2003, when the city saw a 32.91% turnout. However, it is almost six times better than the last city council-only election, in 2001, that saw only a 5% turnout.

For the Ponderay City Council, two four-year positions were up for election, won by incumbent Sherry Blood, her fourth term, and Steve Geiger, who was appointed to the council earlier this year.

For the Dover City Council, the race was not contested for two seats. Incumbent Maggie Becker won a fifth term, and Louis Collins won a term.

For the City of East Hope, the uncontested races were decided in favor of incumbents Lawrence Moon for mayor and Paul Madden and Jerry Clemons for 4-year city council terms.

For the City of Hope, the race for mayor and two city council seats were not contested. Incumbent Larry Keith will again serve as mayor, and Jason Cordero and Philip Dreisbach were elected to the council.

For the City of Clark Fork, incumbent Mayor Tom Shields won his bid for re-election against challenger Linda Reed. Four candidates ran for city council, and winning were incumbent Brian Cantrell and Russell Schenck.

For Kootenai City Council, the race for three seat was uncontested. Incumbent David Sundquist, Crystal Clossen and incumbent James F. Macha were elected.

For the Oldtown City Council, there were two 4-year positions and one 2-year position up for election. For the 4-year terms, incumbents Anna Burns and Cliff Jones won seats. For the 2-year term, incumbent Gene Scott was re-elected.

For the City of Priest River, there were three positions up for election, two city council seats and the mayor. For the mayor's position, three candidates ran, with Jim Martin elected. For city council, five candidates were vying for two seats; incumbent Jeff Connolly and Peggy George were successful.

There are no county or state elections in 2005.

2005 School Election Results
The Lake Pend Oreille School District held an election for a supplemental levy on Tuesday, March 22, 2005. The levy passed with 59.6 percent of the 2,869 voters supporting it. The levy replaced the previous one at the same rate and will continue to provide $3.22 million per year for the next two years.

Three Lake Pend Oreille School Board trustees were up for election on Tuesday, May 17, 2005. All three seats, zones 2, 3 and 5, were uncontested. Trustees Vickie Pfeifer, Joan Fish and Steve Lockwood were reelected. For more information call the Lake Pend School District at (208) 263-2184 and speak to the clerk of the board.

General Election 2004 Results
The general election was Tuesday, November 2, 2004. For results in Bonner and Boundary counties and the state of Idaho, follow the links below. 

** Click for Bonner County vote totals
** Click for Idaho results, Statewide Totals and Legislative Totals

Primary Election 2004 Results

The Idaho primary election  was May 25, 2004. Of 18,869 registered voters in Bonner County, a total of 5,409 voted, for a turnout of 29 percent. Click to see the detailed election results for all races (these results are unofficial until canvassed).

Lake Pend Oreille School Trustee Election 2004

The election for school board trustees was May 18, 2004. Three new board members were elected: Melanie Snider in Zone 1, Joan Fish in Zone 3 and Mindy Cameron in Zone 4. They were sworn in on July 13.

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