Shoshone County takes to the polls
By CHANSE WATSON
Managing Editor
WALLACE — Just over 30 percent (30.05 percent to be precise) of registered Shoshone County voters turned out for the May 15 primary election and the candidates they chose mostly fell in line with the eventual winners.
With this being a primary election, voters were limited in what races they could participate in depending on what party they were affiliated with. Unofficial election night results provided by the Shoshone County Courthouse show that of the 1,893 local voters that took to the polls, 905 of them reached for the Democratic ballot (47.81 percent of registered voters) while 945 of them opted for the GOP ballot (49.92 percent).
Forty-three ballots cast (2.27 percent) were nonpartisan and 7 (.37 percent) were blank.
The significance of which ballot to chose is important in a primary race, especially in Idaho. Even though there were several high-profile races on both party tickets, voters could only vote in either one or the other (unless they were registered to a party other than the GOP, then the decision was made for them due to Idaho GOP’s closed primary rules).
This decision can be a tough one, especially in Shoshone County where local candidates rarely run on the Republican ticket.
For example, the only local contested contest this time around for either party was a Democratic primary race for the position of District No. 1 County Commissioner. Incumbent Patrick “Mike” Fitzgerald won that race against challenger Ellery Masterson by a vote count of 544 (64.61 percent) to 298 (35.39 percent), respectively.
There was also a measure that was not predetermined (uncontested) and that was a bond decision in Fire District No. 2 to build a new firehouse. With 709 votes in favor of (76.3 percent) and 220 votes against (23.7 percent), it appears that Fire Chief Mark Aamodt and the rest of the firefighters in SCFD No. 2 will finally have the funds to replace their more than 100-year-old headquarters in uptown Kellogg.
Shifting to contested state-level races involving Shoshone County, both state representative positions for District 7 were up for grabs on the GOP side. Shoshone County shares District 7 with Clearwater County, Idaho County and parts of Bonner county.
For Position 7A, Incumbent Priscilla Giddings held onto her seat by edging out challengers Ryan Lawrence and Shannon McMillan with 56 percent of the vote. McMillan, the third-place overall finisher, narrowly won Shoshone County with 296 votes (35.84 percent) compared to Giddings’ 292 (35.35 percent) and Lawrence’s 238 (28.81 percent).
Regarding Position 7B, the Incumbent Paul Shepherd also won, beating out former State District 3 Representative Phil Hart by a 59-41 percent margin, respectively. Hart drew some press close to election day when he was temporarily ruled ineligible to run when the amount of time he has lived at his Kellogg address was called into question. Idaho law requires candidates for this position to have lived in the district they are running in for a year.
Shoshone County voters narrowly chose Hart over Shepherd by a 51.20-48.80 percent margin (425 votes to 405 votes), respectively.
Keeping with the state house positions, both parties held primaries for the party nominations of Lieutenant Governor and Governor.
On the GOP side of these races, former State District 32A Representative Janice McGeachin won out over a deep field of candidates with 51,079 total votes (28.9 percent) for the GOP Lieutenant Governor nomination. Steve Yates was a close second with 48,221 votes (27.3 percent).
Wallace native and District 3 Representative Bob Nonini took his home county by receiving 297 votes (34.49 percent) compared to the runner-up, McGeachin, with 233 (27.06). Nonini placed 4th out of the five candidates, overall.
For the duty of replacing retiring Governor Butch Otter, current Lt. Gov. Brad Little came out on top in a rough slugging match mainly with former Federal District 1 Representative Raul Labrador and Boise businessman Tommy Ahlquist. Little won by receiving 72,391 votes (37.3 percent) compared to Labrador’s 63,397 votes (32.6 percent) and Ahlquist’s 50,975 (26.2 percent). Little received a large amount of support from fellow Republicans and obtained several large-name endorsements, including out-going Governor Otter.
Staying in line with the overall winner, Shoshone County voters chose Little by a small margin (329 votes and 35.34 percent) over Labrador (317 votes and 34.05 percent), their former federal representative. Ahlquist came in a distant third in the county with 219 votes (23.52 percent).
On the Democrat side of these races, Kristin Collum ran away with the party’s nomination for lieutenant governor by securing 88.2 percent of the vote state wide and winning Shoshone County by similar numbers (542 votes and 76.77 percent). Opponent Jim Fabe only received 6,972 votes (11.8 percent) on the state level and 164 votes (23.23 percent) in Shoshone County.
Hoping to make the governor’s seat blue for the first time in decades, underdog and State District 5 Representative Paulette Jordan (38,458 votes and 58.5 percent) upset establishment candidate A.J. Balukoff (26,365 votes and 40.1 percent). This outcome was not expected by many, as Balukoff already has a run for governor under his belt and received a significant amount of support from the state Democratic party.
Jordan, a member of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, would be the first indigenous and first female governor of Idaho if elected.
Shoshone County voters strongly favored Balukoff over Jordan, receiving 571 votes (69.46 percent) to her 227 votes (27.62 percent).
Lastly, on the federal level, both party’s selected their picks to fill Labrador’s vacant Federal District 1 Representative seat.
GOP voters in both the district and Shoshone County chose former State Senator Russ Fulcher by significant margins. Fulcher received 42.19 percent of the vote in Shoshone County (354 votes) and 43.1 percent in the district.
Taking Fulcher on in the general election will be Democratic nominee and Boise real estate agent, Cristina McNeil. McNeil also ran away with her race by receiving 69.3 percent of the vote in the district (19,070 votes) and 62.96 percent in Shoshone County (425 votes).
The following are the complete Shoshone County results from the May 15, 2018, primary election. Information is organized by party, race, candidate and results (number of votes and percentage of the vote).
REPUBLICAN TICKET
Rep In Congress First District:
Russ Fulcher — 354, 42.19
Alex Gallegos — 28, 3.34
Nick Henderson — 49, 5.84
David H. Leroy — 66, 7.87
Luke Malek — 112, 13.35
Christy Perry — 106, 12.63
Michael Snyder — 124, 14.78
Governor:
Tommy Ahlguist — 219, 23.52
Harley Delano Brown — 10, 1.07
Dalton Ben Cannady — 7, .75
Raul Labrador — 317, 34.05
Brad Little — 329, 35.34
Lisa Marie — 28, 3.01
Steve Pankey — 21, 2.26
Lieutenant Governor:
Mary Hgedorn — 66, 7.67
Janice McGeachin — 233, 27.06
Bob Nonini — 297, 34.49
Kelley Packer — 84, 9.76
Steve Yates — 181, 21.02
Secretary Of State:
Lawerence E. Denny — 767, 100
State Controller:
Brandon D. Woolf — 738, 100
State Treasurer:
Julie A. Ellsworth — 292, 36.27
Tom Kealey — 246, 30.56
Vicky J. McIntyre — 267, 33.17
Attorney General:
Lawrence Wasden — 739, 100
Super Of Public Inst.:
Jeff Dillon — 401, 48.55
Sherri Ybarra — 425, 51.45
State Senator:
Carl G. CrabTree — 728, 100
State Rep Position A:
Priscilla Giddings — 292, 35.35
Ryan A. Lawrence — 238, 28.81
Shannon McMillan — 296, 35.84
State Rep Position A:
Phil Hart — 425, 51.20
Paul E Shepherd — 405, 48.80
Prec Comm 02 Mullan:
Chuck Rietz — 29, 100.00
Prec Comm 03 Wallace:
James McMillan — 68, 100
Prec Comm 04 Silverton:
Shannon McMillan — 9, 100
Prec Comm 06 Kellogg:
Write-In — 9, 100.00
Prec Comm 09 Pinehurst:
Linda Yergler — 97, 100
Prec Comm 10 Kingston:
Andy Galbreath — 81, 100
DEMOCRATIC TICKET?
Rep in Congress First District:
Christina McNeil — 425, 62.96
Michael W. Smith — 161, 23.85
James Vandermaas — 89, 13.19
Governor:
A.J. Balukoff — 571, 69.46
Peter Dill — 24, 2.92
Paulette Jordan — 227, 27.62
Lieutenant Governor:
Kristin Collum — 542, 76.77
Jim Fabe — 164, 23.23
Secretary of State:
Joseph J.P. Chastain — 257, 37.63
Jill Humble — 426, 62.37
Attorney General:
Bruce Bistline — 597, 100
Super of Public Inst:
Allen Humble — 174, 25.14
Cindy Wilson — 518, 74.86
County Comm First Dist.:
Patrick “Mike” Fitzgerald — 544, 64.61
Ellery W. Masterson — 298, 35.39
County Comm Third Dist.:
John Hansen — 708, 100
County Clerk:
Tamie Lewis-Eberhard — 735, 100
County Treasurer:
Ellen R. Masterson — 772, 100
County Assessor:
Jerry White — 783, 100
County Coroner:
Richard A. (Rick) Smith — 707, 100
Prec Comm 02 Mullan:
Daniel White — 67, 100
Prec Comm 03 Wallace:
Jerome Bunde — 62, 100
Prec Comm 04 Silverton:
Keisha L. Oxendine — 35, 100
Prec Comm 06 Kellogg:
Duane E. Little — 138, 100
Prec Comm 09 Pinehurst:
Jay L. Huber — 66, 100
NON PARTISAN TICKET
To Succeed Justice Bevan:
G. Richard Bevan — 1,277, 100
To Succeed Judge Gratton:
David W. Gratton — 1,264, 100
To Succeed Judge Lorello:
Jessica M. Lorello — 1,263, 100
To Succeed Judge Buchanan:
Barbara Buchanan — 1,266, 100
To Succeed Judge Meyer:
Cynthia K.C. Meyer — 1,248, 100
To Succeed Judge Mitchell:
John T. Mitchell — 860, 59.43
Douglas A. Pierce — 587, 40.57
To Succeed Judge Hayes:
Lansing L. Hayes — 1,242, 100
To Succeed Judge Christensen:
Rich Christensen — 1,243, 100
To Succeed Judge Wayman
Scott Wayman — 1,238, 100
Statistics:
Registered Voters — Total 6,300
Ballots Cast — Total 1,893
Ballots Cast-Democratic — 905, 47.81
Ballots Cast-Republican — 945, 49.92
Ballots Cast-NonPartisan — 43, 2.27
Ballots Cast-Blank — 7, .37
Voter Turnout — Total 30.05
Voter Turnout — Blank .11