Kennaugh, Hickman, and Bauman win during abbreviated election season

WALLACE – Voters from seven of Shoshone County’s 14 polling precincts were asked to cast ballots in just two elections earlier this week. 

The most local of these races was a three-way contest where the top two vote-getters would win six-year terms on the Central Shoshone County Water District board. These seats represented four of Shoshone County’s voting precincts, including Kellogg, Smelterville, Osburn, and Wardner. 

Rhonda Hickman and Mike Kennaugh each received roughly 41% of the total votes cast, while Jeff Frank received just under 18%.  

Perhaps the most publicized race was the open trustee seat for the Consolidated Free Library District. In Shoshone County, votes were cast in the Murray, Smelterville, Pinehurst, and Kingston voting precincts.  

Victoria Bauman, who ultimately won the race, received 101 votes in Shoshone County and a total of 10,103 votes. Her opponent, Michelle Lippert, received 91 votes in Shoshone County, and a total of 7,661.  

Bauman’s victory further consolidated power on the CLN board of trustees. All five trustees were backed by the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee at the time of their election, though Trustee Vanessa Robinson has diverged from the rest of the board on several issues.   

The race was defined in part by differing approaches to what materials should be available on CLN shelves and the level of control that parents should have over what materials their children can access. 

In a post-election statement, Bauman expressed her gratitude toward those who voted for her. 

“I am truly grateful to the voters who put their faith and trust in me,” Bauman said. “I am honored to serve as trustee on the CLN board and am so excited to continue the work the board has done to make libraries safe for children. I look forward to serving and representing the members of this community.”