Local politics impact you and your family much more directly than do national politics, often without you even realizing it. Property taxes and some sales taxes are decided on the local level. Zoning laws and restrictions that direct what you can build and where are decided on the local level. Law enforcement and the tone of the police and sheriff departments are decided on the local level.
State and national elections are also very important but we must not overlook the importance of the local elections.
Something else that cannot be overlooked is the vital importance of your vote. Voting is a privilege and a responsibility. It is why we have a republican form of government, so that you and I can chose who will represent us. Our values, what we believe in, will never be represented in government if we do not participate in the process by voting.
Not only that, but especially in local elections, your vote counts in a big way. Last election cycle, a very conservative candidate lost to a very liberal candidate by less than 200 votes. The margins of victory are smaller than you may realize and your vote can be the difference necessary to see the correct principles advanced in our area.
First, I’m going to list (for brevity’s sake) the races and the different candidates for each. My pick will be marked in blue. Scroll down past the short list to read my reasoning. I’ve done a lot of research and would not be putting this out there if I didn’t believe that these were the best candidates that we have.
Unsure where to vote? Find your polling place here!
First, I’m going to list (for brevity’s sake) the races and the different candidates for each. My pick will be marked in blue. Scroll down past the short list to read my reasoning. I’ve done a lot of research and would not be putting this out there if I didn’t believe that these were the best candidates that we have.
Unsure where to vote? Find your polling place here!
Kootenai County Commissioner - District 2
-Chris Fillios (R)
-David Stewart (R)
Kootenai County Commissioner - District 3
-Bob Bingham (R)
-Leslie Duncan (R)
-Fred Meckel (R)
-Duane Rasmussen (R)
Kootenai County Sheriff
-John Green (R)
-Tina Kunishige (D)
-Ben Wolfinger (R)
Legislative District #2
State Senator
-Steve Vick (R)
State Representative, Position A
-Kathy (Kraack) Kahn (D)
-Vito Barbieri (R)
-Fritz Wiedenhoff (R)
State Representative, Position B
-Cooper Coyle (D)
-Alan Littlejohn (R)
-Eric Redman (R)
-Steve Vick (R)
State Representative, Position A
-Kathy (Kraack) Kahn (D)
-Vito Barbieri (R)
-Fritz Wiedenhoff (R)
State Representative, Position B
-Cooper Coyle (D)
-Alan Littlejohn (R)
-Eric Redman (R)
Legislative District #3
State Senator
-Bob Nonini (R)
State Representative, Position A
-Ron Mendive (R)
State Representative, Position B
-Don Cheatham (R)
-Peter Riggs (R)
-Bob Nonini (R)
State Representative, Position A
-Ron Mendive (R)
State Representative, Position B
-Don Cheatham (R)
-Peter Riggs (R)
United States Senator
-Mike Crapo (R)
United States Representative - District #1
-Shizandra Fox (D)
-Staniela Nikolova (D)
-James Piotrowski (D)
-Isaac Haugen (R)
-Raul Labrador (R)
United States Representative - District #2
-Lisa Marie (R)
-Mike Simpson (R)
Idaho Supreme Court Justice
To Succeed: Jim Jones
-Curt McKenzie
-Clive J. Strong
-Robyn Brody
-Sergio Gutierrez-Detailed Explanations:
Legislative District #2
State Senator
-Steve Vick (R) Unopposed. Senator Vick has a pretty good record and has shown a commitment to pro-life causes as well as taking a strong stance on the 2nd Amendment.
State Representative, Position A
-Kathy (Kraack) Kahn (D) Ms. Kahn’s website and Facebook have no information regarding policy positions. From her press release, we gather that her main issues are opposition to Rep. Barbieri’s tax votes, a push to expand spending on infrastructure and “equal pay for equal work”.
-Vito Barbieri (R) Rep. Barbieri is a firm believer in the Constitution, life and the 2nd Amendment. He has a strong voting record and is definitely the best choice in this race.
-Fritz Wiedenhoff (R) From what little there is to be found, Mr. Wiedenhoff apparently believes Idaho is not doing enough to fund public education and especially community colleges. While there is an argument to be made both ways on this, it does not negate the fact that this is not the only issue facing Idaho and far from the most important. These other issues do not ever rate a mention with Mr. Wiedenhoff which I find telling.
State Representative, Position B
-Cooper Coyle (D) Mr. Coyle’s Facebook has virtually no information regarding any policies he may or may not hold. The only thing we find for sure is that he was caucusing for either Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton. Need I say more.
-Alan Littlejohn (R) Mr. Littlejohn seems to have a good handle on the issues and the Constitution. His reasoning for opposing Rep. Redman are not super clear, however I believe that he would be a good, liberty-minded representative if elected. It is nice to have good choices!
-Eric Redman (R) Representative Redman has a solid voting record in the State House co-sponsoring pro-life legislation, supporting the 2nd Amendment, and voting to allow the use of the Bible in public schools. He also has legislative process experience under his belt which is a major plus in getting things done in Boise.
-Steve Vick (R) Unopposed. Senator Vick has a pretty good record and has shown a commitment to pro-life causes as well as taking a strong stance on the 2nd Amendment.
State Representative, Position A
-Kathy (Kraack) Kahn (D) Ms. Kahn’s website and Facebook have no information regarding policy positions. From her press release, we gather that her main issues are opposition to Rep. Barbieri’s tax votes, a push to expand spending on infrastructure and “equal pay for equal work”.
-Vito Barbieri (R) Rep. Barbieri is a firm believer in the Constitution, life and the 2nd Amendment. He has a strong voting record and is definitely the best choice in this race.
-Fritz Wiedenhoff (R) From what little there is to be found, Mr. Wiedenhoff apparently believes Idaho is not doing enough to fund public education and especially community colleges. While there is an argument to be made both ways on this, it does not negate the fact that this is not the only issue facing Idaho and far from the most important. These other issues do not ever rate a mention with Mr. Wiedenhoff which I find telling.
State Representative, Position B
-Cooper Coyle (D) Mr. Coyle’s Facebook has virtually no information regarding any policies he may or may not hold. The only thing we find for sure is that he was caucusing for either Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton. Need I say more.
-Alan Littlejohn (R) Mr. Littlejohn seems to have a good handle on the issues and the Constitution. His reasoning for opposing Rep. Redman are not super clear, however I believe that he would be a good, liberty-minded representative if elected. It is nice to have good choices!
-Eric Redman (R) Representative Redman has a solid voting record in the State House co-sponsoring pro-life legislation, supporting the 2nd Amendment, and voting to allow the use of the Bible in public schools. He also has legislative process experience under his belt which is a major plus in getting things done in Boise.
Legislative District #3
State Senator
-Bob Nonini (R) Unopposed.
State Representative, Position A
-Ron Mendive (R) Unopposed
State Representative, Position B
-Don Cheatham (R) Again, we have a race where I’d be ok with it going either way! This doesn’t happen often but I’m hoping the fact that it is happening more often means that more people are waking up to the fact that the Constitution still matters! Rep. Cheatham has a good voting record co-sponsored pro-life legislation and pro-2nd Amendment legislation this last session. Overall, I’m satisfied that he is serving Idaho well.
-Peter Riggs (R) New to politics, Mr. Riggs shows an impressive understanding of the Constitution and constitutional principles. The only area I took issue was his position on education where he seems to lean toward the “more funding mantra”. If he stays involved and continues to educate himself on the issues I could see him being an effective, conservative political leader in the future. (Off subject but fun fact: Mr. Riggs is the president of business operations at Coeur d’Alene based Pita Pit.)
-Bob Nonini (R) Unopposed.
State Representative, Position A
-Ron Mendive (R) Unopposed
State Representative, Position B
-Don Cheatham (R) Again, we have a race where I’d be ok with it going either way! This doesn’t happen often but I’m hoping the fact that it is happening more often means that more people are waking up to the fact that the Constitution still matters! Rep. Cheatham has a good voting record co-sponsored pro-life legislation and pro-2nd Amendment legislation this last session. Overall, I’m satisfied that he is serving Idaho well.
-Peter Riggs (R) New to politics, Mr. Riggs shows an impressive understanding of the Constitution and constitutional principles. The only area I took issue was his position on education where he seems to lean toward the “more funding mantra”. If he stays involved and continues to educate himself on the issues I could see him being an effective, conservative political leader in the future. (Off subject but fun fact: Mr. Riggs is the president of business operations at Coeur d’Alene based Pita Pit.)
United States Senator
-Mike Crapo (R) Unopposed. A 0% from NARAL and 0% from Planned Parenthood Action Fund, 100% from National Right to Life, a strong record of protecting the 2nd Amendment, a defender of traditional marriage...and the list goes on. Let’s put this guy back in Washington.
United States Representative - District #1
-Shizandra Fox (D) Ms. Fox is currently from California and apparently will be moving to Idaho if elected…? Unsure on that point. However, a brief perusal of her Facebook page demonstrates she is not a serious candidate and holds many out of the ordinary beliefs.
-Staniela Nikolova (D) Ms. Nikolova lacks positions on key issues such as the proper role of government, the Constitution, the 2nd Amendment and most importantly this issue of life. Her position on healthcare seem to indicate that she does not feel it goes far enough and should not be defunded or repealed.
-James Piotrowski (D) Mr. Piotrowski’s decision to run was based mainly on Representative Labrador calling for Idaho to have control over federal lands within the state. He stated that was the “final straw”. He views Labrador as extreme, which in today’s watered down society of ultra-liberal ideology, I guess you could say he is - extremely Constitutional.
-Isaac Haugen (R) No information on this candidate except that he is also currently from California. Idaho may want to look at that rule.
-Raul Labrador (R) Rep. Labrador is one of the founding members of the Freedom Caucus that was instrumental is outing Speaker Boehner. This group of conservative representatives has been very active and effective in stopping bad legislation. Rep. Labrador is strongly pro-life and pro-2nd Amendment. He understands the role of government and has shown a dedication to his beliefs.
United States Representative - District #2
-Lisa Marie (R) No information on this candidate except that she apparently was planning on running for president. Apparently she decided to lower her sights slightly.
-Mike Simpson (R) Representative Simpson has done an excellent job representing Idaho in D.C. His strong stance on life, the 2nd Amendment are exactly what is generally lacking in our nation’s capitol.
I would be remiss, however if I did not point out his recent vote for the omnibus spending bill that completely funded Obamacare, the refugee program and Planned Parenthood. Patriots across the state were stunned at his vote and sorely disappointed. If there was a better candidate, Mr. Simpson would not be getting my vote. However, sadly in this race there is not another legitimate choice and we can only wait for the next election and, in the meantime, hope that Mr. Simpson learned from his mistake.
I would be remiss, however if I did not point out his recent vote for the omnibus spending bill that completely funded Obamacare, the refugee program and Planned Parenthood. Patriots across the state were stunned at his vote and sorely disappointed. If there was a better candidate, Mr. Simpson would not be getting my vote. However, sadly in this race there is not another legitimate choice and we can only wait for the next election and, in the meantime, hope that Mr. Simpson learned from his mistake.
Idaho Supreme Court Justice
To Succeed: Jim Jones
-Curt McKenzie - Judicial elections can be tough to call since candidates generally steer clear of partisan issues due to the fact that they are required to not run as a member of a certain party. However, “show me your friends and I’ll show you your future” as the saying goes. Mr. McKenzie has received endorsements from Sage Dixon (a strong, conservative constitutionalist), Rush Fulcher, the NRA and (in my opinion, most importantly) Idaho Chooses Life. Mr. McKenzie has made it clear that he understands the Constitution and the proper role of the judiciary is to interpret, not make, law. Mr. McKenzie has served 7 terms in the Idaho Senate, demonstrating that his local constituents who know him best trust and respect him to keep his word.
