The IDAHO POLITICAL FIELD GUIDE

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1 The IDAHO POLITICAL FIELD GUIDE 2014 Randy Stapilus Marty Trillhaase RIDENBAUGH PRESS Carlton, Oregon

2 1996 Bill Clinton 165, % Robert Dole 256, % 1992 Bill Clinton 137, % George Bush 202, % 1988 Michael Dukakis 147, % George Bush 253, % 1984 Walter Mondale 108, % Ronald Reagan 297, % 1980 Jimmy Carter 110, % Ronald Reagan 290, % 1976 Jimmy Carter 126, % Gerald Ford 204, % 1972 George McGovern 80, % Richard Nixon 199, % 1968 Hubert Humphrey 89, % Richard Nixon 165, % 1964 Lyndon Johnson 148, % Barry Goldwater 143, % 1960 John Kennedy 138, % Richard Nixon 161, % Counties. A look at the split of counties won by the contenders best focuses on those won by Democrats the shorter list Blaine, Latah Blaine, Latah, Teton Blaine Blaine Blaine, Latah, Nez Perce, Shoshone Benewah, Blaine, Bonner, Clearwater, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, Shoshone Clearwater, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, Shoshone none none Clearwater, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce none Benewah, Clearwater, Lewis, Nez Perce, Shoshone Adams, Bannock, Bear Lake, Benewah, Blaine, Boise, Bonner, Boundary, Butte, Caribou, Clearwater, Elmore, Fremont, Gem, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, Power, Shoshone, Valley, Washington Bannock, Benewah, Blaine, Bonner, Boundary, Butte, Camas, Clearwater, Custer, Elmore, Idaho, Kootenai, Lewis, Nez Perce, Shoshone. In five of the last 10 presidential elections in Idaho, Republicans have won 43 or 44 of the state s 44 counties. On the presidential level, the strongest Democratic/weakest Republican county in recent cycles has been Blaine, though only since the 90s. Precincts (2012 presidential). County Precinct Obama-D Obama % Romney-R Romney % Bingham Fort Hall % % Ada % % Nez Perce Lapwai % % Ada % % Ada % % Ada % % Blaine 009 SW Hailey % % Ada % % Blaine 007 NW Hailey % % 3

3 31 Bonneville % 10.65% 27 Cassia 124 Unity % 11.87% 31 Franklin Clifton-Oxford # % 9.50% 31 Franklin Weston # % 9.46% 31 Franklin Preston # % 10.44% 8

Representative Simpson (2nd from left) at the scene of a wildfire. (photo/office of Representative Simpson) U.S. House 2: Mike Simpson (R) Mike Simpson has had the opportunity to run for governor or senator, and would have been a top contender for either.

4 Representative Simpson (2nd from left) at the scene of a wildfire. (photo/office of Representative Simpson) U.S. House 2: Mike Simpson (R) Mike Simpson has had the opportunity to run for governor or senator, and would have been a top contender for either. He chose to stay in the U.S. House, and he already is one of Idaho s longest timers there. With reelection in 2012 to an eighth term, he exceeds former Representative George Hansen ( , ) and Addison Smith ( ) for length of service in the second district. Among all Idaho U.S. representatives, the longest serving was Republican Burton French (13 terms starting in 1902 and ending in 1930). Simpson eventually could match or surpass that. The politics. The 2 nd district has always had a Republican tilt, though Democrats have occasionally broken in mainly when a Republican incumbent was severely weakened. Democrats held the seat for three terms at the start of the New Deal, and for two when in 1960 Democrat Ralph Harding ousted veteran Hamer Budge. In 1984 Hansen, convicted of campaign finance related felonies, narrowly lost to Democrat Richard Stallings, who held the seat four terms its longest Democratic stretch. When Stallings ran for the Senate (unsuccessfully) in 1992, the seat went Republican, to Mike Crapo. When Crapo ran for the Senate (successfully) in 1998, it went to Simpson. He was not an automatic or anointed choice. A dentist (in a family of dentists), Simpson s political career started with the Blackfoot City Council in In 1984, running for the Idaho House in a Republican district in a strongly Republican year, he won with just 53% of the vote, and was challenged seriously in coming years. But he kept winning re election. He 19

District 9 District 9 (Canyon County (part), Washington, Adams, and Payette County). District 9 contains a portion of Canyon County, Washington County, Adams County, and Payette County.

5 District 9 District 9 (Canyon County (part), Washington, Adams, and Payette County). District 9 contains a portion of Canyon County, Washington County, Adams County, and Payette County. Payette County is bounded on the west by the state of Oregon and does not have sufficient population to constitute one district. Payette County is bordered by both Canyon and Washington Counties. Adams, Washington, and Payette counties lack sufficient population to satisfy the one person one vote requirement requiring that a portion of Canyon County, the only remaining county that is contiguous to Payette County, be combined to create District 9. In dividing Canyon County, the Commission kept communities of interest intact by keeping the cities of Parma whole and including them in this district. Further, Payette County is connected to this portion of Canyon County by two major roadways, Highway 95 and Interstate 84, both major routes of commerce that create communities of interest and commonality throughout the region. District 9 includes 44,559 people with a deviation of -.51% from the ideal district. The side of Idaho facing across to Oregon the edge of it being Hells Canyon country, the inlands being mostly mountainous agricultural and ranch territory has not changed enormously in recent decades. Its population growth has been slow enough to expand the size of its legislative districts, but the area is consistent in its economy and demographics: Older line agriculture, some food processing. And small town stressed by urban pulls and, in the case of Payette especially, by the lack of a sales tax in neighboring Oregon. This is consistent Republican country. Monty Pearce, the senator here since 2002, has from time to time been a controversial figure, but in general elections he has fallen below a landslide win only once, when his opponent was a popular county sheriff. More recently, Pearce has been a key figure in the discussion of oil and gas leases. In March 2012 Senate Democrats asked for an ethics inquiry into Pearce, who for weeks chaired a committee which considered oil and gas rules but 70

6 Senator MARV HAGEDORN, R-Meridian Web: Background: Navy (20 years, intelligence). Business manager. Cofounder, Wyakin Warrior Foundartion. Native of Omak, Washington. University of Maryland, Pensacola Junior College. Political: Appointed to House, January Elected to House 2008, Elected to Senate, Representative MIKE MOYLE, R-Star Web: votemikemoyle.com Background: Agribusiness. Commissioner, Star Fire District. Brigham Young University. Political: Elected to House 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, House majority leader. Representative REED DEMORDAUNT, R-Eagle Web: Background: CEO, Med Management Technology. University of South Carolina, American University (Cairo), Brigham Young University. Political: Elected

BOUNDARY AREA Communities: Bonners Ferry, Moyie Springs, Porthill, Eastport. 1,277 sq. mi. POPULATION 10,972 (26th). Increase 00s: 11.2%. Minority: 7.9%. Hispanic: 3.7%.

7 BOUNDARY AREA Communities: Bonners Ferry, Moyie Springs, Porthill, Eastport. 1,277 sq. mi. POPULATION 10,972 (26th). Increase 00s: 11.2%. Minority: 7.9%. Hispanic: 3.7%. The county named for its location next to an international border and there are two border crossings located here Boundary is a place mainly of timber and farming. If Bonners Ferry has something of a transportation emphasis, this is overall a rural county. Boundary County s case is a little different than some of the other counties which switched from Democratic to Republican dominance as, clearly, it did after (The strongest indication is the change from a courthouse dominated by Democrats to one dominated by Republicans, in just a few cycles.) In a number of other counties, the change was marked by population increase and Democrats, while generally holding on to their earlier voting base, failing to bring in additional Democratic voters (or not enough) while Republicans pick up most of the newcomers. That evidently is not the whole story at Boundary. In 1980 Frank Church set a major office high for Democrats at 1,982 votes; no major office Democrat has come very close to that since (the closest being Cecil Andrus in 1990 but even he did not improve much on his 1986 number here, in contrast to many counties). After 1990 Democratic votes for major offices seldom rose above 1,100, and after 1994 they rarely reached 1,000. (The 2004 spike for John Kerry, at 1,268 votes, was unusually strong.) This means the Democratic vote has seen a raw decline. Republicans have benefited, in addition to that, to as per usual in Idaho picking up most of the votes from newcomers. The Republican presidential vote has in fact grown slightly faster that the increase in population overall. PRECINCTS (7) The Bonners Ferry precinct is the closest to competitive, but not by much; all of these precincts vote similarly Republican. Moyie Springs may be marginally the most Republican. PRESIDENTIAL Like so many other counties that would vote Democratic in Idaho races, Boundary was solidly Republican on the presidential, for a long time. It was among those last to vote for a Democratic president in The closest call since has been in 1992, because of the Perot draw off of Republican votes. Dem % Rep % Total , % 3, % 4, , % 3, % 4, , % 3, % 4, % 2, % 3,

8 2008* % Joy Loesche % % Joy Loesche % % Rusty Parker 1, % Com2 Democrat Republican 2010 Marsha Hiatt % % 2008 Marsha Hiatt 1, % Wendell Johnson % % Lawrence Calkins 1, % % Lawrence Calkins 1, % Com3 Democrat Republican Roy Hubert 1, % % Jerry Nance 1, % 2006 Jerry Heimerdinger % Jerry Nance % % Jerry Nance 1, % *In 2008 commission 1, Loesche narrowly lost to independent Charles Ritter. In 2006, she had beaten him by a similar percentage. Clerk Democrat Republican % Suzanne McConnell % % Liz Kimer % % Liz Kimer % Treasurer Democrat Republican % Cathy Gilbert % % Cathy Gilbert % % Cathy Quiroga % Assessor Democrat Republican % Linda Jones 74.00% % Linda Jones % % Wendell Johnson 72.70% Coroner Democrat Republican % Keith Davis % % Keith Davis % % Keith Davis % Sheriff Democrat Republican Kevin Ellis 87.20% % Kevin Ellis* 48.84% % Kent McBride % Pros Atty Democrat Republican Scott Paul % % Scott Paul % % Scott Paul % *Ellis won over an independent, a Constitition party candidate and a write-in. 236

9 WASHINGTON AREA Communities: Weiser, Cambridge, Midvale. 1,474 sq. mi. POPULATION 10,198 (27th). Increase 00s: 2.2%. Minority: 19.9%. Hispanic: 16.8%. A farm and food processing county that may now be best known for it's nationally praised fiddle festival, Washington County has the look of a settled and stable place, though its rural communities, like those in much of Idaho, have struggled in recent decades. Once truly competitive between the parties, Washington County no longer is, as the once substantial Democratic vote here has shrunk by about a third. Republicans ordinarily win easily countywide; the courthouse has seen no electoral cliffhangers for a few years. There are two courthouse Democrats, but little should read into their success; both are newcomers following in the tracks of veterans. PRECINCTS (11) As in so many counties, there are no truly Democratic or competitive precincts left. Among the Republican precincts, however, four of the five Weiser precincts (2, 3, 4 and 5) are closer to competitive than the rest of the county. (Does the fiddler contest affect that?) The most Republican part of Washington County: Midvale precinct. PRESIDENTIAL Republican on the presidential level since 1964, its percentages usually run to super landslides. Dem % Rep % Total , % 3, % 4, , % 3, % 4, , % 3, % 4, % 2, % 4,055 GOVERNOR After from backing Andrus and Evans in some elections (1974, 1978, 1982, 1990), Washington had had a clear Republican default. Its support of Republican candidates for governor grew in the 00s, as the Democratic raw vote declined. Dem % Rep % Total % 2, % 3, , % 2, % 3, , % 2, % 3,207 COUNTY The days of Democrats holding a third or more of the courthouse offices are long gone. Only occasional Democrats even ran in the 00s, and exception in a sheriff s race, none were competitive. 262

Bylaws of the Idaho Democratic Party

Bylaws of the Idaho Democratic Party idahodems.org/about/bylaws/ These bylaws were submitted from the Idaho Democratic Party Rules and Bylaws Committee and approved by the Idaho Democratic Party State