COEUR d’ALENE — The Kootenai County Democratic Central Committee won’t donate to the election challenge fund.

That answer came Thursday from its chair, Thom George, in response to the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee’s request that its counterpart donate to the fund since the Republicans did.

“All the evidence proves this was a close election that was conducted fairly, honestly and legally,” George said in an e-mail to The Press declining the donation request. “It is a shame that a small, extreme fringe that has recently taken over the Republican Party in Kootenai County would involve themselves in this way.”

George did not specify what he meant by the fringe, but several political observers have said the conservative group Rally Right has had growing influence recently in the party.

On Tuesday, KCRCC agreed to donate $2,500 in support of Seat 2 City Council candidate Jim Brannon’s courtroom challenge of last year’s general election.

The committee said the issue at hand — ensuring whether proper votes were cast and counted — was a nonpartisan issue that affects all voters regardless of party line.

In a press release it issued on Thursday, it asked the KCDCC “to demonstrate and [sic] equal commitment to honest elections by matching our donation to ensure our fellow Americans their voting rights, regardless of party affiliation.”

The Republican committee said it would be disingenuous to imply that it would not prefer that Brannon is victorious, but “This is not a partisan issue. This is an American issue.”

George said that isn’t how the Democratic side sees it. He said it was fair election where politics should be left on the sideline.

The City Council race is a nonpartisan race. And the $2,500 was raised at the committee’s Lincoln Day fundraiser back in February, with proceeds reserved to endorse Republican candidates in either the general or primary elections.

Brannon, also a committee member, is in neither. He is in a legal battle for the Seat 2 race with incumbent Mike Kennedy set for trial Sept. 13.