The only Democratic legislative primary in northern Idaho pits an energetic tribal councilor, Paulette Jordan, against James Stivers, a multifaceted former Republican pastor.

The winner of the May 15 primary will challenge Moscow real estate agent Cindy Agidius for the 5th Legislative District House A seat being vacated by Rep. Tom Trail.

Although he's running as a Democrat and supports the party's call for ethics reforms and economic development, Stivers' political views are not easily categorized.

The De Smet painting contractor describes himself as a fiscal conservative and social libertarian. He ran as a Republican in the 2010 District 2 Senate race, supported Ron Paul in the 2008 presidential election, and admires perennial also-ran Ralph Nader.

"For many years I was a member of what was called the religious right," Stivers said. "But my political views evolved during the '90s. I became a more progressive thinker in terms of politics and the economy."

For example, while conservative Republicans see the gold standard as an economic cure-all and "almost a religious dogma," Stivers said, greater benefits might come from creating a state bank, similar to what North Dakota has done.

"Right now, the state deposits its revenue collections in private banks," he said. "The banks invest that money in derivatives or in factories in China. They don't reinvest it in Idaho. That's the problem - we need to put Idaho first."

Stivers thinks the $36 million tax cut approved by lawmakers this year was "imprudent" and more money should have gone into savings. And if the state wants to maintain a viable public sector, he said, there's little room for more budget cuts.

"We can't go down the road of privatizing everything, because then only the wealthy get ahead," Stivers said. "Our founding fathers believed in a strong public sector ... so the common man could bind together and create the public institutions needed to keep things fair and equal for everyone."

Jordan, who serves as enrollment director for the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, said treating everyone fairly and equally "is a big part of being a Democrat."

She's running for office to provide a voice for people who haven't been heard and to restore some of the balance lost in recent years.

"There's no real dialogue (in the Legislature)," Jordan said. "Democrats are speaking up for education, health care, transportation, but their voices aren't being heard. Which is a shame, because they have some good ideas."

For example, Democrats proposed a series of ethical reforms this session, including the formation of an independent ethics commission and new financial disclosure requirements. Republicans only agreed to some minor procedural changes - including one that added more secrecy to the process.

"I don't understand why anyone wouldn't want things out in the open," Jordan said. "Full disclosure is about being honest. That's what integrity is. If you have strong values, stand behind them."

She sees similar shortcomings when it comes to education and health care. Education is one of the state's top priorities, she said, yet lawmakers are trying to replace teachers with laptops and driving up the cost of higher education.

"Republicans tend to think less government is better, but if you take government away it takes away jobs and opportunities," Jordan said. "Less government isn't the answer. If the population is growing, government has to grow with it" or the level of services will decline.

She'd like to see a more active government when it comes to safety and prevention, one more willing to step in and protect the public. For example, she'd be willing to ban the manufacture and sale of microwave ovens because of health concerns.

"People should have the right to choose," Jordan said. "But if the government feels something is unsafe or unethical - particularly if it's a health-related matter - should it let people do it on their own? I'm OK with us banning something that hurts people. Otherwise we end up paying for it with tax dollars."

Jordan said her strong values and strong voice make her a good fit for District 5, which includes Benewah County and Latah County.

"I was raised by this community," she said. "I'm ready to step forward and give back. We have an opportunity to stand strong and move forward."

Stivers said Jordan was "a good, honest person" who he could readily support, but ultimately he believes he would be a more effective choice.

"I don't think Paulette could go head-to-head and debate with the conservatives the way I could," he said. "I know many of the players. I can talk their language. I think that's what I have to offer."

Source: Associated Press