COEUR d'ALENE - Larry Spencer lost his bid for county commissioner in the 2012 Republican primary elections, but this year he is guaranteed a spot in the November general election.

The longtime Republican filed Friday as a Democratic candidate for Kootenai County Assessor.

"If you look, you'll probably see about four more of us, who filed as Democrats," Spencer said after filing most of his paperwork. He still has to produce evidence that he has lived at his Hayden address for more than one year.

Tamra Dale, who rode with Spencer to the elections office also filed as a Democratic candidate for Kootenai County Commissioner District 1, but she will face Democrat Bruce Noble in the May 20 primary races.

Dale refused to talk with The Press about her candidacy.

There was a steady stream of candidates flowing through the county elections office on Friday afternoon. In fact, County Elections Manager Carrie Phillips said the candidate filings have been pretty steady all week.

She said candidates are filing for all offices ranging from party precinct committee seats to county commissioner at the local level. Meanwhile they have seen about 10 to 15 people a day changing their party affiliations to vote in the closed Republican primary election.

Larry Berreth filed for Republican precinct 7 committeeman just before the deadline. He said some current central committee members called on him to run.

Gordy Ormesher filed for precinct 15 committeeman in the Democratic party and filed for Kootenai County Treasurer as well.

"It just seemed like the thing to do," he said when asked why he decided to run.

Ormesher will face Democrat Janet Callen in the May 20 primaries.

In fact, every county race has at least one candidate from both parties except for the County Commissioner Jai Nelson's seat, and County Coroner Deb Wilkey's seat. However, they have been challenged in the Republican primaries.

Unless a write-in candidate emerges for the two seats, the winner of the primaries will not be challenged in the November general election.

At the state level, incumbent State Sen. Steve Vick, R-Dalton Gardens, is the only candidate that will not face a challenger in either the primaries or the general election. He will automatically retain his seat unless someone files as a write-in candidate for that seat.

Mary Souza, who made an unsuccessful run for Coeur d'Alene mayor last fall, has filed as a Republican against incumbent State Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene. Unless there is a write-in, that race will be decided in the primaries as well.

In fact, out of the nine state-level races in Kootenai County, only four will currently be challenged in the general election. They include District 4b House seat, which is currently held by incumbent Rep. Kathy Sims, R-Coeur d'Alene, and the District 3 Senate seat that is currently held by incumbent Sen. Bob Nonini, R- Coeur d'Alene, District 4a House seat, which is held by incumbent Rep. Ron Mendive, R-Coeur d'Alene, and the District 2a House seat held by incumbent Rep. Ron Mendive.

The other five state legislative seats will be decided in the May primaries unless they are challenged by write-in candidates. Write-in candidates have until April 4 to file for county offices.

At the party precinct committeeman level, only 25 of the 70 precinct races went uncontested on the Republican ballot, compared to one contested precinct race out of the 21 precinct committee seats that were filled on Friday.

That contested precinct race is between Cheryl Stransky and Norman McCormick for precinct 41.