Woodward, Sauter, Rasor win LD1 seats
CAROLINE LOBSINGER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 week, 1 day AGO
I grew up in the Tri-Cities, Wash., and have always loved to write. I attended the University of Washington, where I earned a double major in journalism and political science, with an area of emphasis in history. I am the fifth out of six kids — don't believe any of the stories that my siblings tell. To be able to tell others stories and take photos for a living is a dream come true — and I considered myself blessed to be a community journalist. When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, hiking and spending time outdoors, genealogy, reading, and watching the UW Huskies and the Seattle Seahawks. I am a servant to my cat, Frankie, who yes, will eat anything and everything in sight … even wedding cookies. | November 7, 2024 1:00 AM
With Boundary County races uncontested, attention at Tuesday's election was focused on state and national races.
Locally, Lester Pinkerton received 5,792 votes to win the Boundary County District 1 commission seat, while Ben Robertson received 6,001 votes to win election to the District 3 county commission seat. Both are Republicans.
Travis Stolley was elected Boundary County sheriff in an uncontested race with 5,954 votes and will replace Dave Kramer in the role. Kramer is retiring at the end of the current term.
Also on the ballot was Boundary County Prosecutor Andrakay Pluid, who received 5,826 votes in an uncontested race to retain her seat.
In the Idaho District 1 U.S. congressional race, Republican incumbent Russ Fulcher received 325,771 votes or 71.2% districtwide and 5,588 votes or 81.3% in Boundary County. Trailing him were Democrat challenger Kaylee Peterson with 115,293 votes districtwide, or 25.2%, and 1,064 votes or 15.49% in Boundary County; Libertarian Matt Loesby, who received or 9,454 votes districtwide, or 2.1%, and 128 votes, or 1.86%, in Boundary County; and Brendan J. Gomez with the Constitution party had 6,841 votes, or 1.5%, districtwide with 91 votes, or 1.32%, in Boundary County.
For state Senate Legislative District 1, Republican Jim Woodward handily defeated independent candidate Daniel “Dan” Rose to return to the seat. Districtwide, Woodward received 23,402 votes, or 76.3%, with 4,976 votes, or 72.49%, in Boundary County; compared to Rose's 7,286 votes, or 23.7%, with 1,888 votes, or 27.51% in Boundary County.
Woodward had held the seat for several terms before losing the seat to Scott Herndon in 2022. Woodward defeated Herndon in the party's May primary to win the right to represent the party in Tuesday's general election.
In the Idaho House of Representatives 1A race, Republican incumbent Mark Sauter defeated Democrat Karen Matthee trailed to win a return to the seat. Districtwide, Sauter received 24,189 votes, or 77.7%, with 5,742, or 85.68%, in Boundary County; compared to Matthee's 6,923 votes, or 22.3%, with 960 votes, or 14.32% in Boundary County.
In the 1B race, Republican Cornel Rasor defeated Democratic challenger Kathryn Larson to win the seat. Districtwide, Rasor received 22,565 votes, or 71.3%, with 5,512 or 80.79%, in Boundary County; compared to Larson's 9,067 votes, or 28.7%, with 1,311 votes, or 19.21% in Boundary County.
A pair of statewide measures had mixed results at the polls with a measure to amend the Idaho Constitution to prohibit anyone not a citizen of the United States from voting in any Idaho election being approved by voters.
The measure received 565,303 "yes" votes, or 64.9%, and 305,156 no votes, or 35.1%, statewide. Boundary County voters also supported the measure with 4,801 "yes" votes, or 69.14%, but only 2,143 "no" votes, or 30.86%.
However, Prop. 1, a measure to revamp Idaho's closed primaries to an open primary with ranked choice voting, found little support among voters with the measure falling statewide, 611,854, or 69.8%, to 265,151, or 30.2%. The measure also failed to win support in Boundary County, receiving 5,710 "no" votes, or 81.48% compared to 1,298 "yes" votes, or 18.52%.