SANDPOINT — There are few who have sat on the Sandpoint City Council dais as long as Joel Aispuro, and he’ll be the first to tell you it hasn’t always been easy. 

"Travers Park, for instance, I’d rather go through COVID twice on the City Council than Travers Park. That was brutal,” Aispuro said with a smile. “That experience put me in the hospital with stress ulcers... it was one of the worst times in my life.” 

During that time Aispuro said he fell back on his loved ones and his faith to support him through the immense turbulence. He said that he had serious conversations with those in his life when he was thinking about running for a third term. 

After those conversations, Aispuro said that his choice to run for reelection came down to fulfilling his purpose.  

“I enjoy knowing that a lot of people don’t go to the meetings and then when you see them in the street, you’re able to have those conversations,” Aispuro said. “It’s almost accessibility, like why not me? If I have that opportunity and that gift, then I’m going to use it.”  

Aispuro said he wasn’t always this way; he recalls his high school years where his lack of identity made him feel depressed. He said that it’s still a surprise to even himself that he’s able to speak publicly at all and often jokes with his high school speech teacher. 

It wasn’t until Aispuro attended a football clinic with former Seattle Seahawks star Shaun Alexander, that he said he found his purpose. Aispuro said that Alexander took him in and helped him find a path forward through Christianity.  

"It wasn’t that he was famous that I was starstruck. It was the fact that someone who was famous would pay attention to someone like me,” Aispuro said. “That changed the course of my life and my faith, and it gave me a purpose in life.”  

Once Aispuro said he found his confidence, he dug into history which drove him to the realization that he could make a difference in his local community. He said he was inspired by the sacrifices made by figures throughout history across the political spectrum.  

“In that moment it struck me, I guess you could say how selfish I was living my life,” Aispuro said. “I wasn’t raised in politics, I wasn’t raised in religion, so coming as a clean slate was a very unique experience for me.” 

That aspect of giving stuck with Aispuro and it’s something that he said he tries to spread across the community.  

“Go to the meetings and as boring as most of them are, go,” Aispuro said. “If you want to be involved, you have to make a sacrifice.” 

Aispuro is seeking reelection for a third term on the Sandpoint City Council during the election Nov. 4. There are three seats available, which will go to the three candidates with the most votes. His name will appear alongside Rick Howarth, Joe Tate and Joshua Torrez.