SANDPOINT — Local general contractor Jeff Roberts has announced his intent to challenge Asia Williams for the Bonner County Commissioner District 2 seat.  

Roberts said there were a handful of factors behind his decision to run, including restoring professional leadership, defending property rights and maintaining responsible and effective management. While new to county government, Roberts has served as a Republican precinct committee person in 2008 and held leadership roles in grassroots liberty organizations.  

“It wasn’t until I really started talking with other citizens in the community, some in my patriot circle, Republicans, county employees, that I realized just how much enthusiasm there is for a District 2 commissioner option on the May 19 ballot,” Roberts said. “So, I just really want to do my part to maintain the culture here in Bonner County, making sure it doesn’t go the direction that we’ve seen Oregon, Washington, California go, where government just gets out of control.” 

Roberts said that the need for professionalism is a driving force behind his campaign, where he said that the past six years have damaged the confidence of county residents and county employees. Roberts said a lack of transparency was concerning to the community, citing a March 2025 emergency amendment to a meeting’s agenda that placed a temporary moratorium on minor land divisions.  

“I think it’s damaged the confidence that people have in the commissioner’s office, and I think it’s damaged the confidence that the employees of the county have in that office as well,” Roberts said. “I think that’s driven a lot of enthusiasm for my campaign, bringing some professionalism, some class and decorum to the commissioner’s office, where we really conduct ourselves like statesmen and show mutual respect to the citizens, commissioners and county employees.”  

Roberts said his experience as a business owner and general contractor has also allowed him to be fiscally responsible, relating the roles of the commissioner’s office to that of working with a customer — defining a scope of work, a budget, a schedule, collaborating with qualified workers and executing the contract.  

“It’s very similar to what the commissioner’s office does; you’ve got statutory obligations to the Idaho Constitution to run close to 20 departments and work with specialized department heads,” Roberts said. “You work within your budget and you execute those responsibilities.” 

Roberts also indicated that being intentional about maintaining government at a county level based on statutory requirements was important to him, stating that government tends to “drift out of bounds,” becoming unsustainable.  

Native to North Idaho, Roberts first moved to Bonner County in 1990, ultimately moving his family to the area in 2019 after building civil construction projects across the Northwest. Roberts said his passion for volunteering stemmed from the county’s volunteer-heavy community.  

Roberts said he was a signature gatherer while living in southwest Oregon, helping to establish the Constitution Party so that he could “vote my conscience when the Republican platform didn't meet the values” he had.  

An evangelical Christian and advocate for constitutional liberty, Roberts said the move back to North Idaho was purposeful as his family aimed to “live free, raise their family in a conservative rural area” and to help protect Bonner County’s “exceptional values.” 

Robert’s name will appear on the ballot during the May 19 primary elections, challenging Asia Williams for the District 2 commissioner seat for Bonner County.