CLARK FORK — Recently elected Clark Fork Republican committeeman Jensen Heisel is facing a residency challenge by Scott Herndon, raising questions about his ability to hold the seat.  

Herndon told the Daily Bee that information about Heisel’s residency potentially falling outside the Clark Fork precinct recently came to light, prompting the challenge.   

According to Bonner County Assessor records, Heisel owns a 0.176-acre residential lot on Ninth Avenue in Clark Fork with a single-story home on it. In his candidate filing, which the Daily Bee obtained, Heisel uses the same address on Ninth Avenue, listed in the assessor's records, as his residency.  

Herndon said in his challenge, submitted to the Bonner County Clerk’s Office on May 22, that the address listed on his candidate filing was put up for rent by Heisel in September 2024. Heisel confirmed to the Daily Bee that he does rent that property, but that it’s the address on his driver’s license, and the property is in his possession.  

Additionally, in the challenge, Herndon cites a business filing with the Secretary of State where Heisel changed his listed physical address to one on Rapid Lightning Road, which would place him in the Goose Creek Precinct, not the Clark Fork Precinct. Heisel said that the address is that of his mother-in-law.  

According to Department of Motor Vehicles records, Heisel lists his address on First Avenue in Clark Fork, which belongs to his parents and is where he said he keeps his personal belongings and furniture.  

“I strongly disagree with this challenge. Clark Fork is my home, my community, and the place where I have lived, voted and built my life,” Heisel said in a social media post. “This is bigger than one office. It is about whether the voters of Clark Fork will be respected or pushed aside by political games.”  

Under Idaho law, all candidates for precinct committeemen must be a “qualified elector,” which is defined as a person over the age of 18 and who has resided in the state or county for at least six months prior to the date of the election. Idaho Code defines a residence as the primary home of the person, to which a person has the “present intention” of returning to after a departure.  

Heisel won the Republican precinct committeeman seat for the Clark Fork precinct in the May 19 primary election by gathering 54.11% of the vote and beating the incumbent Dimitry Borisov. In his statement to the Daily Bee, Herndon said the office is one of a political party, not a public office, and that the committee has the authority to verify if elected candidates meet the qualifications laid out in state law.

“This challenge is not about overturning an election,” Herndon said in an email statement. “It is about whether a candidate meets the qualifications that Idaho law requires before he can be seated. These concerns were brought to the committee by non-members, and it would be irresponsible of us not to address them.”  

Herndon said the issue of Heisel’s residency goes beyond his candidacy. He said the situation has been referred to the Bonner County Prosecutor's office, as a false voter registration can constitute felony perjury.   

In his response to the challenge, Heisel said he has acted in good faith throughout the voter registration and filing process and requested that the challenge be denied.  

Heisel invited residents to the Bonner County Republican Central Committee’s reorganization meeting on Friday at 6:30 p.m., in his social media post. Herndon said while all registered Republicans can attend the meeting, the decision on Heisel being able to hold the seat will be made in a closed executive session.  

“Mr. Heisel will be given a fair hearing. The committee will make its determination based on the evidence and the law,” Herndon said in the written statement.