Here's a news item from The Associated Press: MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) — A proposed settlement between the University of Idaho and 268 former employees over changes to their insurance benefits could finish a long-simmering legal fight between the two sides. The retirees filed a notice…
Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden has reached a settlement with two prescription drug manufacturers that requires them to pay Idaho more than $1.2 million in a dispute over how much they charged Idaho Medicaid for drugs based on published average wholesale prices. “Where published prices…
GOP gubernatorial candidate Rex Rammell, the former elk rancher and militia movement backer whose campaign trademark this year was a giant inflatable T-Rex he towed behind his brightly decorated campaign RV, took 26 percent of the vote to incumbent Gov. Butch Otter's 54.6 percent in…
Here's a link to my day-after story on the primary election, in which everything from tea party activism to social media hijinks contributed to a shakeup for the GOP, from the defeat of six sitting Republican lawmakers to the upset in the congressional race. Idaho…
Lucas Baumbach, the Boise Republican legislative candidate who created the video mash-up juxtaposing phrases from speeches by Vaughn Ward and Barack Obama, calls himself a "RINO hunter" and a "Tea Party activist" and is blunt about why he created the mash-up: Because he supported Raul…
1st District GOP congressional nominee Raul Labrador, asked by Eye on Boise about the impact of the video mash-up of speeches by opponent Vaughn Ward and Barack Obama that circulated widely online for the last few days before the election and was featured on the…
Candidate Vaughn Ward had this to say today about his unsuccessful run for the 1st Congressional District seat: "I'm very proud of everything that happened with this race, the campaign, the people that were part of this race, the volunteers we've had throughout this entire…
Raul Labrador, the victor in the 1st Congressional District GOP primary last night, had this to say about his opponent Vaughn Ward at the GOP rally today: "Yesterday we were divided as a party, we were divided supporting different candidates. But today we are all…
Idaho Republicans gathered on the Statehouse steps for their traditional "unity" rally after yesterday's primary election, including the turbulent 1st District congressional race. Here, the candidates, including Vaughn Ward, top right, listen to Gov. Butch Otter, who said, "Obviously our party had all the action."…
Here's a link to the final, unofficial statewide results from the Secretary of State for yesterday's primary election. Of interest: Six legislative incumbents lost to their challengers in the GOP primary: Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake; Sen. Lee Heinrich, R-Cascade; Rep. Steve Kren, R-Nampa; Rep.…
State Rep. Raul Labrador issued this statement this morning after his upset victory late last night in the GOP primary for the 1st CD. Unofficial final results show Labrador winning with 47.6 percent of the vote to 38.9 percent for Vaughn Ward. “I’ve received a…
The Associated Press has called the 1st District congressional race - well after midnight Boise time - and declared Raul Labrador the winner. With 89 percent of precincts reporting, Labrador led with 46 percent, to 40 percent for rival Vaughn Ward.
Idaho GOP Chairman Norm Semanko says his party will come together no matter which candidate wins the hard-fought congressional primary between Raul Labrador and Vaughn Ward; the latest results, with 89 percent of precincts reporting, show Labrador with 46 percent to 40 percent for Ward.…
Gov. Butch Otter was very much in evidence throughout the evening at the GOP election night gathering tonight, as both he and First Lady Lori Otter celebrated with supporters, posed for pictures and more. When he took the podium to accept his party's nomination, he…
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keith Allred held a different kind of election-night gathering tonight - he and volunteers gathered at his campaign headquarters, where they stuffed envelopes, fielded calls and worked on a mailing and other projects. Longtime Democratic activist Betty Richardson said it was the…
With 509 of 936 precincts reporting, Gov. Butch Otter, who's already been declared the winner of the GOP gubernatorial primary, had 55 percent. Here's how his five challengers did: Rex Rammell, 25.2 percent; Sharon Ullman, 8 percent; Ron "Pete" Peterson, 5.7 percent; and both Walt…
The contentious race for the GOP nomination for North Idaho's seat in Congress is going down to the wire tonight, as Idaho voters held a typically low-turnout primary election with big consequences; you can read my full story here at spokesman.com. Up and down the…
On the Tonight Show with Jay Leno tonight, Leno played the entire video mashup that juxtaposes clips of Barack Obama's 2004 Democratic national convention speech with similar turns of phrase in a speech by Idaho GOP congressional candidate Vaughn Ward at the Idaho state capitol…
Congressional candidate Vaughn Ward has finally arrived at the GOP headquarters gathering, just after 10:30 Boise time. The latest results, with just 22 percent of the vote counted, show Labrador leading Ward, 44 percent to 42 percent. At this point, this race is too close…
The Associated Press has now declared Keith Allred the winner of the Democratic gubernatorial primary, defeating Lee Chaney Sr., and Lt. Gov. Brad Little victorious in the GOP primary, defeating two challengers.
While GOP candidates including congressional hopeful Raul Labrador, Gov. Butch Otter, state Treasurer Ron Crane, Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, Controller Donna Jones, gubernatorial hopeful Rex Rammell, and even former U.S. Sen. Larry Craig have been mingling with the crowd at the GOP election-night headquarters at…
The first few election results are in, and the Associated Press has called the U.S. Senate GOP primary in favor of the incumbent, Sen. Mike Crapo, who had about 80 percent of the vote over Claude "Skip" Davis in early results. Ada County also has…
Idaho Secretary of State Ben Ysursa has made his victory speech - he was unopposed in the GOP primary. "I've been on pins and needles all night," Ysursa joked, joined by his wife Penny. Asked about the turnout in today's primary election, Ysursa said, "We…
Congressional candidate Raul Labrador is happily visiting with supporters tonight at the Doubletree Riverside, where Republicans are gathering to watch the election-night results. "I think we've done a great job," Labrador said. "We had such limited fundraising but as you can tell, we had a…
With the polls just moments away from closing in Boise, and a little over an hour from closing in North Idaho, here's some food for thought: Were many of the people you saw voting at your polling place older folks, 50-plus? Prompting the question: The…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
