Brannon, Handeen, Isaacson Chosen

The Kootenai County Republican Central Committee have selected three nominees to the County Commission for their appointment as the next county clerk: Jim Brannon, Bjorn Handeen, and Dean Isaacson. The three, from the hardline conservative wing of the Republican Party, were selected from eight candidates nominated at a special Central Committee meeting tonight. Other nominees were Deputy Clerk Pat Raffee, former Commissioner Rick Currie, former state senator Jim Hammond, Ania Banta, and Reagan Republican founder Jeff Ward. Brannon was the leading vote getter with 31 votes (including 27 first-place votes). Handeen was second with 28 votes, and Isaacson third with 25 votes. Others received the following votes: Ward 17; Raffee and Currie, 14 apiece, Hammond 10, and Banta 3.