Bruce Noble (RE: NIC: the next battleground): I think you are premature that NIC is the next battlefield. Several of the Tea Party affiliated candidates have opponents in the General Election. The control of the Kootenai County BOCC will fall to the Tea Party if moderate Republicans and moderate Democrats cannot find common ground and vote for the candidate that will better represent the interests of all Kootenai County residents and provide better solutions to the problems that plague Kootenai County government; lack of leadership and management.

DFO: Good point, Bruce. Democrats have a candidate in all of the county courthouse races except for coroner. You and Jerry Shriner will compete against Dave Stewart and Marc Eberlein for county commissioner. Write-in Democrat Shirley McFadden beat Larry Spencer for the assessor nomination. Former Panhandle Health District director will run against Jim Brannon for clerk. And Janet Callen will face Steve Matheson for county treasurer. Democratic candidates face a long-shot against Tea Party candidates with an R after their name. But they still have provided centrist, Democratic and the majority Unaffiliated voters with a choice.