Secretary of State
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Eye on Boise: Low turnouts fuel incumbent losses in primary
BOISE – Widely varying turnout around the state meant that of the six legislative incumbents defeated in the May 20 primary, two were turned out of office by just tiny slices of the electorates in their districts. The lowest-turnout races that dumped incumbents were in North Idaho. Longtime Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d’Alene, the Senate Education Committee chairman, was defeated by activist Mary Souza with just 3,440 people casting ballots, or 15 percent of registered voters. Freshman Rep. Ed Morse, R-Hayden, was beaten by Eric Redman with 4,736 people voting, or 18.5 percent of the registered voters in the district.
Final vote tallies mirror early ones
The final numbers are in on Idaho’s May 20 primary election, and they’re virtually unchanged from the unofficial election-night totals. Results certified by the state Board of Canvassers, which includes Idaho Secretary of State Ben Ysursa, state Controller Brandon Woolf and state Treasurer Ron Crane, show just a 28-vote difference in the total number of votes cast for governor, coming in at 180,948, down just a hair from the election-night total of 180,976. No results changed.
Eye on Boise: Attorney general hopeful’s loss is win enough for Bistline
BOISE – Now that Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden has handily defeated GOP primary challenger C.T. “Chris” Troupis, the Democratic candidate for attorney general, Boise attorney Bruce Bistline, says he no longer plans to campaign for the post. “I filed on the last day,” Bistline told Eye on Boise. “I detest the fact that that kind of a decision, between Troupis and Wasden, could be made during the Republican primary with no alternative for the voters who are not part of the closed Republican primary. And while I would probably never have bothered to run against Wasden, because my differences with him are fairly nominal, my differences with Troupis are legion. I saw no alternative but to file to provide a choice in the general election, in the event that Troupis won the primary.”
3 opponents take Phil McGrane to task
BOISE – Among the four GOP candidates facing off for the chance to become Idaho’s next secretary of state, the three with elective office experience made it clear in a televised debate Tuesday night that they see the fourth, who has none, as the front-runner. Former House Speaker Lawerence Denney and former state Sens. Evan Frasure and Mitch Toryanski heaped criticism on chief deputy Ada County Clerk Phil McGrane, the youngest candidate in the race and the one who’s been endorsed by retiring Secretary of State Ben Ysursa and many of Idaho’s 44 county clerks.
Idaho House kills bill to circumvent EPA
BOISE – Idaho’s House of Representatives has dumped a bill that attempted to nullify the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory authority in the state, acknowledging the bill is likely unconstitutional. The bill, however, “shows the level of frustration that many of our constituents have and feel about not only the EPA but many of the federal agencies as well,” said House Resources Committee Chairman Lawerence Denney, R-Midvale.
Eye on Boise: Lawmakers name stand-ins while campaigning
Two legislators who are running for statewide office missed most or all of the past week of lawmaking, appointing subs to serve for them while they campaigned. Rep. Lawerence Denney, R-Midvale, who is running for secretary of state, named Howard Rynearson, of Payette, who is running for Denney’s seat, as a substitute for him in the House through Monday.
Betsy Z. Russell: Secretary of state candidates gain GOP endorsements
BOISE – It’s become something of an endorsement war lately among the GOP candidates for Idaho secretary of state, with Mitch Toryanski introducing Freda Cenarrusa, widow of longtime Secretary of State Pete Cenarrusa, as his campaign chair; Evan Frasure touting endorsements from an array of lawmakers topped by Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis; and Lawerence Denney naming three honorary campaign chairmen.
Eye on Boise: Crapo’s injuries draw attention in Washington, D.C.
BOISE – Idaho U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo drew some second looks in Washington, D.C., last week, but not necessarily because of his comments in the Senate. Instead, it was the rather dramatic facial injury he’s sporting, including a V-shaped bruise on his cheek that extends across a good portion of the side of his face. “He took a fall while moving furniture at his Idaho Falls home the day after Thanksgiving,” reported Crapo’s press secretary, Lindsay Nothern. “Took some stitches to close – left a bruise, but he’s healing OK.”