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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

State Representative, position B

Election Results

Candidate Votes Pct
Eric Redman (R) 17,735 75.60%
Richard Kohles (D) 5,724 24.40%

* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.

About The Race

First-term Rep. Eric Redman is an ardent Christian conservative who has pushed unsuccessfully to ban Sharia law from being cited in Idaho court decisions. He’s hoping to continue that effort in a second term, and also push for other moves he’s learned about at four national conferences this year and 10 last year, mostly sponsored by conservative groups. Those include calling a convention of the states to amend the U.S. Constitution and add a balanced-budget amendment. Redman says a milestone in his life came when he was “born again” at the age of 38. “It’s been a focus of my life – it changed me,” he said.

His Democratic challenger, Richard Kohles, a Catholic seminary graduate who also has a strong religious background, says Idaho’s GOP-heavy Legislature is “working on ideology rather than on kindness or taking care of the people of Idaho.” He says that’s led to a rigid adherence to shrinking government, rather than “taking care of children, taking care of people who need health care, taking care of people who need jobs in this economy, and taking care of the earth.” Kohles, who’s running in a heavily GOP district, said, “As a Democrat, I can come in and express a different view, and what we need in the Legislature right now is two opposing points of view and compromise.”

The Candidates

Eric Redman

Party:
Republican
Age:
78
City:
Athol, Idaho

Education: Graduated from Palouse High School in Palouse, Wash., in 1964. Entered the Air Force and served four years during the Vietnam era, including service in Thailand, working in computer communications.

Political background: Incumbent state representative, elected in 2014. Seeking re-election to second two-year term.

Work experience: Owned Redman Resort, a marina and resort in Bayview, for four years. Owned a real estate development and construction company, E.M. Redman & Co., for 12 years, with offices in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene. Worked as an insurance agent for Farm Bureau Insurance for five years, then opened Redman & Co. Insurance, operated it for 25 years, before retiring at the end of 2012 and selling the insurance business to his kids. Also serves on the boards for Christian charities Reach America and Highway Evangelism.

Family: Married. Has five grown children, 14 grandchildren

Richard Kohles

Party:
Democratic
Age:
84
City:
Hayden, Idaho

Education: Graduated from St. Joseph’s Seminary in Mountain View, Calif., in 1957. Completed two years of Catholic seminary there in 1959. Holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from St. Patrick’s Seminary.

Political background: Twice elected to the Post Falls School Board; served six years.

Work experience: Taught at the elementary, secondary and college levels for 15 years. Associate broker with Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Reality in Coeur d’Alene for the past 31 years. Past president, Coeur d’Alene Association of Realtors.

Family: Married. Has hree grown children and six grandchildren

Complete Coverage

North Idaho Rep. Redman brings back anti-Sharia bill

A North Idaho representative re-introduced his anti-Sharia law bill Wednesday in the House State Affairs Committee, which agreed on a party-line vote to introduce the measure.

Rep. Redman brings back his anti-Sharia law bill

Rep. Eric Redman, R-Athol, re-introduced his anti-Sharia law bill this morning in the House State Affairs Committee, which agreed on a party-line vote to introduce the measure. “State legislators have a role to play in protecting constitutional rights and American values of liberty and freedom,”…

Barbieri, Redman seek re-election in HD2 races

North Idaho’s Legislative District 2 is among the most conservative in the state, and GOP incumbents Vito Barbieri and Eric Redman are hoping to keep it that way. Both face Democratic challengers in November, with longtime area teacher Kathy Kahn challenging Barbieri, and Richard Kohles, a former Post Falls school board member, challenging Redman.

Races in heavily GOP district feature conservative Idaho Rep. Vito Barbieri

North Idaho’s legislative District 2 is among the most conservative in the state, and GOP incumbents Vito Barbieri and Eric Redman are hoping to keep it that way.

Politics heating up in North Idaho; even ultra-conservative District 2 has contested races

Though many still seem unaware of the upcoming May 17 election, politics are heating up in North Idaho, where there are hot local races and a plethora of contested legislative races. Campaign signs festoon the roadways, and there seem to be candidate forums and debates practically every other day. Today, in the first in my series on contested…

Conservative North Idaho legislator faces challenge from the right

In one of Idaho’s most conservative legislative districts, the seat formerly held by tax-protesting state Rep. Phil Hart has been going through some political evolution.

Eye on Boise: Lawmaker’s anti-Sharia bill draws fire

North Idaho Rep. Eric Redman’s anti-Sharia law bill drew lots of negative comments at a public hearing last week; it’s now awaiting amendments and its fate is uncertain.

Testimony: ‘Terrible idea,’ ‘Harmful to religion,’ ‘Doubt on international adoption’

In testimony this morning on HB 568, the anti-Sharia and foreign law bill: A.J. Ellis of Marsing, who said he’s an evangelical Christian, said, “This bill is a terrible idea for a number of reasons.” He said he was born in Idaho, but has friends…

Redman, at hearing on anti-Sharia law bill, says it’s ‘already overtaken our American courts’

Rep. Eric Redman, R-Athol, is presenting his anti-Sharia law bill, HB 568, in the House State Affairs Committee in a full hearing today. “As all of you, I was elected to represent my citizens in my district,” he said. “We’re talking about foreign laws, but…

North Idaho lawmaker’s first bill targets Sharia law

Rep. Eric Redman, R-Post Falls, introduced his very first bill on Wednesday: A measure seeking to ban recognition of foreign or Shariah law in Idaho courts. The House Ways and Means Committee voted 4-3, along party lines, to introduce the bill; Redman distributed stacks of handouts to the committee including copies of a photo of a severed hand and printouts from websites critical of Islam.

Rep. Redman proposes his first bill, aimed at fending off Shariah law in Idaho courts

Rep. Eric Redman, R-Post Falls, introduced his very first bill this afternoon: A measure seeking to ban recognition of foreign or Shariah law in Idaho courts. The House Ways & Means Committee voted 4-3, along party lines, to introduce the measure; Redman distributed stacks of…