State Senate District 5
Dick Compton
Republican, incumbent
Age: 71
Personal: Married to Janette, three grown children: Rick (deceased), Debra and Cindy. Five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Served in the Idaho National Guard for two years.
Education: Graduated from Spirit Lake High School in 1951. North Idaho Jr. College graduate. Bachelor’s degree in business and economics from Gonzaga University in 1956. Graduated from a Harvard University business class for IBM employees.
Professional: Retired after 32 years with IBM.
Political: Elected to the Idaho Senate in 2001. Kootenai County commissioner, 1995-2001.
Key issues: Funding education: Have to provide enough money for education, including colleges and universities. Property tax relief: Working on a bill to defer property tax increases for longtime residents. Water: Must resolve water issues in southern Idaho because that will drive a lot of other decisions in the state. But North Idaho must have its water issues included in any discussion, such as funding the Spokane Valley/Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer study.
Money raised/spent: $17,788/ $4,170 as of Sept. 30.
Top contributors: Idaho Committee on Hospitality and Sports, $1,000; Senate Republican PAC, $350; Idaho Medical PAC, $400; Anheuser-Busch, $250; Eli Lilly Co., $250.
Quote: “Providing enough money for education and funding our social responsibilities are going to be top issues. We need to provide money for higher education and balance the budget. It’s going to be a tough financial year and we need the most creativity and imagination that we can get.”
Key influence: Wife, a Gonzaga advisor and a few IBM mentors
Favorite book: Alexander Hamilton by Rob Chernow
First priority if elected: To try and do no harm. Always represent North Idaho with a strong voice at Legislature. And to represent in a professional and ethical manner.
E-mail: djcomp1@msn.com
Ian Stenseng
Democrat
Age: 24
Personal: Single, no children. Grew up in Olympia. Relatives homesteaded in the Clark Fork area of Bonner County.
Education: Graduated from William Winlock Miller Sr. High School (Olympia) in 1998. Bachelor’s degree in digital media from Evergreen State College (Olympia), 2002.
Professional: Currently works for imPro, an independent media production firm in Spokane. Previously did freelance graphic design and medial production.
Political: First run for public office. Lifelong involvement in Democratic politics, coming from a “good union family.” Volunteered on numerous political campaigns.
Key issues: Living wage jobs: We don’t get living wage jobs by pandering to special interests. With innovative thinking we can work to provide incentives to bring new jobs and industry to Idaho, including high-tech and bio-medical jobs. Tax breaks for small businesses is one idea but there are lots of other incentives such as good roads, quality of life, hospitals, schools. Affordable, quality health care: Need to sit down and work with employers to figure out a way to get people affordable health care.
Money raised/spent: $3,647/$3,364 as of Sept. 30.
Top contributors: William Kersting, Hayden Lake, $350; IBEW Local 77 PAC of Seattle, $200; Three $100 donations from Jerry Shriner of Coeur d’Alene, William Kersting of Hayden Lake and Jeanne Batson of Worley.
Quote: “There’s a lack of balance and representation in the Legislature. I’m running to support and represent people my age, who are looking to get started in life, get married and buy homes. We can’t do it in North Idaho right now. I myself don’t have health insurance and I work in Spokane.”
Key influence: Howard Dean
Favorite book: Go East, Young Man: The Early Years by William O. Douglas
First priority if elected: Getting the lay of the land and figuring out the best way I can use the access I have to serve the people of North Idaho.
Website: www.ianstenseng.com