‘Tis the season

In Coeur d’Alene, the first signs of spring are the usual robins, primroses, out-of-state visitors driving the wrong way along one-way Third and Fourth streets, and a newcomer that keeps arriving earlier each year: political yard signs.

Republican Rich Piazza, a Kootenai County commissioner candidate, was the early bird this year, posting his red-and-white signs around town first, ahead of small yellow ones placed by supporters of the Coeur d’Alene School District construction levy.

No one can blame voters for rolling their eyes when the first yard signs sprout from neighbors’ lawns. After all, campaigns are beginning so early any more that this country is rapidly approaching never-ending election cycles. At the federal level, a half-dozen Idaho Republicans have been jockeying for position in the wide-open race for Rep. Butch Otter’s congressional seat since December 2004, when Otter announced that he would run for the top executive post being vacated by Gov. Dirk Kempthorne. The campaigns by Otter and Democratic front-runner Jerry Brady overlapped Idaho’s 2005 city elections.

Yet voters shouldn’t yield to temptation to tune out the candidates seeking their votes this early. The general election is seven months away, but in reality, a good number of elections at the federal, state and local levels will be decided in May’s Republican primaries.

In the 2004 general election, for example, no Democrat opposed the three Republican candidates running for Hayden-area legislative seats or the Republicans running for two Kootenai County commissioner seats.

In other words, North Idaho voters should pay attention now, because the unofficial election for many seats in their region is only 21/2 months away.

Fortunately, Kootenai County and North Idaho voters will have many reasons to follow this spring’s campaign, besides the horse race for Congress and Otter’s bid to grab the governor’s seat that has eluded him during his many years as a lieutenant governor and congressman.

At the state level, Coeur d’Alene High School Principal Steve Casey has picked up key endorsements in his effort to become third straight Panhandle resident to hold the state superintendent of schools office.

Fellow Kootenai County educator Republican Anne Fox, a former Post Falls school administrator, held the office for four controversial years before losing a re-election bid to Moscow Democrat Marilyn Howard, the current officeholder, who will step down at the end of her second term.

At the legislative level, Post Falls City Administrator Jim Hammond created a buzz at a March 4 legislative town meeting in Post Falls when he announced he would seek the Senate District 5 seat held by retiring Sen. Dick Compton, R-Coeur d’Alene.

Also, former Republican legislators Wayne Meyer and Kent Bailey plan to challenge Republican incumbents in District 3 races in northern Kootenai County.

Both Republican county commissioners seeking re-election will face primary challenges, too.

Those not interested in any of these races can find consolation in another political event that’s coming soon – the start of the 2008 presidential campaign.