Following is a 5-Q interview that I just conducted with Councilman Mike Kennedy in the aftermath of his huge win in the Brannon election lawsuit Tuesday:

• DFO: How does it feel to finally have this burden lifted?
• Mike Kennedy: Relief, is the simple answer. I've been doing the job, so there isn't anything different at all. I've had a number of people congratulate me for winning the election again.
• DFO: At this point, are you planning to try to recoup your legal costs & court fees?
• Mike Kennedy: Yes. I don't know the full process. I haven't talked to my attorneys about it. I assume we'll do that. I haven't seen final numbers (re: legal costs) but I think, including everything, the number $60,000 is in the range. I'm not entertaining the idea of auctioning off any of my children to pay the legal bills.
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• DFO: Do you expect Brannon to appeal this to the Idaho Supreme Court?
• Mike Kennedy: I hope he doesn't because there's just going to be more costs to taxpayers because everything that has happened has included city and county attorneys. It has been a major cost and a major distraction. Someone has said this is becoming a very expensive audit of the election process. They spent 10 months poring into every way to get this election overturn, and the judge said it was a well run election.
• DFO: Does this election result also vindicate Dan English?
• Mike Kennedy: Completely and totally. Dan and Deedie (Beard) are without a doubt two of the most honest public officials I've ever known. Dan was subjected to a lot of unfair criticism. But he can take it and he was vindicated. Anyone who has ever worked with Deedie Beard knows she has absolutely nothing but highest degree of integrity. When she told me the day after the election that everything was done fairly, I haven't had any doubts since.
• DFO: What do you say to Brannon supporters who still today are claiming the election result and the judge's decision were wrong?
• Mike Kennedy: I don't think they're able to be reasoned with on this topic. This election has been looked at in every which way, via private investigators, lawyers, and the attorney general. Nothing can be done to pacify these people, to say that this was a well-run election. So I'm not going to waste time doing it.