Post Falls Races Shaping Up Hammond May Face 3 Challengers For Mayor

Mayor Jim Hammond may have three challengers in the upcoming Post Falls city elections, although only one is a confirmed candidate.

Deputy Don Kline, the DARE officer for the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department, is gathering signatures to secure a place on the Nov. 7 ballot.

Kline could not be reached for comment Thursday afternoon because he was busy attending school open houses.

Thursday was the first day potential candidates could file with the city clerk. Aside from the mayoral office, the council seats held by Karen Streeter and Scott Grant are also open this year.

Streeter will not run again, saying Thursday, “I think 11 years is long enough.”

Grant has been on the council five years and is eager to serve another four, he said.

“It’s been rewarding,” he said. “The council’s working well as a team. There are some goals we still have.”

Other council candidates include long-time resident and former school board chairman Clay Larkin and Kootenai County Sheriff’s deputy Joe Bodman.

Hammond will be seeking his second full term as mayor. He had considered stepping down because of the time commitment, but changed his mind at the request of friends and acquaintances, he said.

“It isn’t that I need this control,” Hammond said when asked why he’s running for re-election. “It’s that people say I’m doing a good job.”

Hammond’s other potential challengers include Charles “Bob” Kupfer, who ran against Hammond in 1991, and Robert Hunt.

Hunt is a retired U.S. Navy officer who has had two unsuccessful election attempts recently. He was a candidate for the Post Falls school board and the North Idaho College Board of Trustees.

Hunt picked up both mayoral and council application packets, but has not returned either to the city clerk.

Kupfer picked up a mayoral packet, but has not yet returned it.

City Councilman Joe Doellefeld also picked up a mayoral packet, but said he was not planning to run for mayor.

“I wanted to see what the process was,” he said Thursday. He plans to support Hammond, he said.

“We don’t agree on everything, but I think he’s done a tremendous job for the city,” Doellefeld said.

, DataTimes