State Senate Races Go To Tried And True Boatright, Kellogg Head For Victories In Primary

Voters were sticking with familiar names and faces in District 2 legislative races, judging from partial election results Tuesday night.

And in the race for a House seat in neighboring District 3, Republican voters were leaning heavily toward businessman Jim Clark as their preferred candidate to take on veteran House Democrat Marvin Vandenberg in the November election.

District 2 Senate

In a close District 2 Senate race, 65-year-old Clyde Boatright was clearing the first hurdle to keep the seat he won two years ago.

With 23 of 52 precincts reporting, Boatright had about 46 percent of the vote in the three-way primary race.

Tom Daugherty, 37, who championed family issues and questioned Boatright’s leadership abilities, enjoyed an early lead before the results turned against him. Once half the precincts were counted, Daugherty had dropped behind with only 40 percent of the vote.

Trailing in third place was 25-year-old Ian James. The two underdogs had to rely on their own resources largely to finance their campaigns, while Boatright enjoyed the support of business political action committees and individuals.

If Boatright wins, he will take on Teamsters Union business representative Larry Kenck in the November election.

District 2 House

House veteran Hilde Kellogg, 77, will serve her 7th term next year, barring a miracle in last-minute ballot counting for 25-year-old underdog Jay Jump.

With the partial results in, Kellogg had cornered two-thirds of the vote.

Although the two candidates are very close politically, Jump, a Gonzaga Law School student and relative newcomer to Idaho, could not match Kellogg’s name recognition or her experience.

He also had nowhere near Kellogg’s campaign war chest. Kellogg was one of the top North Idaho fundraisers, with more than $7,000 by the first reporting period. Jump had raised a mere $50.

No Democrat filed to challenge Kellogg in the November election.

District 3 House

Clark appeared to have a clear lead over Curtis Ellis, with 64 percent of the vote.

Both candidates are businessmen and staunch conservatives. They differed more in their legislative interests.

Ellis, 33, favored social issues while Clark, 52, focused almost exclusively on state financial issues.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Color Photos