Education Among Year’S Hottest Issues

Thu., May 21, 1998

By Steve Massey stevem@spokesman.com

The yard signs are out.

Pollsters are calling.

And, chances are, your mailbox has been stuffed with pamphlets from candidates begging your vote.

It’s primary election season in Idaho, and voters this year have a lot of choices to make.

Idaho’s struggling schools and a shortage of money to fix them are top voter concerns heading into Tuesday’s vote.

That’s why Democratic and Republican races to fill the state’s highest education job are hotly contested. Six candidates are running to become the next superintendent of public instruction.

In the governor’s race, too, candidates have fought to come up with the best ideas for fixing school problems. Eliminating Idaho’s supermajority requirement to pass school bonds, reducing sales tax exemptions, and increasing the sales tax rate are among the proposals being debated.

The field of candidates gets narrowed this spring and new faces are guaranteed in high-profile positions. Idahoans will have a new governor come November, as well as a new U.S. senator and congressman.

The Idaho Spokesman-Review offers this quick overview of candidates for federal, state, and local offices to help with decision-making at the polls.

The choices are yours. Please take time to vote Tuesday.

Local journalism is essential.

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