Pend Oreille County Voters Have Crowded Primary Ballot Only Prosecutor, District Court Judge Running Unopposed

From the story “Mud flies freely in sheriff’s race,” September 12, 1998, page B3: In other Pend Oreille County elections, incumbent Auditor Ann Swenson or fellow Democrat Sandi Lewis will face Republican Kathy Crisp. Crisp, a veteran of banking management, was nominated by her party after the filing period closed. A story Friday failed to note her candidacy.

All the Pend Oreille County residents who aren’t running for sheriff seem to be running for some other county office.

Republicans Mitch Brown and Jim Wise are competing for the right to oppose incumbent Democratic County Commissioner Joel Jacobsen. Similarly, Democrats John Bockemuehl, Rose Henderson and Helen Keane are jockeying to run against Republican Fawn Opp in the Nov. 3 general election to replace retiring Superior Court Clerk Winnie Sundseth.

Barring a write-in campaign, the auditor’s election will be decided by the Democratic primary race between incumbent Ann Swenson and Sandi Lewis.

Incumbent Democratic Assessor Steve Thompson and Republican William Lands will take their contest straight to the general election. So will Republican Paul Murray Jr. and Democrat Charlotte Demlow, who seek to replace retiring Treasurer Betty Verbrugge.

Only Prosecutor Tom Metzger and District Court Judge Chuck Baechler are completely unopposed.

The five candidates for sheriff will be profiled Saturday. Here is a look at the others:

County commissioner

Jim Wise, 65, is a 911 dispatcher and has operated a gymnastics school in Newport with his wife and daughter for 15 years. Previously, he worked in insurance and sales management and spent 25 years in the Army and Army Reserves, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. Wise has a degree in business from Idaho State University. He wants to overhaul county spending and curb tax increases.

Mitch Brown, 45, has operated a muffler shop in Oldtown, Idaho, for 15 years. He is past president of the Newport-Oldtown Chamber of Commerce and the Pend Oreille County Republican Party. As commissioner, his top priority is to reduce government regulation. He also wants to correct accounting problems cited by state auditors.

Superior Court clerk

Helen Keane, 61, has been a deputy in the county auditor’s office since March 1997. She has held a number of executive secretarial, clerical and bookkeeping positions. She has run unsuccessfully for hospital and public utility district commissioner positions. As clerk, Keane wants to introduce document scanners, hire a third deputy and improve strained relations with other judicial departments.

Rose Henderson, 46, was a non-commissioned deputy who handled civil law issues for the county sheriff’s office from 1992-95. Henderson previously was a Pend Oreille sheriff’s dispatcher and held county and hospital clerical, emergency services and supervisory positions in Greeley, Colo.

John Bockemuehl, who will turn 55 on Election Day, manages family properties with his brother. Bockemuehl was an Alaska state trooper for five years, and worked about five years as office manager for Impact Ministries in Redmond, Wash. He ran unsuccessfully for sheriff in 1982, and wants to promote harmony in the Hall of Justice.

Auditor

Ann Swenson, 60, has worked 19 years in the office and was appointed auditor in September 1993. Swenson said she eliminated document-filing delays and added time-saving document scanners.

Sandi Lewis, 57, volunteers for numerous civic projects. Lewis ran unsuccessfully for county commissioner in 1994. She wants to overhaul irregular office hours and cross-train employees.