A possible new chapter in politics

BOISE – Conservative Idaho, generally considered the most Republican state in the nation, could have its first openly gay elected official if capital city voters pick Nicole LeFavour on Nov. 2.

It doesn’t hurt the 40-year-old lobbyist and writing teacher that she’s running in District 19, the most liberal political division in the state, taking in Boise’s North End.

While she downplays her sexual orientation, she does acknowledge that her candidacy comes on the heels of one of the Legislature’s most divisive fights over homosexuality.

Last winter, lawmakers fought bitterly over a proposed change to the state constitution that would have banned gay marriage. The bill passed the conservative House, but stalled in the more moderate Senate.

The failure was a rare setback for the GOP in Idaho, where for more than four decades Republicans have firmly controlled most local and state elected offices. The party so rules Idaho politics that Democrats didn’t even bother fielding a candidate to run against incumbent U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo.

As a lobbyist for the Idaho Community Action Network, LeFavour testified strongly against the bill, saying lawmakers should focus on more important and relevant issues, such as health care for the poor.

LeFavour said she finds it ironic that now, nine months after those battles, she’s a strong candidate for the Legislature while the anti-gay marriage bill’s sponsor, Rep. Henry Kulczyk, was kicked out of office in the GOP primary by voters in his Eagle district.

While the gay marriage issue did not influence her decision to run for office, she said it has moved some to support her candidacy.

“I think, in light of seeing how out of touch some (lawmakers) were then, some people thought it was time to have somebody to represent the gay community in the Legislature,” LeFavour said in an interview this week.

LeFavour defeated two other Democrats in the May primary.