Meet your congressional candidates
Skip Brandt
Party: Republican
Age: 41
Personal: Married, one 7-year-old son
Education: Clearwater Valley High School graduate, attended University of Idaho for one year
Professional: Co-owner of Ace Hardware Store, Stites, Idaho
Political: Served four years on Kooskia City Council and three years as mayor, then three terms in the state Senate. Chaired Health and Welfare and Transportation committees.
Key issues: War in Iraq: Believes eliminating threats to America and protecting U.S. troops must take precedence over establishing Iraqi government. Immigration: Wants to secure borders first, then make federal government liable for costs of illegal immigrants, “because it’s a national problem.” Energy: Supports drilling for oil on the continental shelf and in Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, and ensuring American ownership of energy reserves.
First priority in office: Landing leadership roles. “Just like in the state Senate, you have to be in leadership, you have to be respected and admired by your peers if you want to accomplish anything at all.”
Quote: “Put America first, that’s my whole platform.”
Keith Johnson
Party: Republican
Age: 43
Personal: Married 21 years, three children
Education: Bachelor’s degree from Boise State University in business administration and accounting, law degree from University of Denver College of Law, certified public accountant
Professional: Current elected state controller. Served as chief deputy controller from 1999 to 2002; was the appointed comptroller of Oklahoma from 1999 to 2002; and previously worked as deputy treasurer for Orange County, Calif., after that county’s bankruptcy, and for CPA firms in Southern California and Colorado
Political: Elected state controller in 2002; frequent GOP volunteer and convention delegate
Key issues: Federal fiscal policy: Backs freezing or reducing non-defense discretionary spending, a line-item veto, and reforming entitlement programs including reducing benefits to future retirees. Immigration: Wants to secure borders to curb illegal immigration, plus streamline legal immigration process to remove incentives to “come in the back door and shoplift the benefits of citizenship.” Energy/gas prices: Supports drilling for oil in Alaska and off the Gulf coast, plus looking at alternatives including nuclear energy.
First priority in office: “Conveying the importance of curbing the growth of government, and that concerns the fiscal policy.”
Quote: “The status quo is not sustainable and puts us clearly on a path toward insolvency at the federal level.”
Bill Sali
Party: Republican
Age: 52
Personal: Married 29 years, six children, three grandchildren and two on the way
Education: Bachelor’s degree in economics from Boise State University, law degree from University of Idaho
Professional: Attorney in private practice in Kuna, Idaho, since 1984. Former part-time drummer and singer in rock and country band.
Political: Served in Idaho House of Representatives from 1990 to present. Former chair of Health and Welfare Committee.
Key issues: Immigration: Wants borders secured, opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants, supports legal immigration. Federal spending: Wants big cuts in federal spending, including reforms to health care programs, and would vote against emergency spending bills. Congressional procedures: Backs balanced budget amendment and single-subject requirement for legislation to “return a level of integrity to the workings of Congress.”
First priority in office: Hiring the right chief of staff. “I will need to have an exceptional staff … (to) be there to serve the people of the state.”
Quote: “I have a 16-year record that proves I will lead on issues that are important to conservatives.”
Norm Semanko
Party: Republican
Age: 39
Personal: Married 12 years, one daughter
Education: Bachelor’s degree from University of Idaho in political science with minor in finance; law degree from University of Idaho
Professional: Executive director and general counsel, Idaho Water Users Association. Former staffer for U.S. Sen. Larry Craig, including serving as his North Idaho field representative, and for Republican National Committee. Practiced law in Twin Falls for seven years.
Political: GOP activist and convention delegate, elected precinct committeeman. Student body president at Lakeland High School, Rathdrum; chairman of College Republicans at UI.
Key issues: Federal budget/tax policy: Backs balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, because “Congress has proven that they can’t control themselves when it comes to spending.” Supports flat tax or national sales tax. Immigration: Wants comprehensive reform. “Farmers and ranchers want to hire legal people, but the system is so broken right now they really have no alternative.” Agriculture/natural resources: Opposes sell-off of public lands, favors management of land for multiple use and access.
First priority in office: Build coalitions and relationships with other congressmen to broaden understanding of Idaho issues.
Quote: “In 40 years we haven’t had a congressman from North Idaho. … I grew up there.”
Sheila Sorensen
Party: Republican
Age: 58
Personal: Married 30 years, five children, nine grandchildren
Education: Bachelor’s degree in nursing, Loretto Heights College, Denver; certification as pediatric nurse practitioner, University of Colorado
Professional: Pediatric nurse practitioner, retired
Political: Elected to two terms in the state House of Representatives and six terms in the state Senate. Chaired the Senate Health and Welfare and State Affairs committees and served as majority caucus chairman.
Key issues: Overspending: Supports Bush administration plan to freeze non-defense spending and cut the deficit in half by 2009; backs reviewing entitlement programs, fiscal restraint. Affordable health care: Wants consumer-oriented solutions, supports health savings accounts, making insurance more affordable so businesses can offer coverage to employees. Illegal drugs/illegal immigration: Says the two issues are connected because both “have to do with a lax border.” Backs securing borders against drugs and illegal immigration, giving employers tools for enforcement, and removing job incentives that serve as a “magnet” for illegal immigration.
First priority in office: Work with Idaho delegation, form coalitions, hit the ground running. “We in Idaho only have two people in the House of Representatives, so the person who goes back there has to be able to do the job from Day One.”
Quote: “I have 17 years of experience … I know I can get it done for the people.”
Robert Vasquez
Party: Republican
Age: 56
Personal: Divorced, two grown children
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration from College of Idaho, now Albertson College. Earned GED while serving in Vietnam.
Professional: Current Canyon County commissioner. Former political consultant, columnist, assistant to mayor of Caldwell, pre-sentence investigator, community resource development worker for state Health and Welfare Department
Political: Ran for county commissioner in 2000, elected in second run in 2002. Former state commander, Disabled American Veterans of Idaho. Worked on political campaigns including Helen Chenoweth for Congress and Ron Pollock for state auditor.
Key issues: Immigration: “I think we should seal the border, go after the employers and eliminate some of those conflicting federal regulations that allow the continued employment of illegal aliens by unscrupulous employers.” Trade: Opposes NAFTA and CAFTA as “intended to dispose of American’s sovereignty and nationality.” National security: Doesn’t favor a draft but believes one may be necessary to cut back on use of reserves and National Guard troops; believes “gaping borders” and foreign control of ports are threats to national security.
First priority in office: Join Rep. Tom Tancredo’s House Immigration Reform Caucus to push for changes in immigration laws.
Quote: “From ‘92 on, I’ve been the sole voice in Idaho sounding the klaxon horn against this invasion of illegal aliens.”
Larry Grant
Party: Democrat
Age: 60
Personal: Married, one son, two grandsons
Education: Bachelor’s degree in government from Columbia University, law degree from University of Denver
Professional: Retired. Served as vice president and general counsel for Micron Technology Inc. for 10 years, and same position at VLSI Technology in San Jose, Calif., for three years.
Political: Democratic activist, served as treasurer or finance chairman for campaigns by congressmen Larry LaRocco and Richard Stallings, worked on Fruitland school bond campaign. First run for office.
Key issues: Spending: “We need to get back to balanced budgets and pay-as-you-go government.” Corruption/bureaucracy: Supports reinvigorating the House Ethics Committee, which he says isn’t completing investigations. Says Congress “should demand that every government agency be efficient, effective, and accountable, and headed by someone who is competent and experienced.” Immigration: Says at Micron, he couldn’t hire a foreign engineer unless he could show no American was available, and the company would pay a fair wage. “What works in the lab ought to work in the lettuce field.”
First priority in office: Stop excessive spending.
Quote: “This country is in trouble. We have a failure of leadership; Congress isn’t doing its job.”
Cecil Kelly III
Party: Democrat
Age: 62
Personal: Divorced, three stepchildren
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration from University of Idaho, U.S. Navy veteran
Professional: Manager and president of a small business, Law Shop of North Idaho, since 1983.
Political: Ran for Idaho Legislature but withdrew candidacy; ran for Kootenai County commissioner but lost in primary.
Key issues: Human rights: Supports all people’s First Amendment rights to speak out, including racists. Immigration: “If they want to be citizens they need to go back to their country and petition like anyone else.” Sale of national forest land: “I’m totally opposed. I feel the national forest lands belong to the people of Idaho and to the people of the West.”
First priority in office: “Defending human rights, probably by trying to amend the Patriot Act to get rid of those portions that violate our civil rights”
Quote: “I’m running to bring attention to issues. If I win I will be very happy, but it’s not my primary goal.”