Trib: Cities are islands of blue

In the Lewiston Tribune, Opinion Editor Marty Trillhaase posts:

But (Cari) Miller’s success (in her Lewiston City Council race) is part of a larger story. Across Idaho Tuesday, Democrats trumped Republicans, moderates bested conservatives:

• The biggest victor of the night was Democrat Dave Bieter, who won an unprecedented fourth term as Boise mayor over Republican Judy Peavey-Derr, a former Ada County commissioner, with 68.8 percent of the vote.
• Coeur d’Alene voters turned thumbs down on two conservatives - incumbent Councilor Steve Adams, who lost to former Kootneai County Clerk Dan English, and Toby Schindelbeck, who failed to unseat Councilor Ron Edinger.
• The same thing happened in Idaho Falls, where moderate incumbent Councilor Tom Hally defeated Evan Bastow by 23 percent and John Radford outran conservative Dean Ellis by 11 percent.
• Boise voters agreed to tax themselves $10 million during the next two years to help preserve open space and water quality. The property tax levy won by 74 percent.
• Sandpoint passed a 1 percent local option sales tax by 75 percent.
• McCall came within 61 votes of becoming the first city in Idaho to boost its minimum wage. More here.