Hopeful, anxious Dems crowd Boise election-night gathering

There’s a really, really big crowd at the Democratic Party’s election night watch party at the Grove Hotel in downtown Boise, where people are anxiously watching results in a big ballroom, milling thickly through an open lobby area and gathering in various small hospitality rooms.

Among them: Democratic congressional hopeful James Piotrowski, who was gathered with his family and supporters in a hospitality room off the main lobby. “I’m feeling great,” said Piotrowski. “This is the tail end of a long process, so it’s good to be here.”

The first-time candidate, who’s challenging third-term GOP Rep. Raul Labrador, said he has no idea will happen tonight. “The one thing I’ve figured out this year is that nobody knows what to expect tonight,” he said. “It looks like we’re going to have a really high turnout. When that happens, we don’t quite know who’s going to show up to vote who didn’t show up two years ago or four years ago.”