Two North Idaho legislators, Kootenai County assessor lose GOP primary races Tuesday

Legislators from North Idaho appear likely to shift further to the right after Republican voters in the northern-most district ended the re-election campaigns of two incumbents.

In Legislative District 1, Former state Sen. Scott Herndon won a second rematch in a volleying rivalry against Sen. Jim Woodward with 53.4% of the vote. Herndon took the seat from Woodward in 2022, then Woodward won the seat back in 2024.

Herndon, who has called for an end to property taxes, wrote in a Facebook post that he is honored by the result.

“Property tax relief, parental rights, and accountable government – that’s what you voted for, and that’s what I’ll deliver in Boise,” he wrote.

Jane Sauter beat incumbent Mark Sauter for District 1A representative with 53.4% to 46.6%.

The two Sauters are unrelated. Jane Sauter lost her primary bid against Mark Sauter in a three-way race in 2024. Mark Sauter was first elected in 2022.

The success of Herndon and Jane Sauter represent a shift from relatively moderate lawmakers to the right, while more conservative incumbents held their positions.

Incumbent representatives Cornel Rasor, Dale Hawkins, Vito Barbieri and Elaine Price each comfortably won their contested primaries. Price, who represents the Coeur d’Alene area in District 4B, beat challenger Christa Hazel with 59.5%.

County races

In Kootenai County, Assessor Bela Kovacs lost his re-election bid to former Chief Deputy Assessor Allyson Knapp 34.4% to 65.6%. Notably, the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee did not make an endorsement in the race after supporting Kovacs in 2022. The rival North Idaho Republicans group recommended Knapp.

“Thank you again for believing in this campaign, showing up for our community, and being part of this movement,” Knapp wrote on Facebook. “We couldn’t have done it without you.”

Kovacs was appointed assessor by the county commissioners in 2020 and was elected to the office in 2022. He was the purchasing director for Spokane County from 1999 to 2018.

Kovacs has faced numerous complaints of mismanagement and creating a toxic and retributive work environment throughout his tenure. Similar complaints led him to resign from Spokane County, according to a 2023 report by the Inlander. The Kootenai County Commission cut Kovacs’ salary in half in 2022 for poor performance, the Coeur d’Alene Press reported. A district judge later reinstated his pay.

Knapp, a longtime residential appraiser and Realtor in the Inland Northwest, resigned from her position as deputy assessor under Kovacs in 2022. Last fall, Kovacs implemented a policy that allowed him to fire employees who run against him. Earlier this year, the commissioners blocked an attempt by Kovacs to assess Knapp’s Rathdrum property as ineligible for a homeowner’s exemption by challenging her Idaho residency. Commissioners said Kovacs failed to provide compelling evidence Knapp resides at another property she owns in Newman Lake, the Coeur d’Alene Press reported.

Other incumbents in the county held on to their positions. County Clerk Jennifer Locke won against John Samuelson, winning 86.7% of the vote. County Commissioner Bruce Mattare also defended his seat against challenger Steve Em with 76.7%. Coroner Duke Johnson ran unopposed.

Julie Hensley won the open seat primary for county commissioner in District 1 with 56% against John Padula with 44%. For treasurer, Carlos Zamora beat Teresa Mallery with 57.4%

Lakeland Joint School District’s $3 million plant facilities levy failed with 57.3% voting against. It needed a 55% majority to pass.

The Kootenai County Fire and Rescue temporary levy override passed with a 62.3% majority. The temporary levy authorizes an additional $5.2 million a year for the next two years.