Election Analysis
Tuesday’s election had some very interesting and positive results, along with a little negative. The grassroots conservative candidates recommended by the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee (KCRCC) swept most of the offices in the county with the exception of Coeur d’Alene and Hayden. Turnout was 28%, which is lower than we would like but more than triple what it was in 2017 (8.5%). Why the dramatic increase in voter participation? The answer is simple, choice. Since 2017 the KCRCC has been actively recruiting quality candidates to run for office. When the voter has a choice they can support they are motivated to turn out and vote. Simply reminding people to vote is not effective. Giving them someone to vote for is effective.
There is one city in Kootenai County that had 92% voter turnout. State Line has 13 registered voters and twelve of them voted for mayor.
This election’s most notable race was Randy Westlund’s win for Mayor of Post Falls, besting two well established candidates, Scot Haug by 6 points and Ron Jacobson by 10 points. Post Falls City Council winners also include KCRCC Recommended Aaron Plew (63%) and Marc Lucca (59%).
Political newcomer Debbie Loffman gave a solid performance coming in second in a four-way race for CDA Mayor. She bested the current mayor and trailed the winner by only 591 votes.
Other KCRCC Recommended winners include Kurt Lyon and Kathleen Collins for the Hayden Lake City Council, John Hodgkins for Rathdrum City Council, Terry Moore for the Spirit Lake City Council, Lesli Bjerke for the CDA School District, Richard Meyer and Jamie Jenicek for the Kootenai Joint School District, David Quimby and Jeff Brodhead for the Lakeland Joint School District, Kelli Johnson for the Post Falls School District, Michelle Grossglauser for the Plumber/Worley School District, Jon Hoffman for the KC Fire and Rescue District, Stewart Kuespert for the Northern Lakes Fire District, Oden Olsen and Matt Church for the Timberlake Fire District and Gary Yergler for the Shoshone Fire District.
A total of 19 KCRCC recommended candidates had successful campaigns. This does not include the previously recommended candidates who ran this time unopposed and so were not on the ballot. Thank you to all the candidates and congratulations to all the winners.
The most alarming races were the two Hayden City Council seats. I say “alarming” because of the amount of money raised and spent by just one PAC. According to the Idaho Secretary of State, the “Preserve the City of Hayden Political Action Committee” raised over $33,000. Why? What are they trying to preserve?
Three of the largest donors to the Preserve the City of Hayden PAC are Rosenberger Construction LLC, Edwards Smith Construction and John Young (Young Construction). Other big donors are Steve Meyer and Joy Richards, who coincidentally also serve as commissioners on the Hayden Urban Renewal Association (HURA).
HURA is an Urban Renewal District (URD), established by the city council by designating an area of the city as blighted and then appoints a board of commissioners to oversee HURA money and its projects. HURA is funded by freezing the amount of property taxes the city gets from the HURA area, but as improvements take place and assessed value increases, all the property tax from the increase goes directly to HURA.
For example, the Hayden Walmart was built in the HURA. Of the property tax Walmart pays, $79,000 per year goes to HURA and only $870 goes to the city of Hayden. According to police, Walmart has the highest crime rate in the local area, yet Walmart tax dollars go to HURA instead of paying for the additional law enforcement needed. Instead, Hayden residents pick up that bill.
HURA is sitting on about $5 million in cash (your property tax dollars) with millions more expected while Hayden residents struggle to pay for basic services. The city council appointed HURA commissioners decide how the money is spent. Is there any wonder why HURA commissioners and project beneficiaries funded the Preserve the City of Hayden Political Action Committee to ensure the “right” city council members would be elected? Council members who would continue to support and even grow HURA?
Urban Renewal Districts like HURA are ripe for corruption and graft because they are taxation without representation, but they are also legal. Perhaps it is time to change that.
It’s just common sense.
Nov. 6th, 2025