An Update on Nonpartisan Races

As I mentioned last week, I have been asked to weigh in on who among the candidates running for non-partisan offices we support. In keeping with our long-standing position on nonpartisan local government races, my answer has been that we do not make endorsements in these races. 

However, I understand the frustration about the difficulty people are having gathering information about these candidates. To educate our voters and help guide their decision making, I invited candidates running for NIC Trustee, the Board of County Commissioners, and the Soil and Water Conservation District to address our central committee meeting last night. 

Roger Rowland who is running for a seat on the Board of County Commissioners, and Dan Wilson, who is running for County Sheriff accepted.

Soil & Water Conservation District candidate Laurin Scarcello also accepted.

The discussions were lively. Democrats questioned the validity of Wilson’s claim to be a “Constitutional sheriff.” They also questioned Roger Rowland over how best to control development and the rising cost of housing. I do not think either candidate could fully satisfy the questioners. And I do not think either garnered any votes from our group.

Laurin Scarcello, on the other hand, seemed to impress the group. His knowledge and longevity at the job and working in the county, plus his earnest demeanor went over well.

And while keeping with our position of avoiding endorsements for non-partisan races, I have directed our communications team to post information on our Candidate Info page that will help voters sort out who their best options are for NIC Board of Trustees and the Water and Soil District given what we know.

You might keep this information in mind as you fill out your ballots.

You Are the Key to Getting Out the Vote

We are putting together plans for the final four-day push to Get Out the Vote. The biggest challenge we face is recruiting the volunteers needed to make certain that every Democrat leaning voter casts a ballot. The way we do this is by phone banking and door knocking intensively from 10 AM to 8 PM on November 2,3,4, and 5.

Beyond getting out Democratic votes, the GOTV campaign is a way to show voters in our county that Kootenai Democrats are an active presence here and represent a greater share of the electorate than may be assumed. In other words, this effort moves the needle.

That is how political progress is made. So, please join in today, by calling or emailing Tamara Lee Poelstra. Her phone number is 208-704-6943 and her email is tamaralee@kootenaidemocrats.org. There are 2-hour shifts available, and I encourage you to sign up for as many as you can. And don’t worry, there are folks available to help you get comfortable and address any questions you have about the GOTV process. It’s safe, it’s fun, and it is helpful. Moreover, it will leave you feeling good.

Thank you in advance for taking part in the process.