The filing deadline for the Tuesday, May 19 primary election has come and gone, leaving behind a slate of candidates vying for Bonner County’s top offices. Candidates have until Friday, March 20 at 5 p.m. to withdraw from the race, which is also the filing deadline for write-ins. As it stands, 10 candidates are running — seven in contested races — including for seats on the Bonner County Board of Commissioners.
The BOCC is divided into three districts, each represented by one commissioner: District 1, from Sagle to Careywood; District 2, from Blanchard to Priest Lake; and District 3, from Elmira to Clark Fork and down to Lakeview.
District 1 Commissioner Brian Domke, who won the seat in the 2024 election, will not run for reelection. His time on the board has been characterized by a focus on land use issues, including instituting additional regulations on land divisions and cell tower placement. Domke did not respond to a request for comment as of press time.
Commissioner Brian Domke. File photo.
Republican Steve Smith is running unopposed for Domke’s seat, and will face off with Independent Fred Arn in the Nov. 3 general election. Independent candidates do not appear on primary ballots in Idaho.
Smith, an attorney with Smith & McOwen in Sandpoint, will run with an endorsement from the Bonner County Republican Central Committee. He began his career serving as the first law clerk for the First Judicial District of Idaho, in Kootenai County, before moving to Bonner County in 1978. He specializes in business, real estate and estate law, representing individuals, municipalities, quasi-governmental districts and businesses. According to his campaign website, votestevesmith.com, his “decisions are rooted in a Biblical worldview,” and he has served as the chairman of the Bonner Gospel Mission, Inc. Board of Directors; as a constitution coach for the online Patriot Academy; and as the vice president of the Association of Idaho City Attorneys, among other titles.
Arn, a contractor and former Marine and professional photojournalist, is a regular participant at BOCC meetings, frequently commenting on public lands issues. He has remained in the news since 2021 due to a drawn-out legal battle with M3, following the county’s decision to vacate a section of Camp Bay Road during the creation of the company’s large-scale housing development. He has since advocated for public lake access and walking trails during development planning. Arn did not have a campaign website as of press time.
Incumbent Republican Asia Williams will run for the District 2 seat — which she has held since the 2022 election — against Republican Jeff Roberts. Williams has been a vocal advocate for public input and community engagement throughout her tenure, working to keep county meetings streaming on Zoom, despite opposition, and hosting public “Commissioner Chats” with county elected officials and staff on topics like mental health care and public land use.
Her website, idahotruenorthnews.com — which she uses year-round for announcements — emphasizes her focus on risk mitigation and “granular” budget review as a certified auditor.
Commissioner Asia Williams. File photo.
Endorsed by the BCRCC, Roberts describes himself as “an evangelical Christian” and “lifelong advocate for constitutional liberty” on his campaign site, votejeffroberts.com. He is a contractor; member of the far-right, anti-communist advocacy group the John Birch Society; and has held leadership positions in Idaho and Oregon chapters of the anti-government militia movement the Three Percenters. Canada officially recognized the Three Percenters as a terrorist entity in 2021.
According to Up In Arms: A Guide to Oregon’s Patriot Movement, Roberts was the vice president of the Oregon Three Percenters as of 2016, during which he claimed on Facebook to have “witnessed out of control government murder an innocent 14-year-old boy and his mother” at the 1992 Ruby Ridge standoff, which, his website alleges, taught him the “consequences of unchecked government power.”
After nearly 12 years with the county, Clerk Michael Rosedale will relinquish his seat in the upcoming election.
“From my fellow Bonner County employees to our voters, poll workers and citizens, these years have been filled with purpose, partnership and friendships I will carry with me for the rest of my life,” wrote Rosedale in a recent news release shared with the Reader.
Bonner County Clerk Michael Rosedale. File photo.
“I’ve had the privilege of working shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of you — Republicans, Democrats, unaffiliated voters, Constitutionalists and Libertarians alike,” he later added. “While we may not always agree, I have seen something far more important unite us: a shared commitment to doing things the right way.”
The varied role of the county clerk includes five distinct titles that span every aspect of county government: clerk of the District Court, ex officio county auditor and recorder, clerk of the BOCC and chief elections officer for the county. The clerk oversees more than 40 deputies across various offices, managing court records, county finances, and public and confidential documents, as well as facilitating and supervising every election.
“We are fortunate to have such capable, dedicated people serving this county,” wrote Rosedale. “Knowing that everything is running smoothly gives me great peace as I step aside, confident that the next clerk will inherit a strong and steady foundation.”
Rosedale hopes to volunteer during elections going forward, but will focus on his roles as a grandfather and husband. He leaves the seat open to three potential hopefuls: Republicans JoAnne Guzzi, Roger Rudd and Spencer Hutchings.
Guzzi has worked with the Clerk’s Office as a judicial assistant to Presiding District Judge Lamont Berecz for the past three years. According to joanneguzzi.com, she also began her career as a sworn deputy clerk, and intends to use her experience “to ensure the office continues to provide reliable service, maintain accurate records, and support fair and transparent elections for the citizens of Bonner County.”
Her opponent, Rudd, is a former U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant colonel endorsed by both the BCRCC and Rosedale. His previous position involved the management of “complex operations, resources and personnel,” which, he states on ruddforclerk.com, “translates directly” to the Clerk’s Office.
Hutchings, the former-treasurer for the BCRCC and current owner of gun store Sheepdog Supplies in Sagle, is also vying for the position of clerk. He is a “self-taught computer networking specialist” and former Marine Corps mechanic and hospital project manager. Hutchings has run two unsuccessful campaigns for the Idaho Legislative District 1A House seat in 2022 and 2024, losing to incumbent Mark Sauter both times.
“Instead of serving the public, our government seems to spend more time and effort controlling or interfering in all aspects of our lives,” Hutchings stated in a campaign announcement. “As a civic-minded citizen of Bonner County, I am uncomfortable doing nothing as I see this happening to us.”
Incumbents Clorrisa Koster and Robert Beers will run uncontested races for their current positions as treasurer and coroner, respectively. Also running unopposed for assessor is current Chief Deputy Assessor Cory Gabel. Assessor Dennis Englehardt has chosen not to run for a second term and endorsed Gabel, according to corygabel4assessor.com. The BCRCC has endorsed all three uncontested candidates.
Look for candidate profiles and questionnaires in future editions of the Sandpoint Reader
Editor’s note: This story was updated March 24, 2026, to better reflect Fred Arn’s resume.
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