BOCC Chair Omodt tenders resignation

By Soncirey Mitchell
Reader Staff

District 3 Bonner County Commissioner Luke Omodt submitted his letter of resignation to the county clerk on Aug. 20 — effective Saturday, Sept. 7 — putting an early end to his term, which would have otherwise lasted until January. 

Idaho Code 59-906A stipulates that when a county commissioner vacates their seat, their party’s central committee has 15 days from the effective date of the resignation to submit a list of three potential replacements to the governor, who in turn has 15 days to appoint one of the nominees to the position.

The BCRCC voted to nominate Grouse Creek Committeeman Ron Korn, Oden Precinct Committeeman Tom Cleveland and Hope Precinct Committeewoman Kim Peckham. Former-Commissioner Cary Kelly was also considered for the role.

Commissioner Luke Omodt. File photo.

Korn, who won the Republican nomination for Omodt’s current seat in the May primary election, is the preferred nominee by the Bonner County Republican Central Committee to fill the position in the interim.

The four candidates were nominated by precinct committeemen and then whittled down to three using ranked-choice voting, placing Korn at the top of the list. Members of the audience and some committeemen laughed at the irony of the BCRCC using ranked-choice voting, considering its consistent and vigorous opposition to Proposition 1 — a citizens initiative that would convert Idaho elections to a ranked-choice model. 

Republican Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador is currently fighting the initiative in Ada County court in an attempt to bar it from appearing on the November ballot, and the local Republican Party has made repeated arguments that Prop. 1 would harm Idaho’s election integrity, eliminate party primaries and put an undue financial burden on state taxpayers.

Prior to the announcement of Omodt’s resignation, the BCRCC handed out signs protesting Prop. 1 and discussed strategies and resources to combat the initiative. Later, Washington Precinct Committeeman Tom Bokowy brought forward a resolution condemning Labrador’s “obviously doomed” lawsuit against Prop. 1, which received vigorous debate before failing in a 28-2 vote.

With the three nominations for Omodt’s seat chosen, the BCRCC has only to wait until his effective date of resignation.

“The resignation states it is effective Sept. 7, which implies [Omodt’s] last day is Sept. 6, so I believe the Republican Central Committee can submit their nominees to the governor on the seventh,” Bonner County Clerk Mike Rosedale told the Reader in an Aug. 21 email.

Rumors of Omodt’s impending resignation have been circulating since early this month, but were confirmed at the Aug. 20 meeting of the BCRCC. Though the committee will have to wait to submit its candidates to Idaho Gov. Brad Little, by announcing his resignation the day of the meeting, Omodt gave the BCRCC the opportunity to choose their three nominees immediately.

“It just so happens that the timing’s really good since we already have a Republican nominee from the May primary,” outgoing Sagle Republican Sen. Scott Herndon, who also serves as chair of the BCRCC, told the Reader in an Aug. 5 interview regarding the rumors of Omodt’s resignation.

“We’re more prepared than we would be otherwise, because otherwise we’d have to cast nets — see who we can find that would be good for the position and find three nominees, but I think we’re better off at this point in time in the election cycle,” he said.

“Both [Cleveland and Peckham] prefer that the governor appoints Ron Korn, who was the committee’s endorsed candidate in the primary election, the winner, and not the Republican nominee on the general election ballot… I anticipate the governor will select our Republican primary winner,” wrote Herndon in an Aug. 21 email to the Reader.

Aside from Korn being listed as the incumbent on the ballot — should Little accept his nomination — his selection to fill Omodt’s seat will have no effect on the upcoming November election, Herndon told the Reader on Aug. 5.

Omodt was not prepared to provide additional comment at this time and Korn did not respond.

Additional reporting by Zach Hagadone.