BoCo Republicans to meet on whether Commissioner Bradshaw has ‘vacated’ his seat

By Zach Hagadone
Reader Staff

The Bonner County Republican Central Committee has outgoing Dist. 1 Bonner County Commissioner Steve Bradshaw in its sights, with BCRCC Chair Scott Herndon announcing that the committee will gather for a special meeting Tuesday, Nov. 19 to consider whether Bradshaw is still a resident of Idaho and therefore eligible to continue serving in office.

“It has come to my attention that Bonner County Commissioner Steve Bradshaw has sold his Bonner County property and has moved to the state of Texas with the intention of making Texas his permanent home,” Herndon wrote in a Nov. 7 email addressed to BCRCC Vice-Chair Mat Macdonald, BOCC Chair Asia Williams, Dist. 3 Commissioner-elect Ron Korn, Bradshaw, Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall, Bonner County Clerk Michael Rosedale and local media.

Herndon went on to write that the property at 4281 Cocolalla Loop Road listed as the location of Bradshaw’s residence and the former-Cocolalla Cowboy Church — for which he served as pastor — were now owned by North Summit Church, Inc., which was backed up by real estate records indicating a transfer of property in late August. 

On a drive past the property, Herndon also noted that the home appears to be vacant and the church is undergoing a remodel. 

Steve Bradshaw. File photo.

What’s more, Herndon alleged that Bradshaw had visited county offices “to bid his farewell” and had “discussed this with me personally in August and said at that time that he would be resigning by Oct. 1. That has never happened.”

Herndon cited Idaho Code 59-901, which states that an elective civil office is considered vacant if the office holder ceases to be “a resident of the state, district or county in which the duties of his office are to be exercised, or for which he may have been elected.”

I.C. 34-107 further defines “residence” as “the principal or primary home or place of abode of a person,” and goes on in I.C. 34-107(5) to state that, “If a qualified elector moves to another state, or to any of the other territories, with the intention of making it his permanent home, he shall be considered to have lost his residence in this state.”

According to Herndon’s email of Nov. 7, “In my opinion, statute is clear that if Steve has abandoned residency in the state, he has vacated the position of Bonner County commissioner.”

Following that interpretation, the BCRCC intends to convene Nov. 19 at 6:15 p.m. — ahead of its regularly scheduled meeting at the Ponderay Events Center (401 Bonner Mall Way) — to propose three nominees to Idaho Gov. Brad Little, who has up to 15 days to select a replacement to serve out the remainder of the vacant term.

The same process has been employed more than once since September: first to appoint Korn to the Dist. 3 BOCC seat left vacant by former-Commissioner Luke Omodt’s resignation, and later to appoint Cornel Rasor to serve out the remainder of Rep. Sage Dixon’s term, who also stepped down. 

Both Korn and Rasor won their primary and general election bids to serve in those respective offices.

Bradshaw, however, opted not to run for reelection in the May 2024 Republican primary, instead mounting a campaign to challenge incumbent Sheriff Daryl Wheeler. Wheeler won that election and went on to the general election unopposed.

Scott Herndon. Courtesy photo.

Meanwhile, Republican Brian Domke won the general election for the Dist. 1 BOCC seat and will take office in January 2025.

In a thread on social media platform X on Nov. 8, Herndon reiterated the BCRCC’s position that Bradshaw had “effectively vacated the position” by moving to Texas, and, in response to another user’s comment, wrote that Domke would “be on the top of the list” of nominees to the governor.

In a reply Nov. 7 to Herndon’s initial email, Bradshaw wrote that he had “not established residency anywhere at the present time.”

“If owning a piece of real estate in another state is an issue, then I guess half of our county and the state legislators have an issue,” Bradshaw added. “I have not declared residency other than Bonner County, Idaho. But good try Scotty boy.”

The Reader asked Bradshaw in an email to clarify whether he had indeed moved to another state and, if so, to where, when and for what purpose — and additionally, whether he had indicated to Herndon that he intended to step down from the BOCC effective Oct. 1.

“He is full of shit!” Bradshaw wrote, referring to Herndon. “I have a contract to stay at my previous Cocolalla address until Jan. 31, 2025. Seeing he has no letter of resignation with my name or signature, he once again is making a fool of himself. The new owner is Cocolalla Bible Church. Feel free to speak to Pastor Steve Brown.”

Clerk Rosedale confirmed to the Reader in an email that his office had not received a letter of resignation from Bradshaw, nor had his office ever received communications from Bradshaw that he intended to step down from his seat prior to the end of his term in January.

The Reader reached out to Brown but did not receive a response by press time. However, Bradshaw forwarded an email from Brown dated Nov. 8, informing him that Cocolalla Bible Church had “just closed escrow and [are] now taking ownership of the church and property (10 acres) on South Cocolalla Loop Road that you previously owned.”

What’s more, Brown told Bradshaw in the email that, “As a courtesy, we are honoring the free lease and residency of your home to you and Cindi that you had with the previous buyer, North Summit Church until Jan. 31, 2025.”

North Summit Church Lead Pastor Kyle Bostock confirmed to the Reader in an email Nov. 13 that his church had purchased the property and residence from Bradshaw at the end of August with the intention of establishing a campus there under Brown’s leadership.

However, Bostock wrote, “During the launch process Steve Brown communicated his desire to plant an independent church, now Cocolalla Bible Church, and asked if we would sell him the property. That sale is now finalized, we signed on Nov. 8, 2024, and we are no longer the owners of the church or residence on the property.” 

He went on to tell the Reader that, “Any agreement between Cocolalla Bible Church and Steve Bradshaw would have been arranged by their leadership. We have not had any communication regarding the matter from either party.” 

In his Nov. 8 thread on X, Herndon fielded questions regarding the process of replacing Bradshaw, including whether it was necessary for the BOCC to declare a vacancy before identifying replacement nominees, and if County Prosecutor Marshall had “signed off” on initiating the replacement process.

Herndon replied to both questions that state statute did not require the central committee to wait for either the BOCC or Marshall before acting to fill a vacancy.

Marshall did not respond to a request for clarification on the interpretation of I.C. 34-107(5) cited by Herndon and its potential bearing on Bradshaw’s continued status as an elected official.

In a follow-up email Nov. 12, Herndon told the Reader that the BCRCC intends to go forward with the Nov. 19 meeting and wrote that, “No information has been provided that Steve Bradshaw remains a resident of Idaho as defined in Idaho Code.”

“Mr. Bradshaw is welcome to attend and present evidence and answer questions as to his residency,” Herndon added. “If he proves he is a resident, then we would not proceed to send nominees to the governor.”

The Tuesday, Nov. 19 special meeting of the Bonner County Republican Central Committee will take place at 6:15 p.m., prior to the regular meeting, at the Ponderay Events Center (401 Bonner Mall Way).

Additional reporting by Soncirey Mitchell.