Dist. 1B Rep. Sage Dixon retires ahead of November election

By Zach Hagadone
Reader Staff

Idaho District 1B Rep. Sage Dixon, R-Ponderay, has stepped down from his seat in the Legislature, bringing to a close his fifth term in office prior to the November election.

Most recently, Dixon served as assistant majority leader and on the Business, Revenue and Taxation, Transportation and Defense, and Ways and Means committees. In the past he served as chair of the Business Committee, as well as the Ethics and House Policy Committee.

First elected in 2014, when he defeated longtime incumbent Republican Rep. George Eskridge — who now serves as mayor of Dover — Dixon chose not to run in the 2024 Idaho GOP primary. 

In an email to the Reader, Dixon stated that his resignation from the Legislature was effective Sept. 1.

Rep. Sage Dixon. File photo.

“There were a number of reasons that I decided to step away from the Legislature, so it is difficult to describe; but, plainly, it just felt like the right time to do so,” he wrote. “I have always admired the people whose identity was not wrapped up in an elected position, and were able to step away after an appropriate amount of time. 

“Ten years is plenty of time to learn the system, gain some influence and try to have a positive effect on the state,” he added. “I believe I did all of that while representing our district well.”

District 1 Republicans voted in the May primary to nominate Cornel Rasor to bear the party’s standard for Dixon’s seat in the November 2024 general election, when he will face Democratic nominee Kathryn Larson.

According to a Facebook post from outgoing-District 1 Sen. Scott Herndon, R-Sagle, members of the Legislative District 1 Republican Central Committee met in a special meeting Sept. 7 to forward three names to Idaho Gov. Brad Little for consideration in filling the remainder of Dixon’s term: Rasor, Jane Sauter (no relation to incumbent Dist. 1A Republican Rep. Mark Sauter) and Victoria Zeischegg.

Whichever nominee is selected by the governor will serve in the District 1B seat until new elected officials are sworn in at the commencement of the 2025 legislative session in January.

As the winner of the 2024 primary, if Rasor is selected to fill Dixon’s vacant seat, he’ll appear on the November ballot as an incumbent.

Under Idaho Code, the governor has up to 15 days from receipt of the replacement nominees to make a selection.

As for Dixon’s future plans, Herndon posted on Facebook that the now-former lawmaker will be leading “faith-based coordinated programs” for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Asked to provide more detail about those programs, Dixon referred the Reader to IDHW.

He did write that his new endeavor “was not something I expected to be doing when I chose not to run.” 

IDHW did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

Meanwhile, the District 1B House seat isn’t the only local political office being vacated before the November election. Bonner County Commissioner Luke Omodt, who served one term on the board and most recently as chair, announced in late August that he would resign effective Sept. 7 — though that date was later apparently changed to Sept. 8.

Omodt ran for reelection in the 2024 GOP primary, but was defeated by challenger Ron Korn.

“Local politics is a rough-and-tumble sport,” Omodt wrote in an emailed statement Sept. 7.  “I greatly enjoyed the work of being a Bonner County commissioner. 

“Elections have consequences and the voters made a decision for which my family is profoundly grateful; I’m coming around to it,” he added. “County commissioners have an immense amount or responsibility and I am most impressed with the rank-and-file employees who are responsible for keeping our roads plowed, our waterways safe, get us or loved ones to the ER, and protect the $115 million that flows through the office of the treasurer for all of the 54 taxing districts in Bonner County. 

“Bonner County remains a great place to live and I’m greatly looking forward to not seeing my name in the paper,” Omodt concluded.

The Bonner County Republican Central Committee voted Aug. 20 to nominate Korn, Tom Cleveland and Kim Peckham to fill Omodt’s seat, ranking Korn as its first choice.

Also because Korn won the GOP primary, if selected by Little he would appear on the November ballot as an incumbent. He faces Independent candidate Glenn Lefebvre in the general election.

However, Tom Bokowy — who serves as Sandpoint’s Washington Precinct committeeman on the BCRCC — told the Reader in an email that the Aug. 20 vote to nominate the slate of replacements for Omodt’s seat was premature, as the vacancy hadn’t actually occurred yet.

Because of that, and in order to comply with Idaho Republican Party rules, members of the BCRCC have to meet again to cast their votes for three nominees to be submitted to the governor.

As of midnight on Sept. 9, the District 3 BOCC seat formerly held by Omodt became officially vacant, and replacement nominees are due to be selected at a new special meeting of the BCRCC, to be held Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Ponderay Events Center (401 Bonner Mall Way, in Ponderay).