Local election forum coming up on Oct. 20

October 15, 2025

By Reader Staff

Bonner County voters have until 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24 to submit their absentee ballots for the Nov. 4 election. Before that, however, the Sandpoint Reader, KRFY Panhandle Community Radio and SandpointOnline.com will host a candidates’ forum on Monday, Oct. 20 — which coincides with the start of early in-person voting, which ends Friday, Oct. 31 at 5 p.m. at the Bonner County Elections Office (1500 Highway 2, Suite 124, in Sandpoint).

The forum will take place 5:30-7 p.m. at the community room in the Sandpoint Center (414 Church St.), featuring the race for three open seats on the Sandpoint City Council, as well as the city of Sandpoint’s $130 million bond measure to fund its wastewater treatment plant and Ponderay’s 1% local option sales tax.

Incumbent City Councilors Joel Aispuro and Rick Howarth, as well as Joshua Torrez (listed on the ballot as Torrez Joshua) and Joe Tate will compete for the open seats on the council, which carry a four-year term and are “at large,” meaning there are no specific districts or seats representing those districts. Rather, those who win the most votes across all of Sandpoint’s voting precincts win the seats.

After introductions, the forum will move into moderated questions from the audience.

The forum will be broadcast live on the air at 88.5 FM and streaming at krfy.org. A recording of the entire forum will also be made available later at krfy.org.