Official candidate filing period open until March 15

By Zach Hagadone
Reader Staff

Though a number of candidates have already announced their intention to run for Dist. 1 legislative and local offices, the official filing period for the Tuesday, May 21 primary election will close on Friday, March 15 — also the last day that voters can change political party affiliation or become affiliated before the primary.

Candidates will have until 5 p.m. on March 15 to file the necessary forms, all of which are available at the Idaho Secretary of State’s recently launched voteidaho.gov website.

Candidates for county and local office are required to file a declaration of candidacy with the Bonner County Clerk’s Office no later than 5 p.m. on March 15. That form is also available at the voteidaho.gov website.

There is a filing fee of $40 for county partisan candidates; however, they may opt to submit a nominating petition containing five valid signatures within the county or district and waive the fee. Independent candidates must file the required number of signatures to qualify for the general election ballot.

State and federal candidates must submit a declaration of candidacy with the Secretary of State’s Office. Partisan state office seekers must pay a $30 filing fee or submit a petition containing 50 signatures from within the legislative district. Likewise, partisan candidates for federal office are required to pay a $300 filing fee or submit 500 signatures from within the congressional district. Candidates for the Supreme or Appellate Court must pay $300 or gather 1,000 signatures from within the state.

Independent state and federal candidates are to submit the required signatures for their offices before appearing on the general election ballot. 

Candidates who have already filed have until Monday, March 29 to withdraw.

Below are the Dist. 1 U.S. House, legislative and Bonner County candidates as of press time, March 14:

Dist. 1 U.S. House

Russ Fulcher, Republican (incumbent)

Brendan J. Gomez, Constitution Party

Matt Loesby, Libertarian Party

Kaylee Peterson, Democrat

Dist. 1 Idaho Senate

Scott Herndon, Republican (incumbent)

Steve Johnson, Independent

Jim Woodward, Republican

Dist. 1 Idaho House

Seat A, Karen Mathee, Democrat

Seat A, Cornel Rasor, Republican (not officially filed, but announced)

Seat A, Mark Sauter, Republican (incumbent)

Seat B, Kathryn Larson, Democrat

Seat B, Chuck Lowman, Republican 

Dist. 1 Bonner County commissioner

Brian Domke, Republican

Brian Riley, Republican

Dist. 3 Bonner County commissioner

Dimitry Borisov, Republican

Ron Korn, Republican

Glenn Lefebvre, Independent

Luke Omodt, Republican (incumbent)

Bonner County prosecutor

Louis Marshall, Republican (incumbent) (not officially filed, but announced)

Bonner County sheriff

Daryl Wheeler, Republican (incumbent)

Bonner County assessor

Dennis Engelhardt, Republican (incumbent)