Historic win: Bertling wins with write-in campaign

BONNERS FERRY — County Commissioner 2nd District incumbent Tim Bertling won a historic race in Tuesday’s general election with 2,598 votes as a write-in candidate over the GOP candidate.

Steve Fioravanti, the GOP nominee received 2,400 votes. John L. White, an independent candidate, received 148 votes.

Ben Robertson, the GOP nominee for county commissioner for District 3, ran unopposed and won with 4,473 votes.

For state Senator Dist. 1, Scott Herndon, Republican, received 3,239 votes and Steven R. Johnson, write-in received 1,622 votes in Boundary County. In Bonner County, Herndon received 9,825 votes while independent candidate Steven R. Johnson received 7,409 votes.

In the county clerk race, incumbent Glenda Poston, Republican, received 4,368 votes and will remain clerk.

For County Treasurer, Jennifer Economu, Republican, the deputy treasurer received 4,624 votes and will serve as treasurer in 2023.

For Assessor, Olivia A. Drake, Republican and deputy assessor received 4,616 votes and will serve as assessor in 2023.

Chad Workman ran unopposed for county coroner and received 4,593 votes.

For District 1 races, a huge number of write-ins slowed the counting of ballots in Bonner County.

While polls closed at 8 p.m., it took until roughly midnight for the first round of ballots to be counted in Bonner County. This was due to a large amount of write-in ballots, Bonner County Clerk Michael Rosedale said.

For State Senator District 1 Scott Herndon, Republican, received 3,239 votes and Steven Johnson, write-in received 1,622 in Boundary County. For Bonner County, Herndon received 9,825 votes and Johnson received 7,409 votes. Herndon was named the winner Wednesday morning.

State Representative, Position A, Dist. 1, Mark Sauter, Republican with 4,418 votes.

State Representative, Position B, Dist. 1, Sage G. Dixon, Republican with 4,224 votes.

Magistrate Judge, Dist. 1, Judge Justin W. Julian to be retained, 3,671 “yes” votes and 865 “no” votes.

U.S. Senator, Mike Crapo, R, retains his seat with 60.33% of votes across the state. Crapo received 3,939 votes in Boundary County. David Roth, D, received 732 votes and Scott Oh Cleveland received 403 votes.

U.S. Representative Dist. 1, Russ Fulcher, R, reclaims his seat with 71.29% of the votes across Dist. 1. Fulcher received 4,188 votes in Boundary County and Kaylee Peterson, D, received 835 votes.

Governor, Brad Little, R, remains Idaho’s governor receiving 60.50% of the votes. Little received 3,084 votes in Boundary County, Ammon Bundy, I, received 1,602 votes and Stephen Heidt, R, received 437 votes.

Lieutenant Governor, Scott Bedke, R, wins the state with 64.32% of the votes and Boundary County with 3,922 votes. Terri Pinkens Manweiler, D, received 757 votes in Boundary County.

Secretary of State: Phil McGrane, R, won the state with 72.43% of votes and Boundary County with 4,218 votes. Shawn Keenan, D, received 799 votes in Boundary County.

State Controller, Brandon D. Woolf won the state with 69.45% of votes and Boundary County with 4,165 votes. Dianna David, D, received 707 votes in Boundary County.

State Treasure, Julie A. Ellsworth, R, won the state with 71.05% of the votes and Boundary County with 4,302 votes. Deborah Silver, D, received 796 votes in Boundary County.

Attorney General, Raul Labrador, R, won the state with 62.54% of the votes and Boundary County with 4,212 votes. Tom Arkoosh, D, received 967 votes in Boundary County.

Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction, Debbie Critchfield won the state with 69.67% of the vote and Boundary County with 4,200 votes. Terry L. Gilbert, D, received 817 votes in Boundary County.

In the vote to amend the Idaho Constitution to allow the Idaho Legislature to call itself back into session, there were 2,732 yes votes and 1,837 no votes in Boundary County. 52.03% of Idaho voters voted yes and 47.97% voted no.

In an advisory vote asking voters if they approved of the state using its record surplus to issue refunds, cut income taxes and increase education funding. There were 3,566 votes yes and 1,461 votes no in Boundary County. At the state level, 79.84% of voters voted yes and 20.16% of voters voted no.

Idaho Republicans should retain their legislative supermajority in 2023 after winning or leading in 86 of the state’s 105 legislative races in this year’s general election, according to partial, unofficial results released by the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office early Wednesday.

For the past two years, the GOP also controlled 86 of the 105 seats in the Idaho Legislature.

Assuming results hold, there will be 28 Republicans and seven Democrats in the Idaho Senate in 2023, just as there has been for the past two years.

If Idaho House results hold, Republicans will hold 58 seats compared to 12 for the Democrats, just as there has been for the past two years.

Republicans have controlled a supermajority in both chambers of the Idaho Legislature since 1993. In 1991 and 1992, the balance of power in the Idaho Senate was evenly split with 21 Republicans and 21 Democrats each holding seats before the number of seats in the Idaho Senate was fixed at 35 starting in 1993.

More than 40 of the 105 seats will be held by new legislators who did not serve in the Idaho Legislature in 2022. The historic turnover is the result of the 2021 redistricting process colliding with legislative retirements, a May primary election that saw 19 incumbent Republican legislators lose their seats to new Republican challengers and a few seats changing hands in this week’s election.

That turnover will lead to major changes for the 2023 Idaho Legislature, where at least 11 of the 20 members of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee will be new, the speaker of the Idaho House will be new for the first time in 10 years and the chairpersons of several important committees will be new, including the House and Senate Health and Welfare committees, the Senate Education Committee, the House Revenue and Taxation Committee and the House Judiciary Rules and Administration Committee.

Idaho election results will not become official until after the Idaho State Board of Canvassers conducts the canvases and certification of election results. The deadline for the Idaho State Board of Canvassers to meet and certify election results is Nov. 23.

All Idaho legislators are elected to two-year terms. All 105 seats in the Idaho Legislature will be up for election again in 2024, which is also a presidential election year.

The 2023 legislative session is scheduled to begin Jan. 9 with Gov. Brad Little’s State of the State address.