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Karen Matthee has my vote for Legislative Seat 1A on Nov. 3. I appreciate Karen’s viewpoints on many topics. One of her priorities is protecting veteran service members with benefits they deserve from state and federal funding. She also supports local Veterans Service Offices, which are funded directly through county property taxes and general county operating budgets rather than direct federal VA funding.
Another priority: Karen will advocate for equal rights for ALL. She believes everyone deserves dignity, respect and equal rights under the law. Karen will fight bad bills that would marginalize any Idahoan.
Karen is an intelligent, experienced leader. Her background in journalism makes her a good listener and grounds her in facts. Read about Karen: kmattheeforidaho. com. Join me in marking your ballot for the person who will work for you and ALL Idahoans.
Andrea Berliner Sandpoint
Red light to data center!
A vote for Brandy Warren is a green light for the region’s largest data center facility! Her husband is employed by Merkle Standard. It is personal to their survival. This to me, seems to be a huge conflict of interest. She is not qualified for a commissioner position. Look at her qualifications! The article in The Miner last week clearly showed she was being directed by another commissioner to occupy this position!
Robert Rosencrantz clearly continues to show restraint, concerns, checks and balances. He has no personal interests in the company! Mr. Rosencrantz has the knowledge to guide us away from this overwhelming mistake.
Shame on the PUD for discussing this behind closed doors!
The whole country is tapping its brakes on data centers! We need to whoa as well. Wake up and protect our power rates, and our rural infrastructure from this monstrous data center!
We all need to vote candidates into office based on their knowledge and qualifications for these positions! Stop voting for folks because you like them! They need to be qualified!
Cindy Boober Newport
The Right Stuff
After attending the candidate forum sponsored by the Selkirk Sun in Metaline Falls on Oct. 3, it is even more obvious who the right-choice candidates are for the upcoming local elections.
If you follow the money, two candidates are bought and paid for by outside interests in the form of data centers (PDC Disclosures).
The right-choice candidates are Robert Rosencrantz for county commissioner and Ernie Hood for PUD commissioner. Both Robert and Ernie share many of the same attributes that make them the right choice. Both have integrity. Both have relevant experience appropriate for the position they seek. Both have a vision for the future of Pend Oreille that puts you, the resident citizens, first. Both candidates understand their role and share a commitment to open government, of, for and by the people; they understand who they work for. They will both ask the hard questions and make decisions based on what you, the constituents, have to say. Even when decisions are difficult and perhaps counterintuitive, they have the integrity to explain publicly and own their decisions. Please, vote for Robert Rosencrantz and Ernie Hood in the upcoming midterm election.
Andrew Feldman Newport
A Change in Direction
Growing up in Bonner County in the 1950s, the only spices we knew were salt and pepper and a bottle of Worcestershire sauce … and politics were not nearly as bitter. Times have changed!
Steve Johnson was raised in Bonner County. He attended the local schools here and the University of Idaho, which is where I met him.
I consider Steve honest, caring and deeply committed to doing what’s best for the people of Bonner County. We need to return to people who will be that kind of politician.
Please join me in voting for Steve Johnson. He is running as an Independent, and while you’re at it, some of these other Independents look pretty good, too!
Steve Booth Nordman
Voice your opinion
We need to, not only VOTE, but voice our opinion to our elected leaders.
The policies of the current administration, and those in congress that either support him, or do nothing to curtail these policies, are what’s weaking America, and causing you, an American to suffer. Not to mention making enemies of our allies, and making the USA a laughingstock, Wake up. It’s time to vote these people out.
Some facts about Tariffs and Higher prices: The current administration and our representative who support that or look the other way, added roughly $1,500 per household annually on everyday goods like groceries, clothing, and vehicles. Lower-income households were hit hardest. Studies from economic groups like the Tax Foundation and the Federal Reserve indicate that American importers and consumers— not foreign exporters— bore 90% to 96% of the financial burden. Do you think that your elected representatives care about the how the cost increases affect them and their families? Only if it hurt their chance for reelection.
We have the power to raise our voices and remind our elected representatives that they work for us, not the other way around.
VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!
Budd Colucci Newport
Warren right fit for county
I have been at many meetings where Brandy Warren has been in attendance. I have listened to her questions as well as her input on a variety of issues. Her desire to have our County succeed is obviously her top priority. She advocates responsible growth that protects our County values, she focuses on solutions, she wants open communication and to work collaboratively with others including government entities, private business and local citizens.
Brandy is vested in our County having lived and participated in our community for over 20 years. She is raising her family here and is a small business owner in Newport and Priest River. She has first-hand knowledge of the challenges facing local businesses and wants to see opportunities for our children to stay in this County to successfully live, work and raise their own families.
Brandy will serve this County with integrity driven leadership, putting in the same hard work, dedication, and drive as a County Commissioner that allows her to be a successful business woman and respected community member. I whole heartedly endorse Brandy Warren for District 2 County Commissioner.
-Kelly J. Driver Port of Pend Oreille Executive Director
Steve Johnson Is the Right Choice for Our District
I have been a Republican most of my adult life, winning elections and representing neighbors on issues important to our district, regardless of party. I still embrace my Republican Party’s principles, but I am not a Scott Herndon Republican. Study his plans for Idaho; none are good.
Thankfully, Independent State Senate candidate Steve Johnson offers a commonsense alternative. A farmer, homebuilder, former educator, longtime Sandpoint Rotarian, and respected citizen, he puts Idaho families first and opposes government imposing narrow religious beliefs.
Herndon backed an unqualified West Bonner County schools superintendent, displayed posters of aborted fetuses with his young daughters outside Sandpoint Middle School, and seeks to end the Festival at Sandpoint. That does not represent me, and likely not you. His attention-grabbing antics embarrass me and raise concerns about what comes next.
The choice is clear: Johnson wants to represent us and make Idaho better for families; Herndon has different priorities.
Vote Steve Johnson for State Senate this November. He is as independent as Idaho and deserves your support.
George Eskridge 14 Year Republican State House Representative
Endorsement of Rosencrantz
I proudly endorse Robert Rosencrantz for Pend Oreille County Commissioner. Robert is thoughtful, independent, and deeply committed to our community. He listens carefully, asks difficult questions, weighs the facts, and reaches his own conclusions, even when doing so is unpopular. That independence is not a weakness; it is essential to honest, effective local government.
Good governance does not require every elected official to agree. A 2-1 vote does not mean the person in the minority is “hard to work with.” Thoughtful disagreement is often a sign that the process is working as it should. Elected officials should be willing to challenge assumptions, ask difficult questions, and vote according to their judgement rather than yielding to pressure simply for the sake of unanimity. Robert also believes constituents deserve transparency, respect, and a government that never treats the public as a threat. And maybe most important, Robert can’t be bought. Shame on those in our country, states and counties who have been.
Robert cares deeply about Pend Oreille County and takes the responsibilities of public office seriously. His integrity, sound judgment, and willingness to serve with conviction are exactly the qualities we should demand from our elected officials. For these reasons, I strongly encourage you to vote for Robert Rosencrantz for Pend Oreille County Commissioner.
Curt Knapp Newport
Baumgartner ignoring Constitution
We all know that our federal government has three branches: legislative, judicial, and executive. The Constitution stipulates those three branches operate as a system of checks and balances. What we have now in Washington is not this system.
Since taking office in 2024, Representative Baumgartner has assisted in the destruction of our system of democracy by allowing the president to run roughshod over Congress by ignoring laws as well as cancelling funding already approved.
Not only is Baumgartner complicit in ignoring the Constitution, he cares more about pleasing his boss than supporting his constituents. Baumgartner does NOT represent us. His own bill, H.R. 5388, would put a moratorium on state laws that restrict AI – so Washington couldn’t set its own rules. No one of either party has signed on to this bill. Would you?
We need to send an Eastern Washington representative who will fight not just for us but for the integrity of the House of Representatives. That’s a tall order and Carmela Conroy is ready to take on the challenge. Carmela has spoken in Pend Oreille County five times this campaign cycle and is gaining momentum across the 5th District. Vote for Carmela Conroy! Take our democracy back!
Martha Nichols Newport Sauter supports parents, choice, better education
Every Idaho child deserves an excellent education, and parents deserve a meaningful voice in determining what that education looks like. That’s why I support Jane Sauter for Idaho House District 1A.
Jane believes in educational choice because every child is different. School choice gives families options while encouraging innovation, competition and accountability. Most importantly, it recognizes that parents know their children better than government does.
Parental empowerment isn’t anti-public education — it’s pro-child.
This is especially important for families raising children with special needs. They deserve educational options that meet their children’s individual needs, even when traditional schools cannot provide them.
Jane also believes Idaho’s education funding formula needs modernization so taxpayer dollars are used effectively and focused where they matter most: in the classroom and on students.
Our education system should serve children — not bureaucracy.
Voters in House District 1A have a clear choice: more government control or greater parental choice and accountability. I encourage you to support Jane Sauter, a strong advocate for parents, students, educational choice and responsible use of taxpayer dollars. Jane Sauter will put Idaho families and students first.
Kathy Nash Blanchard
Warren not up to the job
At a recent candidate debate, Brandy Warren revealed what kind of county commissioner she would be – and it’s not a good one.
Warren dismissed Robert Rosencrantz’s successful effort to overturn the State’s septic setback rule as merely “saving people a few hundred dollars.” In reality, the change will save county families tens of thousands of dollars and enable many to build the dream homes they have invested a lifetime to create. Rather than acknowledge what Representative Andrew Engell called “A major victory for Pend Oreille County,” she minimized it, raising questions about her grasp of the issue and ability to work constructively with others.
Warren also misstated the purpose of Rosencrantz’s unanimously approved resolution establishing a county economic-resilience fund. She described it as an “economic development” fund. But “economic resilience” funds are meant to protect essential services for taxpayers, not to dole out to commissioners’ favored businesses like Merkle Standard. She argued the fund should never cover one-time repairs to essential county infrastructure: a position that would have had her voting against the county’s $90,000 contribution from Rosencrantz’s “resilience” fund to help the Town of Metaline repair its water system. Brandy is not up to the job. We’ve been warned.
Ben Richards Usk
What seems political often isn’t
In a recent conversation, a conservative friend accused Democrats of allowing abortion. I thought about Idaho law threatening doctors and nurses with prison if they treat a woman having a miscarriage before she was near death. This scene is created by political obsession with human reproduction. A woman can’t have a normal hospital birth in parts of Idaho because the abortion law drives medical practitioners away. How is that pro-life? Abortion is a medical procedure and shouldn’t be a political issue.
With gasoline and diesel prices being at record highs, the only thing left in the Republican misinformation toolbox is men in women’s sports. A recent ad by Baumgartner stated that Conroy wanted men in women’s sports. I can’t find “sports rights” in our Constitution and certainly nothing about men in women’s sports. Athletic sports associations determine the rules for competitions. Our congress has no role in this issue. The Boise State women’s volleyball team refused two matches last year as the opposing team had a transgender player. That’s how the issue is handled without politics. The conference oversees the participation rules.
What seems political often isn’t political and shouldn’t determine how we are manipulated to vote by political ads.
Pete Scobby Newport
Trump is anything but fiscally responsible
Not found of criminal wrongdoing or administrative misconduct, Trump is demanding Fed Chair Powell’s resignation. The reason? The Fed’s headquarters renovation went over budget. The party of fiscal responsibility is back!
After all, the ballroom announced it would cost $200 million, initially. Trump later announced $400 million. Clark Construction’s current estimate tags it at $600 million. Yes, taxpayers will take a hit. Trump’s Triumphal Arch, originally stated to be $100 million, is now looking at $250 million. Happily, it will be taller than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
That’ll teach Macron for being so belligerent.
Donald’s sporting events attendance costs are well over $200 million. A sporty president is a fit one!
The Daytona 500 alone cost $561,842.63. In his first term, golf costs were $151.5 million. His second term, currently $101.2 million. See, he is making America “affordable” again. Drat! I forgot “affordability” is a Democratic hoax.
Regardless of all, Trump dividend checks will sure come in handy. The $1.15 to $1.35 trillion can be easily remedied if Powell would just resign. Then we could get on track for the golden age.
Gregory Turner Newport
Buying Votes
Isn’t it illegal to buy votes? Donald Trump blatantly offered $5,000 to all adult citizens as long as Republicans win the midterms. He also stated that the U.S. government would send out a one-time $90 payment to Medicare recipients to offset the cost of their insurance premiums. The administration is sending $500 checks to almost 1 million people for what Trump described as a refund for fees charged under The Affordable Care Act.
We Americans are feeling the real impact of this Administration’s economic and trade policies. The fact that these payments are taken from our taxes should not be missed, much less seen for what they are; payments to buy votes. Meanwhile Donald Trump’s cheerleaders in Congress have said little or nothing. Michael Baumgartner, as usual is staying in the shadows until his vote is needed to support his liege. He brags about farm relief bills. Don’t be mislead. These bills and payments are directly necessary due to exploding fuel costs from the war, Trump’s economic policies and tariffs. Return our Congress to being an independent branch. Vote for Carmela Conroy and teach Michael Baumgarter the consequences of his actions.
JR Wyatt Elk
