Idaho Rep. Walt Minnick released a list Thursday of more than 100 supporters who’ve signed onto his re-election campaign committee, with all 19 counties in the 1st Congressional District represented. The list includes 12 mayors, 11 county commissioners, and at least 10 Republican officials or contributors.
"I am honored and humbled by the support of so many community leaders," Minnick said in a news release.
Minnick received the majority of votes in seven of the 19 counties in the 1st District in the 2008 election. His campaign manager, John Foster, said Minnick has worked to earn the support of people in all the counties. “All these counties are very important,” Foster told IdahoReporter.com. “All these towns are important. They all have important issues, and they all have voters that support Walt.” Foster said party affiliation wasn’t a key factor in putting together the list.
Republican supporters on the list backing Minnick include Jim Riley, president of Intermountain Forest Association, Eric Davis, former president of the National Cattleman’s Beef Association, and Jim Schmit, president of Qwest Idaho. GOP elected officials on Minnick’s list include Gem County Commissioner Sharon Church-Pratt and Valley County Commissioner Gerald Winkle.
Several top Democrats in the 1st District are also supporting Minnick, including Idaho House Minority Leader John Rusche of Lewiston and Boise Mayor Dave Bieter, who formerly served in the Idaho House.
Read the list of Minnick supporters, organized by county, below.
Ada County
Pam Beaumont – Garden City city councilor
Frank Benzing – President and CEO of SummerWinds
David Bieter – Mayor of Boise
Vern Bisterfeldt – Boise city councilor
Janet Calinsky – Meridian School Board
David Case – Kuna School Board
Roy Eiguren – President of Eiguren Public Policy Firm
Mark Griffin – President of Boise chapter of National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Elfreda Higgins – Idaho legislator and Garden City City Councilor
Marilyn Howard – Former Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction
Edith and Bill Martin – Owner of Metro Express Car Wash
Dr. Lynn McGlothin – Retired orthopedic surgeon
Winston Moore – Commercial real estate developer
Bob Naerebout – Former executive director of Idaho Dairymen’s Association
Chryssa Rich – Chair of Ada County Democrats and marketing associate for Pets Best Insurance
Jim Schmit – President of Qwest Idaho
Clint Shiflet – President of Meridian Chamber of Commerce
Rick Stott – Executive vice president of Agri Beef
Dave Thomas – Owner of High Desert Harley
Lt. Gen. (retired) Jim Thompson – Former chief of staff at NATO Headquarters in Naples, Italy
TJ Thomson – Boise city councilor
David Zaremba – Meridian city councilor
Adams County
Barbara Dixon – New Meadows School Board
Stacy Dreyer – New Meadows School Board
Wendy Ogden – Council city councilor
Mike Paradis – Adams County Commissioner
Benewah County
Robert Allen – Former mayor of St. Maries
Margaret Gannon – St. Maries School Board
Faith Harvey – Mayor of Tensed
June Judd – Former St. Maries legislator
Marjorie Welch – St. Maries School Board
John Wheaton – Plummer city councilor
Boise County
Brent Adamson – Boise County assessor and member of Idaho City School Board
Jacqueline Bridwell – Mayor of Idaho City
Robin Green – Horseshoe Bend city councilor
Dorris Murdock – President of Idaho City Chamber of Commerce
Greg Simione – President of Garden Valley Chamber of Commerce
Pete Wier – Chair of Garden Valley School Board
Bonner County
Laura Bry – Mac computer consultant
Karl Dye – Executive director of Economic Development Council
Ford Elsaesser – Senior partner for Elsaesser Jarzabek Anderson Elliot & Macdonald
Kermit Kiebert – Former director of Idaho Department of Transportation and Idaho legislator
Jim Martin – Mayor of Priest River
John Olson – President of Local 1295 National Federation of Federal Employees
Lonnie Orr – Mayor of Oldtown
William Rise – Priest River city councilor
Boundary County
Fred Hendrickson – Owner of Bear Mechanical
Elsie Hollenbeck – Retired educator
Stephen Howlett – Owner of Stephen F. Howlett Building and Remodeling
Mike Sloan – President of Bonners Ferry Chamber of Commerce
Canyon County
Judy Ferro – Retired educator
Jeff Hess – COO of Hawkins Companies LLC
Leo Holmes – Veteran, Caldwell activist
Kent Mann – Owner of M & M Feed Lot
Dr. Donald Price, M.D. – Former president of Idaho Medical Association
Vicki Thurber – Mayor of Middleton
Clearwater County
John Allen – Clearwater County commissioner
Ron Banks – Orofino city councilor
Ted Brown – Orofino city councilor
Chuck Cuddy – Former Idaho legislator
James Martin – Mayor of Elk River
Marguerite McLaughlin – Orofino city councilor
Ryan Smathers – Mayor of Orofino
Wallace Williams – Former mayor of Pierce
Gem County
Neal Canaday – Owner of Canaday Trucking Inc.
Dennis Drake – Manager of Emerald Forest Products
Tona Henderson – Emmett city councilor and owner of Rumor Mill Coffee Shop
Sharon Church–Pratt – Gem County commissioner
Idaho County
John Bennett – Manager of Bennett Lumber
Rob Bentley – Grangeville city councilor
Tom Kovalicky – Retired from forest service
Jim Rehder – Idaho County commissioner
Charlotte Schilling – Mayor of Kooskia
Don Solberg – Owner of Solberg Agency Inc.
Kootenai County
Sandi Bloem – Mayor of Coeur d’Alene
David Bobbitt – Chair of Post Falls Chamber of Commerce
Jeanne Buell – Worley businesswoman and Vice–Chair of Idaho Democratic Party
Art Flagan – CFO and treasurer for Hagadone Corporation
Thom George – Real estate agent
Jim Hawkins – Former director of Idaho Department of Commerce
Mike Kennedy – Coeur d’Alene city councilor
Ronald McIntire – Mayor of Hayden
Steve Meyer – Commercial real estate developer
Ed Peone – Hauser city councilor
Jim Riley – President of Intermountain Forest Association
Latah County
Randy Hall – Former mayor of Genesee
David Nelson – Managing partner of Visual Mesa LLC
Bill Newbry – Genesee agriculture executive
Lewis County
Steve Bateman – Mayor of Nez Perce
Chuck Doty – Lewis County commissioner
Nez Perce County
Butch Alford – Retired media executive
Nathan Alford – Media executive
Liz Chavez – Idaho legislator, former educator
Bob Coleman – President of Coleman Oil
Pete Gertonson – Candidate for Nez Perce County Commission
Valerie Guenther – CEO of Lewis Clark Credit Union
John Rusche – Idaho House Minority Leader, physician
John Tait – Attorney
Carol Wallace – Educator, former Lewiston city councilor
Ron Wittman – Nez Perce County commissioner
Owyhee County
Eric Davis – Former president of National Cattleman’s Beef Association
Payette County
Les Cochran – Payette city councilor
Galen Lee – President Nyssa/Nampa Beet Growers Association
Tony Wozniak – Fruitland city councilor
Shoshone County
Jon Cantamessa – Shoshone county commissioner
Vern Hanson – Shoshone county commissioner
Duane Little – Former Shoshone County assessor
Vince Rinaldi – Shoshone County commissioner
Dr. Dick Vester – Owner of Vester Eye Clinic
Valley County
Marilyn Arp – Former McCall City councilor
Frank Eld – Valley County commissioner
Gerald Winkle – Valley County commissioner
Washington County
Bob Barber – Financial consultant
Joe Hinson – Forester, industry activist
Margaret Soulen–Hinson – American Sheep Industry
Virgil Leedy – Weiser City councilor
Creed Noah – Owner of Creed Noah Real Estate
Dan Randleman – Weiser City councilor
Phil Soulen – Owner of Soulen Livestock Company
