Voters get ready for primary election

A number of races on the Republican ballot should draw voters to the polls Tuesday.

Voters will go to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in the state's primary election to pare down the candidates for this fall's general elections.

Locally, there are a number of contested races on the ballot, most on the Republican ticket.

Arlie Shaw and Janet Langfitt are facing off on the Republican ballot for the right to challenge Democrat Jim Sanders for the First District County Commissioners seat. The position is open following the decision by incumbent Democrat Mary Egusquiza not to seek re-election.

For the Third District Commissioner's seat incumbent Democrat Connie Cruser will face the man she beat in the last election, Republican Calvin Ireland, during the fall election. Niether are facing challenges in the primary this Tuesday.

Republicans Marianne Bate and Marsa Grimmett are facing off in the primary for the right to challenge Democrat Merrilee Hiler this fall. Incumbent Democrat Gail Best is retiring this year.

The county coroner's race is crowded this year on the Republican ballot, with three candidates, incumbent Marla Spence, and challengers Jerry Rost and Paul Reyes seeking to challenge Democrat John Watson this fall. Spence has been under a cloud going into the election due to a misdemeanor charge of misuse of public equipment that she is facing. That case has not gone to trial.

Unopposed on the primary ballot are incumbent County Treasurer Rose Plympton (Democrat), County Prosecutor Kristina Schindele (Democrat), and assessor candidate Joe Gridley (Democrat). Gridley has worked in the assessor's office for years and is the choice of retiring assessor Jim Haydon to replace him.

The various races for legislative office for District 22, which includes Elmore and Boise counties, will have some interesting challenges in the fall, but not on the primary ballot. This fall, Democrat Henry Hibbert will challenge incumbent Republican Tim Corder for the District 22 senate seat, while Democrat Karen Schindele, the mother of the county prosecutor, will challenge incumbent Republican Rich Wills for the Position A representative seat. Democrat Dawn Best, the daughter of the county clerk, will challenge incumbent Republican Pete Nielsen for the Position B representative post from District 22 this fall.

At the state level the most crowded race of all is for the Republican nomination for governor.

Current First District Congressman C.L. Butch Otter, Jack Alan Johnson, Walt Bayes and Dan Adamson are all hoping to earn the nomination. On the Democratic ballot, Jerry Brady, who previously ran for the office, is being challenged by Lee Chaney, Sr.

Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, who would have been completing his second term this year, has been nominated by President Bush to become the next Secretary of the Interior. His lieutenant governor, Jim Risch, will probably finish Kempthorne's term.

Risch is seeking to return as lieutenant governor this fall. He is unchallenged on the Republican ballot. But two Democrats, Larry LaRocco and Dan Romero are battling in the primary for the right to face him this fall.

Superintendent of Public Instruction is as crowded as the governor's race, following the decision by incumbent Democrat Marylin Howard to retire.

On the Democratic ballot next Tuesday Jana Jones and Bert Marley are facing each other, while on the Republican ballot Steve Casey, Tom Luna and Steve Smylie are battling it out.

The attorney general's race sees incumbent Republican Lawrence G. Wasden being challenged by Myron Dan Gabbert in the primary. Democrat Robert A. Wallace will face the winner this fall.

For state controller, Republicans Royce C. Chigbrow and Donna Jones are battling it out in the primary for the right to face Democrat Jackie Groves Twilegar this fall.

For state treasurer, Democrat Jill Ellsworth and incumbent Republican Ron Crane are unopposed on the primary ballot.

Secretary of State Ben Ysursa (Republican) is unchallenged in both the primary and fall election.

At the national level, Democrats D. Craig Cooper and Jim Hansen are vying for the right to challenge incumbent Republican Mike Simpson this fall for the post as congressman from the Second Congressional District.

There are several non-partisan judicial positions on the ballot in which voters are asked whether or not to retain sitting judges.

In addition, voters will select precinct committeemen for each party, but there are no challenges in any of those races and many of the posts don't even have a candidate running.

Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters who have not already done so can register at the polls, if proper identification showing their current residence is provided (a driver's license and a power or water bill will work).

Polling locations for each precinct can be found in the legal notice carried in today's issue.