Lockwood files for commissioner race

By Cameron Rasmusson
Reader Staff

The race for the Bonner County Board of Commissioners got yet more crowded this week with Steve Lockwood’s announcement he is running in the Democratic primary election for Seat 3.

An 18-year resident of Bonner County, Lockwood, presuming he remains uncontested or wins the primary, will face the winner of the Republican primary in the general election. Incumbent Dan McDonald and Carol Kunzeman, former mayor of Ponderay, face off in the Republican primary election this May.

Steve Lockwood.

“I plan to run an active campaign,” Lockwood said. “A lot of people asked me to run for the commission, and I ultimately agreed to do it.”

After retiring as an operations manager for AT&T, Lockwood volunteered on the Air Quality Committee in Portland, Ore. In Bonner County, he served on Sandpoint’s Planning and Zoning Commission, the City Council and the Lake Pend Oreille School Board. He currently serves on Sandpoint’s Urban Renewal Board and the boards of the Idaho Conservation League and Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society.

“I want to help Bonner County in addressing important issues,” Lockwood said in a press release. “We need to respond vigorously to the possibility of a smelter on the county’s western border, promote affordable housing and create economic development strategies that attract jobs paying a living wage for a family. It is important that County policies preserve the small town and rural character of our community in the face of inevitable growth.”

To date, Lockwood is unchallenged in the Democratic primary. However, the first day to file candidacy paperwork hasn’t yet arrived, so time will tell if he attracts a challenger.

“I really look forward to the campaign and having all the candidates expressed what their interests are,” he said. “I know there have been (voter) concerns, so let’s find out what they want.”