County primary races taking shape

By Lyndsie Kiebert
Reader Staff

The May 19 primary election, in which locals will vote on Bonner County and state offices, has started to draw official filings for both Bonner County commissioner seats and county sheriff.

In District 1, current Commissioner Steve Bradshaw will face Republican challenger and Sagle resident Butch Horton. Commissioner Jeff Connolly will officially run again for his seat in 2020, an office which has yet to see a challenger file for candidacy.

District 3 Commissioner Dan McDonald is still working on the four-year term he won in 2018.

In the race for Bonner County sheriff, incumbent Daryl Wheeler has officially filed for reelection, county elections officials confirmed. Wheeler has been the Bonner County Sheriff since 2008.

Bonner County resident Dan Rose announced that he has launched “an exploratory committee to assess the viability of a candidacy and bid for the position” of sheriff, but has yet to file with the Bonner County Elections Office.

“The sheriff’s office is uniquely responsible for values that occasionally require intervention between a sometimes overreaching or errant government and the citizen’s constitutionally guaranteed rights,” Rose said. “Positive results have been experienced from my participation in several community activities pursuant to this ideal, that I expect to continue.”

The Bonner County Elections Office is accepting declarations of candidacy through Friday, March 13. After that, candidate filings will be posted to the County Elections website: bonnercountyid.gov/departments/elections.