By Secretary of State Phil McGrane
Honoring A Public Servant And A Friend
I’m heartbroken by the news of the passing of Mayor Rick Hogaboam. As the Canyon County Clerk, Rick and I worked closely together. Beyond just doing our jobs, we shared a love for voting, elections, and politics.
While I’m still processing what is truly a shocking loss, I had a moment this morning that made me pause. Despite it being spring break, my son woke up early and asked me to make him toast. It was simple, but it reminded me to slow down and take in what matters most.
Rick was more than a colleague; he was a friend and someone I had the privilege of working alongside through multiple chapters of public service. I worked with him when he was Chief of Staff for Nampa Mayor Debbie Kling, then as Canyon County Clerk, and most recently alongside him as mayor. In every role, he was steady, thoughtful, and deeply committed to doing right by the people he served.
I especially admired his time as Clerk. He stepped into that role when elections were a hot and often debated topic, and he handled it with integrity and professionalism. I know how excited he was to do the work every day, it’s a passion we bonded over.
Rick and I were both election nerds. He loved the data, the process, and everything that went into making elections work, the numbers, the datasets, and the stories they tell. I’ll always appreciate the times we had together, getting to geek out over it.
I especially remember touring the new Canyon County elections building about a year ago, where we were genuinely so excited about what it meant for voters and how it would improve elections for his community.
Just last week, he was in my office with his youth advisory council, sharing that same passion with the next generation.
He was a husband, a father of five, and a grandfather. As a dad of young kids myself, this loss hits differently. We were close in age, raising families, doing this work together, it puts a lot into perspective.
I am praying for his family and for our community. This is a terrible loss for us all.
Phil McGrane
About Phil McGrane
Phil McGrane was elected Idaho’s twenty-eighth Secretary of State and took office on January 2, 2023. McGrane served as elected Clerk of Ada County from 2019-2022. McGrane holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy, a juris doctorate, and a Master of Public Administration. As a fourth-generation Idahoan, Phil has dedicated his career to making elections in the state of Idaho accessible, secure and transparent.
