It takes a certain amount of ambition and ego to stand for public office—to proclaim that you are the best qualified person for an elected position. Combine that with the necessity of campaigning to people who are not as plugged into politics as you and I are, and you get a highly charged and emotional environment. Candidates are often tempted to pull out every trick in the book to gain an edge over their competition.
In 1996, a young community organizer in Chicago named Barack Obama filed to run for the Illinois State Legislature. His team challenged the signatures on the nomination petitions of all four of his opponents, including incumbent Alice Palmer, and convinced a judge to disqualify them from the ballot. He then won unopposed.
In 2004, Obama ran for a vacant U.S. Senate seat against Republican Jack Ryan. Once again, his team pulled out all the stops. Obama convinced a judge to unseal Ryan’s divorce records, revealing embarrassing details about his breakup with ex-wife and actress Jeri Ryan of Star Trek: Voyager fame. Ryan dropped out, and Obama once again won essentially unopposed. Republican Alan Keyes quickly moved to Illinois and was nominated in Ryan’s place, but won only 27% of the vote.
Why fight fair if fighting dirty makes it easier to win?
Two races in Ada County illustrate that paradigm.
With Ada County Coroner Rich Riffle not seeking reelection, three candidates are looking to succeed him. The Democrat, Dotti Owens, served as coroner for many years before being defeated by Riffle in 2022. She is unopposed in her primary. On the GOP side, Chief Deputy Coroner Brett Harding is running against political consultant and nonprofit CEO Tim Flaherty.
While Owens has held the office before and Harding has more than 30 years of experience in the field, Flaherty’s campaign raises the question of whether someone with no prior experience can win election to this highly technical position. Despite plastering his campaign signs with the phrase “Trained medicolegal death investigator,” a screenshot of Flaherty’s certificate shows that he completed a 40-hour online course on March 26—nearly two weeks after filing and beginning his campaign.
Nevertheless, Flaherty touts endorsements from Speaker Mike Moyle, Rep. Josh Tanner, Valley County Sheriff Kevin Copperi, and Congressman Russ Fulcher. It is up to voters to decide whether those endorsements reflect confidence in Flaherty’s ability to lead the Ada County Coroner’s Office, or whether they are political favors to a well-connected friend.
According to Idaho Sunshine, Flaherty has spent nearly $30,000 this election cycle despite receiving only $1,450 in contributions, along with loans totaling $38,000 from himself. Will a slick and expensive campaign make up for the candidate’s lack of experience?
Another race in Ada County features Holly Cook challenging incumbent Commissioner Ryan Davidson. Davidson has been in office for six years following his election in 2020, after which he and fellow Republican Rod Beck reversed Central Health District mask mandates, restored the Western Idaho Fair, and cut property taxes for Ada County residents.
While Davidson was helping restore common sense to Ada County in 2020, Holly Cook was serving on Democrat Paulette Jordan’s campaign for U.S. Senate. She left the campaign shortly before the Democratic primary, alleging that Jordan was having trouble paying her, among other claims. When activists and candidates switch parties as easily as changing shirts, it naturally leaves voters wondering what they truly believe.
Since that time, Cook has worked for the Boise Metro Chamber, Boise School District, and NeighborWorks Boise. According to a recent profile in the Idaho Statesman, Cook “has filed for bankruptcy twice, been held in contempt of court on nine counts, been pursued by multiple collections agencies and once was labeled a vexatious litigant, court records showed.”
Commissioner Davidson has his own history of legal issues, which Cook has been happy to highlight. However, last month she filed a complaint with the Ada County Clerk’s Office alleging that Davidson was not legally registered to vote or run for office. Clerk Trent Tripple ruled this week that Davidson’s registration was valid, and the commissioner issued a statement calling Cook’s complaints “frivolous and meritless” as well as “vexatious.”
Partisans will always claim that it is the other side fighting dirty while their preferred candidate is fighting for truth, justice, and the American way. Ultimately, it is up to voters to decide how to handle situations like these. Will they reward underhanded tricks, thereby encouraging more of them in the future? Or will they reject that kind of politicking for good?
About Brian Almon
Brian Almon is the Editor of the Gem State Chronicle. He also serves as Chairman of the District 14 Republican Party and is a trustee of the Eagle Public Library Board. He lives with his wife and five children in Eagle.
