Incumbents win state races

SANDPOINT — Two local incumbents toppled opponents in Tuesday’s primary elections.

Senators Shawn Keough of Sandpoint and Joyce Broadsword of Sagle, ran away with victories Tuesday in the respective District 1 and District 2 Republican primaries.

Keough, who has served almost 14 years in the Senate, handily defeated Steve Tanner of Bonners Ferry by garnering 69 percent of the vote by press time.

Keough, who campaigned on her experience and seniority as a means of getting things done in Boise, thanked constituents who supported her.

“I’m honored by the continuing support of the voters,” she said. “I appreciate everyone’s support and look forward to serving them in the state Senate.”

In Boundary County where Tanner lives, Keough earned 1,008 votes to her opponent’s 468.

Tanner campaigned in support of capital punishment, espoused a return to a Christian-based government and said he would push to cut education spending by as much as 80 percent, calling the state’s education system an incubator of socialism.

Broadsword, a third-term Republican, garnered 55 percent of the district vote by press time defeating Dennis Engelhardt who claimed 31 percent of votes.

James Stivers of DeSmet, who lost to Broadsword in the 2008 primaries, had earned 14 percent of votes three hours after the polls closed.

In Bonner County, the election was closer with 44 percent of voters casting ballots for Broadsword by press time and 41 percent voting for Engelhardt. Stivers earned 28 percent of county votes.

Boundary County’s seven precincts had tallied votes by press time while 17 of Bonner County’s 33 precincts had been counted.

Calling unfunded federal mandates detrimental to state budgets especially in lean financial periods, Broadsword campaigned on state-rights issues and voted against the federal health care.

In addition, she pushed for increasing the maximum penalty in child injury cases from 10 to 20 years.

Engelhardt, of Sagle, called himself a common sense representative who would reduce taxes and government spending. Stivers supported adopting a state bank in Idaho touting as a model North Dakota, which has a state bank and is operating in the black.

Rep. Eric Anderson and Rep. George Eskridge, both long-time incumbents were unopposed in District 1.