Democrats drop out of District 1 races

SANDPOINT — Two Democratic candidates in legislative District 1 races have withdrawn from the ballot, according to the Idaho Secretary of State.

Laura Bry of Sandpoint pulled out of the senate race, while Tim Tucker withdrew from the representative position B race.

The withdrawals mean incumbent Sen. Shawn Keough and incumbent Rep. George Eskridge are shoo-ins in the Nov. 6 general election.

Both Bry and Tucker, however, never actually intended to run. Their names were on the ballot as a form of insurance in case Keough and Eskridge been defeated by Tea Party-backed candidates in the primary.

“That was the original intention,” said Bry.

Keough was being challenged by Danielle Ahrens and Eskridge competed against Pam Stout. But Keough and Eskridge ultimately prevailed in lopsided wins for the Republican nomination.

Had either Ahrens or Stout won the GOP nods, Tucker and Bry would have withdrawn and their party would have nominated candidates to run in their stead.

“Idaho’s rules allow it,” Bry said of the placeholder approach.

Incumbent Position A Rep. Eric Anderson was challenged in the primary by Donna Capurso. Andrew Sorg of Sandpoint was an uncontested candidate for the Democratic nomination in that race.

Anderson also prevailed in the primary, although Sorg is still listed as a candidate on the secretary of state’s website.

Neither Anderson nor Sorg responded to a request for comment.