A sudden dearth of Democrats

Your eyes are not deceiving you - the Bonner County Primary ballot looks like an all-Republican contest. From county to Congress, all candidates sport the “R” label, with the exception of one diehard Democrat. Give the man credit for honesty; at least he’s not hiding in the RINO ranks.

Before 2011, when the Idaho GOP closed its Primary to all but Republican voters, rampant Democrat cross-over voting for the most liberal Republican on the ballot influenced election outcomes. Since then, a lot of shape-shifting has created a sudden dearth of Democrats. They began a new life as RINOs, both as voters and candidates. The voter rolls tell the story, but here are a few examples of some local elected officials whose names you may recognize:

• Former LPOSD trustee Mindy Cameron - as early as 2012, in a letter to the editor urged Democrats to register as Republicans “to keep our leaders in the state legislature”. (Those were “Republicans” Keough, Eskridge and Anderson.)

• Former Democrat Sandpoint mayor Carrie Logan - published a letter in 2016 urging a vote for Keough. Logan is now a Republican.

• Former Bonner County Democratic Party Chair Ken Meyers - now a Republican.

• Former Bonner County Democratic Party Chair Sylvia Humes – now a Republican.

• Mayor Shelby Rognstad – “Republican” until he switched to Democrat to run for governor this year.

To avoid giving RINOs your vote in this election, consult the detailed voter guide on the website of the Bonner County Republican Central Committee.

ANITA PERRY

Sandpoint