The Republican North Idaho Political Action Committee announced its endorsements for the Republican Primary today.\u00a0 As a group of independent minded, conservative Republicans, NIPAC was formed to support rational, responsible Republican candidates to serve in county and state public office who are committed to fiscal responsibility, limited government and free markets.<\/p>\n
NIPAC looks for leaders who demonstrate common sense conservative values, the ability to build consensus and get results.\u00a0 We support leaders who show strength and independence from the extremist ideologues of the party.\u00a0 Candidates winning Republican NIPAC\u2019s endorsement are:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Brad Little for Governor<\/strong><\/p>\n Tom Kealey for State Treasurer<\/strong><\/p>\n Jim Woodward for Idaho Senate – District 1<\/strong><\/p>\n Mike Boeck for Idaho House Seat 1A<\/strong><\/p>\n Doug Okuniewicz for Idaho House Seat 2B<\/strong><\/p>\n Fritz Wiedenhoff for Idaho House, District 2, Seat A<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Paul Amador for Idaho House Seat 4B<\/strong><\/p>\n Bill Brooks for Kootenai County Commissioner Seat <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n BRAD LITTLE, Idaho Governor<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Our choice is Brad Little, hands down.\u00a0 Brad is a third generation Idahoan who is a rancher and small businessman.\u00a0 Brad is our current Lieutenant Governor, where a main responsibility is economic development.\u00a0 He has business experience in agriculture, manufacturing, and a host of other sectors, so he is right at home talking shop with Idaho\u2019s tech entrepreneurs or our farmers, ranchers, loggers, and miners. As a former school board member, Brad Little understands our education challenges, and he knows our state government from top to bottom. He combines these skills and traits with great character, humility, and a willingness to listen.\u00a0 Brad has detailed policy plans, and he deserves your vote.<\/p>\n TOM KEALEY, Idaho State Treasurer<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n It is refreshing to support a candidate for State Treasurer who is highly qualified for the job! \u00a0Tom Kealey has extensive experience in the world of financial management and we are confident he will be a thoughtful, skilled, public servant who exhibits knowledge, transparency, and meticulous stewardship of the public\u2019s resources.<\/p>\n JIM WOODWARD, Idaho Senate \u2013 District 1<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Jim Woodward<\/strong> has a broad array of experience that will serve Legislative District 1 very well.\u00a0 Jim graduated from Bonners Ferry High School and the University of Idaho before serving in the U.S. Navy for a total of 21 years (active duty and reserves).\u00a0 Since 2008, Jim has owned and operated his own heavy construction and excavation business and knows what it takes to start a business and keep it running through good times and bad.\u00a0 He also knows what it takes to meet payroll for his employees. Jim has traveled the world in the service of our country, and he\u2019s ready to put these experiences to work for Idaho.\u00a0Jim is committed to public service and working hard for North Idaho. He understands the need for strong education and infrastructure systems, and as a veteran, he knows the value of teamwork. \u00a0Jim will be a workhorse, seeking results rather than attention.<\/p>\n MIKE BOECK, Idaho House \u2013 DISTRICT 1, Seat A<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n A man of many talents, Mike Boeck is a fourth-generation Idahoan, well-respected businessman, and involved member of his community.\u00a0 Mike spent 20 years in the Idaho Army National Guard and paid his way through the University of Idaho by fighting fires as a smokejumper.\u00a0 He has spent his entire professional career in North Idaho\u2019s forest products industry, and represents the region on the Idaho Forest Products Commission.\u00a0Mike Boeck is a common-sense leader who talks about bringing \u201ceffective, conservative leadership back to Legislative District 1.\u201d\u00a0 His track record shows he will do what he says and will stand up for his constituents in Boise. And, Mike Boeck will represent all constituents, unlike his opponent who is a voice for political fringe groups.<\/p>\n DOUG OKUNIEWICZ, Idaho House \u2013 District 2, Seat B<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n He is conservative, principled and a quick study. \u00a0Doug is interested in sharing his talent and has the time and intellect to be an effective legislator unlike his opponent John Green.<\/p>\n For the past several election cycles, we have aired concerns about John Green in his numerous failed election attempts for the legislature and County Sheriff.\u00a0 Recently, the Coeur d\u2019Alene Press reported that John Green has a federal tax lien of his own, because he owes more than $134,000 in back taxes.\u00a0 Green calls the lien \u201ctotally bogus,\u201d but the Kootenai County clerk quickly undercut that claim: \u201cLiens either are or aren\u2019t satisfied \u2013 there\u2019s no middle ground.\u201d\u00a0 This isn\u2019t a rounding error; it takes a serious, deliberate effort to get that far behind on your taxes.\u00a0 Additionally, it was reported that he was not in compliance with County Building Codes. Whatever happened to personal responsibility? Like most conservatives, we were outraged when Obama chose so many tax cheats to serve in his cabinet.\u00a0 People who think they are above the law have no place making the law.\u00a0 Lawmakers should not be lawbreakers; John Green can\u2019t be trusted.<\/p>\n FRITZ WIEDENHOFF \u2013 Idaho House, District 2, Seat A<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Fritz Wiedenhoff cares about Idaho and will work hard in Boise.\u00a0 He brings years of public service and leadership as a firefighter and is active in his community.\u00a0 Contrast that with his opponent, Vito Barbieri, who rarely shows up at public events to hear from his constituents and whose clumsy rhetoric has embarrassed his district. He\u2019s an advocate for taking over federal lands but when Idaho was left to fight fires, Vito was the lone \u201cno\u201d vote in the Idaho Legislature to replenish the State Fire Fund after one of the worst fire seasons on record despite the Cape Horn fire in Bayview right in the heart of his district.<\/p>\n PAUL AMADOR \u2013 Idaho House, District 4, House Seat B<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n North Idaho needs legislators who understand the need for a well-educated and well-trained workforce.\u00a0 We currently do not have enough of those, but Paul Amador has made education, accountability and economic development cornerstones of his campaign.\u00a0 He also understands that government is often the biggest barrier standing in the way of an entrepreneur\u2019s success.\u00a0 Paul is perceptive, conservative, pragmatic and most importantly, energetic and hard working.\u00a0 We have been impressed with Paul\u2019s service in the legislature.\u00a0 Paul is a hard-working legislator who represents his district not the political fringe.<\/p>\n BILL BROOKS – Kootenai County Commissioner<\/u><\/strong>, Seat <\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Bill Brooks, best known as the Consumer\u2019s Advocate, has a weekly column in the local press.\u00a0 Given the list of candidates to choose from, we consider Mr. Brooks the best candidate for the Kootenai County Commission. We are especially impressed with his considerable Managerial and Administrative background – skills desperately needed in the Courthouse.\u00a0 We also respect his independence from Political Party bosses.\u00a0 We are aware of Mr. Brooks\u2019 medical bankruptcy after being diagnosed with cancer due to exposure from Agent Orange while serving in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam conflict, and while bankruptcy never makes any of us comfortable, his circumstances seem understandable. Mr. Brooks has been open and forthcoming when asked about his background, unlike many other candidates supported by the extreme right. We believe he is the best choice given his passion for helping others along with his desire to make county government more transparent and responsive to all citizens of Kootenai County.<\/p>\n NIPAC has limited its endorsements to strong candidates who are opposed in the May 15, Republican primary.\u00a0 However, in races where we could not agree or none of the candidates met NIPAC\u2019s criteria, no candidate was endorsed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Republican North Idaho Political Action Committee announced its endorsements for the Republican Primary today.\u00a0 As a group of independent minded, conservative Republicans, NIPAC was formed to support rational, responsible Republican candidates to serve in county and state public office who are committed to fiscal responsibility, limited government and free markets. NIPAC looks for leaders Read more about NIPAC Endorsements 2018<\/span>[…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/northidahopac.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/534"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/northidahopac.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/northidahopac.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northidahopac.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northidahopac.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=534"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/northidahopac.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/534\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":611,"href":"https:\/\/northidahopac.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/534\/revisions\/611"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/northidahopac.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}