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High Turnout (And Feisty Local Politics) Makes An Appearance In Boise And Caldwell Runoff Elections

election, voting, vote, ballot
James Dawson
/
Boise State Public Radio

Political analyst Jasper LiCalzi said the momentum from Lauren McLean’s lead in the general election carried her through to a decisive victory against Mayor Dave Bieter.

 

“People who supported him the first time around might not have come out either,” LiCalzi said. “They see the writing on the wall.”

LiCalzi told Idaho Matters Wednesday that frontrunners typically come out ahead in runoffs. Boise followed suit, as did Caldwell, whose competition was particularly fierce.

 

“Talkin’ about ‘Oh, in Boise, it was nasty.’ Naw, that was a pillow fight compared to out there!” LiCalzi exclaimed.

 

Former state senator John McGee won Caldwell City Council seat 6, beating Evangeline Beechler, the chair of the state democratic party.

 

In 2012, McGee resigned from the Idaho senate amid a sexual harassment scandal. He ultimately served 39 days in jail for violating probation associated with the harassment case.

 

Beechler’s campaign brought up his history; his campaign fired back:

“The dirtiest charge put out [was] saying ‘she was a democrat,” LiCalzi said.

 

Political bickering aside, the most unusual aspect of the runoffs was high turnout in both cities. Caldwell saw a larger percentage of voters casting ballots Tuesday than in the first election.

 

 

For more local news, follow the KBSX newsroom on Twitter @KBSX915

Copyright 2019 Boise State Public Radio

 

Molly Wampler is a newsroom intern at Boise State Public Radio. Originally from Berkeley, California, she just graduated from the University of Puget Sound in Washington state. There, Molly worked for her university's newspaper but is stoked to try her hand at and learn all there is to learn about radio journalism.

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