Mayor: Hammond, Jacobson leading late

Past and present River City mayors were taking top titles in Tuesday's election as Ron Jacobson and Jim Hammond led as of 12:30 a.m. today.

With two-thirds of precincts reported, Hammond was leading with 53.55% of votes. Behind him was Joe Alfieri with 41.08% and Michael Lentz with 5.36% votes.

With no incumbent in Coeur d'Alene after Mayor Steve Widmyer opted not to seek a third term, the three candidates spent several months introducing themselves to the community and sharing why they felt best qualified to be the next Coeur d’Alene mayor.

These past months were described as being “long” and “busy.”

“For the last four days I’ve been working probably 16-hour days,” Lentz told the Press Tuesday night.

A newcomer to politics and to Coeur d'Alene, Lentz said he learned many things about running a campaign. The candidate described some of his tactics as “unconventional” including posting informational videos to YouTube, not accepting outside donations and creative projects.

In all, his goal was to try to “keep Coeur d’Alene special.”

Hammond, former Post Falls mayor and Idaho state senator, said this election was much different than his last. This time around, Hammond explained, there were significant burdens from misinformation and frustration which he attributed to the pandemic.

“Because there is so much different information and confusion about what we should and shouldn’t do and a lot of frustration and fear that I think manifests itself into anger, it was disheartening,” he said.

If he held on to the lead, Hammond said he hopes to get past the pandemic and anger and move forward as a community.

“The pandemic has been hard on everybody but particularly on small businesses. We need to help them and help people get back to normal so they can afford to make a living,” Hammond said. “I look forward to working with the city staff, community, and organizations to build a better Coeur d’Alene.”

Candidate Joe Alfieri did not respond to requests for comment.

With a 80.83% lead as of 12:30 a.m., Ron Jacobson secured his third term as Post Falls mayor. At time of publication 56% of precinct ballots had been reported.

The win will add four more years to the three decades Jacobson has spent serving the River City. Graduating from the Post Falls Planning and Zoning Commission to Urban Renewal Agency, city council, then mayor, Jacobson has played a considerable role in the development of Post Falls.

“I’m doing it for the right reasons because I have a willingness and a desire to serve,” he told The Press Tuesday night. “I’m not doing it for power or control.”

Jacobson expressed thanks to his supporters and plans to continue doing his best for the city.

“I feel that I’m qualified for the position,” he said. “I’ve met with businesses looking to locate here. I’m not recruiting residential growth. I’m focused on growing the important jobs to help the people of Post Falls.”

This election wasn’t without its trials, Jacobson said. In his last two elections, one was unopposed, and the other was against current Post Falls Councilwoman Kerri Thoreson. While he and Thoreson had differing opinions, Jacobson said there was still “respect” and much less “negativity.”

“It’s going to be nice to be done with (the campaign) and shutting down Facebook,” Jacobson said with a laugh. “I’ve gotten some good comments, people, and support, but it’s the craziness that blows me away.”

He said his first plan of action will be looking for ways to address growth within the city. While Post Falls has to grow to provide opportunities, Jacobson believes the rate of development “needs to slow down.”

“I’ve met a lot of great people this campaign, and I’ve had an awful lot of support,” he said. “Thank you all for your vote of confidence.”