Bitter losses, sweet victories

COEUR d'ALENE — Several incumbent candidates were ousted by newcomers in Tuesday's primary election.

For Kootenai County Commissioner Chris Fillios, who was sworn into office Jan. 9, 2017, the day after this week's election was a bitter one.

"I love this state, and I love the people of this state, and that's what I think hurts the most,” said Fillios, who lost the party's nomination for the District 2 commissioner seat to Bruce Mattare by a whopping 11,875 votes.

Fillios said he sees a grim future for Kootenai County.

"We are well on the way to single-party rule. We’re headed to an autocracy," he said. "Many of the recent transplants who’ve come in the last several years wanting to escape what they considered to be oppressive environments have helped drive the politics here even further to the right."

He said the role of a commissioner, although defined as partisan, is not a highly partisan position.

"If someone comes before us appealing for a subdivision, I don't care what their party affiliation is," he said. "Some people called me a Democrat. That's what I get for working with all the people."

He said politics in North Idaho are bitter and caustic. Republicans are treating Democrats like they're the enemy, and he finds that absurd, he said.

"I’m done with politics after this,” Fillios said. "The politics here are too extreme for me. I really believe that the future of the state of Idaho is in jeopardy. As healthy as we look, as desperately as people want to move here, we have some festering underpinnings that are going to hurt this state."

He said he wishes Mattare, who won the party's nomination, the best in working with Commissioners Leslie Duncan and Bill Brooks.

Mattare will run unopposed in November.

On the sweet side of victory, Elaine Price, who defeated incumbent Coeur d'Alene Rep. Paul Amador by 220 votes, said she was still letting it all sink in when speaking with The Press Wednesday afternoon.

"I feel very thankful that the voters had the confidence in me to fill my bubble," she said.

Price has been in North Idaho since 1990 and has been interested in local politics for a long time, but she doesn't think of herself as a politician.

"I consider myself a representative of the people in my community," she said. "That's what I feel like has been missing in our government."

She said her constituents believe the same thing, "that they're not being represented and they were looking for somebody to represent them."

"I appreciate everything that Paul Amador sacrificed, but to me, he was not representing North Idaho and that's why the change happened," Price said.

She said she had received many calls and messages celebrating the news.

"My husband and I are running our business and we're open today, so I'm working," she said. "But there will be time for celebration in the future."

Price will face Democrat Larry Bieber in November.

Another newcomer to oust an incumbent candidate is Carl Bjerke, who won the race against first-term Post Falls Sen. Peter Riggs by 2,010 votes.

"I look forward to being a part of a new direction in state politics; bringing a new culture, one that puts individual rights at the forefront," Bjerke told The Press before election results were tallied Tuesday.

Bjerke will run unopposed in November.

Coeur d'Alene Rep. Jim Addis, R-Coeur d'Alene, will also be saying farewell after being defeated by Joe Alfieri by 344 votes.

Addis, who would have entered his third term had he won, sounded in good spirits Wednesday when he spoke to The Press.

“It has been an honor to serve the people of District 4," he said. "The people have spoken. That's the way it is."

Addis shared one of his favorite quotes by Henry Ford: "Never complain. Never explain."

"There are many doors open right now, and I've got plenty to do," he said. "We’ll see what happens. One door closes and another door opens."

He said he appreciates the confidence the people of District 4 have had in him as he served the community.

"I wish the future Legislature all the success in the world," he said.

Alfieri will run in November against Democrat Megan Dardis-Kunz.

Attempts to reach Mattare, Riggs, Amador and Alfieri for comment were not returned by press time.