Is 5th Congressional District due for a makeover?
By William L. Spence, Lewiston Tribune, Idaho | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Her challengers include fellow Republican and retired engineer
All three suggest
"I've met thousands of voters during this campaign, and probably 99 percent of them are fed up with
"Conditions are ripe," he said. "I think there's a hunger in most of the country for
Describing himself as a fiscal conservative and social moderate, Wilson said he's running as an independent because he never felt entirely comfortable with either party. He also thinks an independent would have greater freedom to work with members of both major parties.
"It lets me focus on what's good for the district, not what's good for the party," he said.
Should he be elected, he hopes to form a "centrist caucus" with some of the more moderate members of both parties. If he can convince 30 or 40 representatives to vote as a block, he believes it will shift the balance of power in the House from the extremes back toward the middle.
"If I can show them how to win an election on a centrist platform and modest budget, I think it will inspire (representatives) and make them want to join my caucus," Wilson said.
Horne, by comparison, is less interested in moderation than he is in providing more effective opposition to President
The 65-year-old retired engineer said "irritation" is the main reason he's running for office.
He was disappointed, for example, by
"One of the things that's causing downward pressure on wages, in my opinion, is the huge influx of unskilled labor," Horne said. "It's also passing costs on to the rest of us, as immigrants take advantage of social services. That's not proper."
He believes the House Republican leadership has done an "inept" job of opposing Obama's policies. For example, they've voted repeatedly to repeal the Affordable Care Act, but haven't offered a clear, viable alternative to address the problem of soaring health care costs.
"They're trying to replace something with nothing," he said. "I'll provide stronger push-back to Obama than
Pakootas, 56, is running for office because he opposes the policies being advanced by House Republicans.
For example, there have been efforts to cut reduced-cost school lunch programs, food stamps and to raise interest rates on college student loans.
"They put a heavy burden on working class families. That needs to be reversed," said Pakootas, who owns a family convenience store and serves as CEO of the
He feels his life experiences have given him the compassion and understanding needed to promote policies that benefit people in eastern
"I grew up during the 'Relocation Era,' when they would move Indian families off the reservation and provide them training and jobs," he said. "Our family moved to
"I see the struggles that go on today with a lot of younger people and understand what they're going through. In the
"As I think of our (Republican) vision for every person in America, it's trusting them to make better decisions for themselves than the government can," she said in a phone interview. "We're looking at issues that give individuals and communities that ability."
Tax reform, for example, offers an opportunity to simplify the federal tax code, eliminate loopholes and cut tax rates so families and businesses have a clearer understanding of where they stand and what's possible in the future.
Health care reform is another priority, she said.
"I'm concerned about the federal government interfering with an individual's ability to make the best decision for themselves and their family,"
"They say 50 percent of the bills that impact the economy come through the
Ballots for the primary election were mailed to voters Friday. The two candidates who receive the most votes will advance to the
Spence may be contacted at [email protected] or (208) 791-9168.
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