Balukoff launches campaign, as Idaho faces contested primaries for governor in both parties
He made the announcement in
"In 2014 when I ran, education was my top issue and
Balukoff lost to Republican
"I'm pretty excited that we have a primary race," Balukoff said, "because I think it says that the Democratic Party in
He said the contested race also will draw more attention to the Democratic rivals earlier in the year.
Jordan, a second-term lawmaker and a
"I'm looking forward to the competition," she said. "I definitely wish him well."
She said she expects an "amenable" primary contest focused on issues.
"We have a party to keep in mind, and everyone in this state that I call family," Jordan said. "We need to support each other, because in the end, we all have to work together."
Balukoff, 71, said in addition to education, he's focusing his campaign on health care and public lands access.
"Four years ago, we were debating whether or not to expand Medicaid," he said. "Here we are in 2018 -- we're still having that discussion, and I'd like to see us get some of those things done."
He called Otter's proposed Idaho Health Care Plan "a good start." That plan is based on seeking waivers from the federal government to allow 35,000 currently uninsured Idahoans to qualify for subsidized health insurance through the state insurance exchange and shifting some seriously ill patients to Medicaid.
But he criticized Otter and Lt. Gov.
"It seems to me like a much simpler solution would be to expand Medicaid coverage," he said. "Idahoans are already paying federal income tax that funds Medicaid expansion, and that's happening in other states. ... We ought to be getting some of that money back and helping us in our state."
He also vowed to oppose any moves to privatize public lands, saying, "I think it's important to preserve access for future generations."
With the governor's race wide open this year as Otter's not seeking a fourth term, three big-name
More than a half-dozen lesser-known candidates also have formed fundraising committees to run for governor in 2018, four of them running as
Balukoff, a longtime
Balukoff is a former independent who has contributed to candidates from both parties over the years; he was a supporter of
In something of a twist, Ahlquist donated
When Balukoff ran against Otter four years ago, Balukoff was targeted by big-bucks independent ad campaigns from groups including the
Balukoff, who is known for wearing bow ties, is a retired CPA who holds an accounting degree from
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