Originally published on April 27, 2022 in the Idaho Statesman
It’s a busy election in nearly every sector of Idaho politics, and Ada County is no exception. That’s why the Idaho Statesman created this Voter Guide. Voters in the May 17 primary elections will decide among 11 candidates in four countywide races for the county commissioner, sheriff, assessor and coroner. No more than one Democratic candidate is running for any county office, so only Republicans are on the county portion of the ballot.
Ada County Commissioner, District 3: One of the more competitive races will be to replace the commission’s lone Democrat, Kendra Kenyon, who’s not seeking a second term. Her District 3 covers all of Ada County south of I-84 and outside Boise city limits, although all Ada County residents can vote on this race. Three Republicans will square off in the primary before facing Democrat Patricia Nilsson, a retired land use planner, in the general election. Commissioner Rod Beck, representing District 2, is running unopposed in the primary.
Voters may recognize a couple names on ballot already — former Ada County commissioner Sharon Ullman, whom Kenyon roundly defeated in the 2018 election. Former state Rep. Thomas Dayley, who served from 2012 to 2019, is also running. He left the Legislature to take a position at the Farm Service Agency under former President Donald Trump. The final candidate is Dawn Retzlaff, who served for 30 years in law enforcement before moving to Ada County, according to her page on the Idaho Republican Party. Retzlaff did not respond to the Idaho Statesman’s questionnaire.