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Taking Another Shot at Senate Seat, Mansfield Says He's a Changed Man: Newcomers Will Battle for House Seat Being Vacated By Rep. Steve Smylie, Who Wants Schools Superintendent Job

Posted on: Tuesday, 9 May 2006, 09:02 CDT

By Shawna Gamache, The Idaho Statesman, Boise

May 9--Conservative activist Dennis Mansfield will try again to unseat eight-term moderate John Andreason in the May 23 primary for a state Senate seat in West Boise. This time, Mansfield says he's a changed man.

"I've come to realize that conservatism without mercy causes deep pain in others," Mansfield told the Idaho Statesman. "I've come to realize that I have not been very merciful to opponents over the years."

Mansfield's name recognition should make for a lively race in District 15. So will the departure of Rep. Steve Smylie from one of the district's two House seats so Smylie can run for state schools superintendent. Three men are fighting to succeed Smylie: a former pastor, a former biologist for the Department of Fish and Game, and a former clerk for the Idaho Supreme Court.

The district is roughly north of I-84, west of Cole Road, south of Chinden Boulevard and east of Five Mile Road, with a portion jutting farther west about to Cloverdale Road.

Senate

Mansfield lost to Andreason in 2002 while campaigning unsuccessfully to stop a statewide referendum that repealed legislative term limits. After his oldest son, Nate, was jailed for drug abuse in 2003, Mansfield sought help from his debating partner on KBCI-TV's "Point 2 Point" -- Andy Hedden-Nicely, the former Boise Weekly publisher now running as the United Party candidate to succeed U.S. Rep. C.L. "Butch" Otter in November. Mansfield began volunteering at Ada County Jail, and said he realized the state should put more money into drug abuse treatment.

Mansfield is co-founder of the Idaho Family Forum and was convicted of willfully obstructing police officers in 2004 for protesting the removal of a Ten Commandments monument from Boise's Julia Davis Park.

Mansfield, whose wife, Susan, is a teacher, said teachers should be paid more and administrators less.

Andreason served two terms in the state Senate in the 1960s, later ran the legislative budget office, and is now the chairman of the Senate Commerce and Human Resources Committee. Andreason said his primary reason for being a senator is education. He wrote the bill creating the state's early reading initiative and said more math and science requirements should begin in junior high.

"You can't get all of the math and science you need if you just start it in the last three years of your education," said Andreason, who belongs to three national educational organizations.

On other issues:

-- Community college: Both men favor one in the Treasure Valley. Andreason said taxpayers and businesses should pay to launch one. Mansfield said funds should come from tax incentives for businesses, tuition, fees and the state.

-- Gay marriage: Andreason was one of five moderate Republicans to change their votes on the anti-gay marriage amendment this year after voting against it last year. He credited a slew of constituent letters. Mansfield said Andreason flip-flopped.

House Seat A

The newcomers seeking Smylie's seat are:

-- Bob Jacobson, a semi-retired pastor and founder of two area churches who has been in the auto-radiator business for 40 years. He volunteers at the Ada County Jail and said lawmakers should invest more in treatment and job training to cut down on overcrowding and escalating prison costs due largely to substance abuse.

-- Lynn Luker, a lawyer who has served on three government commissions and committees. He said lawmakers should consider ending sales-tax exemptions to pay for property-tax relief. He also said Idaho should consider implementing a statewide health-insurance program like one Massachusetts is launching.

-- Jeremy Olson, a real-estate agent who formerly worked as a biologist. He said the state should reform tort laws to cut down on frivolous lawsuits and look into developing alternative fuels using Idaho's agricultural resources.

On other issues:

-- Community college: Jacobson, whose son drives to Ontario to attend community-college classes, said the cost should be split among the state, tuition and private industry. Olson said costs should be divided between taxpayers and companies. Luker said voters should decide on a college, not lawmakers.

-- Property taxes: Jacobson supports shifting school maintenance-and-operations costs to the sales tax, though services shouldn't be taxed. Luker said such a shift got Oregon in trouble; he thinks lawmakers should overhaul the tax code. Olson said instead of shifting taxes, lawmakers should reform the way assessments are done and spend less.

-- Gay marriage: All three said they back the anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment.

-- Highways: All three backed first-year funding of the Connecting Idaho highway-borrowing program to speed highway construction.

The winner of the May 23 primary faces Democrat Jerry Peterson in November for a two-year term. The job pays $15,646 a year.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Idaho Statesman, Boise

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Source: The Idaho Statesman, Boise

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