A former Boise police chief says he’s considering a run for mayor. Who is it?
A former Boise police chief is considering a run for mayor.
Mike Masterson, who led the Police Department from 2005 to 2015 under former Mayor David Bieter, told the Idaho Statesman on Wednesday that he is pondering a challenge to Mayor Lauren McLean in the race this November.
“I am weighing my options at this point,” he said, noting that he has been enjoying his years in retirement, during which he has worked with groups that support veterans around the region. “At this point there’s no firm commitment.”
Masterson, 68, said his decision will be a “lengthy deliberative process” taking stock of a number of variables, including what he called “dissatisfaction with the current system and decisions that are being made to affect the Police Department and others.”
A survey was sent out this month to some Boise voters, indicating that political groups are testing the waters around a potential Masterson campaign.
Masterson told the Statesman that he was asked by a “group of folks” whether his name could be included in a survey sent out to 400 Boise Democrats. He said he did not know who sent out the survey, had not seen the results and declined to provide further information about it.
The survey asked residents whether they would vote for McLean, who is a Democrat; Masterson; or someone else if the election were held now. The Statesman obtained copies of the questions from Tiffani Deems, a Boise resident who received the survey from Research-Polls.com, a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, firm that calls itself “one of the largest data collection companies in North America.”
As the Statesman previously reported, McLean said last year that she would seek re-election. Since the start of 2022, she has raised $144,570, according to campaign finance records. McLean won the mayoral election in 2019, unseating Bieter.
The survey included both positive and negative messaging about McLean, including allegations that she has a “divisive, radical agenda,” as well as criticism of her for implementing COVID-19 public health requirements on businesses and for pushing to authorize $500,000 to investigate racism at the Boise Police Department.
That investigation, which is ongoing, followed revelations that a veteran officer who retired last year posted white supremacist views online under a pseudonym.
The positive messaging on the survey described McLean as a mother and a “progressive,” and discussed her investments in child-care providers and the recent $15 billion investment Micron announced for a new manufacturing plant in Boise.
The survey then asked respondents what they think of her performance.
“Thinking ahead to the November 2023 election for Boise Mayor, do you think you will definitely vote to RE-ELECT Lauren McLean, will probably vote to re-elect her, will consider voting for SOMEONE ELSE, will probably vote to replace her, or will definitely vote to REPLACE Lauren McLean?” the survey asked.
About a week ago, the Boise Police Department’s union finalized a new contract with the city, which will provide officers with 13% raises between now and the end of the year. McLean said she supported the contract and called the salary increases “long overdue.”
Masterson criticizes Boise mayor
In recent months, Masterson has authored opinion articles, including in the Idaho Statesman, criticizing McLean’s leadership.
In December, he published a guest opinion calling McLean “McCarthyite” for “casting aspersions” on the Police Department.
In a statement announcing the racism investigation in November, McLean said she supported the department, while also telling officers that “this is no time to consider circling the wagons” and that those who would obstruct the investigation should leave.
“There’s no doubt this investigation is warranted, but not at the cost of a half-million dollars,” Masterson wrote in December. “This is just one more example of statements and decisions from the mayor’s office lacking sense. Citizens are losing confidence in local elected officials, particularly in regard to integrity and transparency, and it starts at the very top.”
In an email to the Statesman, Melanie Folwell, McLean’s campaign manager, wrote: “As the mayor made very clear from the first revelations about (former Capt. Matthew) Bryngelson’s ties to racist ideologies and white supremacist groups, she owes it to both the people of Boise and our Police Department to look into this matter. An independent investigator with serious experience in this field is doing just that, and as quickly and transparently as possible. Everyone in Boise deserves to feel safe, period.”
Masterson told the Statesman that he is an independent voter and said he is “not sure” whether his potential candidacy would have an affiliation. He is registered as unaffiliated, according to Idaho Secretary of State’s Office records. Municipal races in Idaho are officially nonpartisan, but candidates often affiliate with a political party as part of their campaigns.
This story was originally published February 23, 2023 at 4:00 AM.
