Nampa in ‘uncharted territory’ as the search for a new mayor continues
The Nampa City Council on Wednesday rejected two candidates to replace late Mayor Rick Hogaboam and indicated that it will open a formal application process to fill the seat, leaving Idaho’s third-largest city without a permanent leader for at least several more weeks.
The council considered two candidates during a special session: former Mayor Debbie Kling and city Chief of Staff Clay Long. Motions to appoint both Kling and Long failed on 4-2 votes.
Kling, who served two terms from 2014 to 2022, submitted a letter to the city requesting that she be considered to return to the office she left in early January. She offered to serve the remaining 18 months of Hogaboam’s term.
“I respect our council. I’ve been praying for our council,” Kling told members Wednesday. “We just need to make the right decision for Nampa.”
Despite praise from several council members for her experience, the motion to appoint her failed, with Council President David Bills and members Debbie Skaug, Sebastian Griffin and Victor Rodriguez voting against. Natalie Jangula and Dale Reynolds voted in favor.
The council then took up Long’s candidacy. Several members raised concerns that he lives outside Nampa city limits. Bills moved to appoint Long with a stipulation that he establish city residency by June 5, but that motion also failed.
“I think you’re a fantastic individual,” Reynolds told Long. “The optics of you living in the county are bad ... but I think you’ll make a great mayor someday.”
City Attorney Preston Rutter said the failed votes do not prevent either candidate from being considered again in a future process. Griffin said he drafted potential application language and suggested that the council set a submission deadline and take a week to review candidates before meeting to discuss them.
Bills, who said acting as interim mayor has added roughly 10 hours per week on top of an already demanding schedule as council president, urged the body to move quickly. Rutter said the resolution authorizing Bills to serve expires June 16, though Idaho law would allow an extension if needed.
“This is uncharted territory for the city,” Amy Bowan, communications officer for the city, told the Idaho Statesman over the phone. “It’s a fluid situation and we’re trying to move very intentionally in the coming weeks.”
A special public session of City Council will be held on Monday, April 20, to consider a draft application for other potential candidates.
Hogaboam, 47, died March 18 after collapsing during a town hall with area mayors. He had won election in November 2025 and took office in early January.