John McGee wants to drop out of Caldwell mayor runoff, city clerk to make final decision
John McGee, a Caldwell mayoral candidate who received the second-most votes in last week’s election, wants to drop out of the scheduled runoff election against a former state senator on Nov. 30.
McGee, also a former state legislator, filed a civil suit against Caldwell Clerk Debbie Geyer and Canyon County Clerk Chris Yamamoto to drop out of the election and have Jarom Wagoner named mayor.
McGee on Monday filed the notice to withdraw his candidacy in the runoff election, according to documents submitted by his attorney, Greg Chaney, in 3rd District Court.
“The reason for my withdrawal is that I desire to see the recipient of the most votes for mayor, Jarom Wagoner, certified as the winner as I believe that would best reflect the will of the voters and the spirit of unity within the City of Caldwell,” McGee wrote in his withdrawal notice.
A Caldwell city ordinance requires the city to hold a runoff election when no mayoral candidate secures a majority of the votes cast. Wagoner received 46.7% of the votes.
McGee did not respond to a request for comment.
“There is relational and reputational issues at hand and an attempt to save the city and county that trouble, and to move out from under the lens, microscope, the heating lamp of a campaign,” Chaney said during a court hearing Tuesday.
Third District Court Judge George Southworth heard the case but didn’t make a decision. Instead, he dismissed the case and left it up to Geyer whether to accept McGee’s notice to withdraw and declare Wagoner the winner, or continue with a runoff.
Caldwell City Attorney Mark Hilty said the city needed to take the initial steps toward having a runoff election, per city code.
“Election campaigns are a tough duty, and John feels beat up and he is ready to concede, and that is based in no small part on the outcome of the election that put Mr. Wagoner virtually on the threshold of the 50% majority that he needed,” Hilty said during the hearing. “We have no objection to the relief that is being sought, but we made it clear to Mr. Chaney that the initial steps toward a runoff election were required. And because of the short time frame, we were going to do that.”
McGee is a current Caldwell City Council member — as is Wagoner — and former member of the Idaho Senate.
Chaney argued that with McGee’s withdrawal, that leaves only Wagoner on the ballot for the runoff election. State law requires that the city clerk declare the sole candidate elected in the case of an uncontested race for city positions. Chaney asked that Geyer declare Wagoner the mayor no later than Nov. 16.
Wagoner secured 2,236 votes, more than twice the number McGee received in the Nov. 3 election.
McGee got 1,075 votes, or 22.4% — just above the third-place candidate, Chris Trakel, who had 22.1%. Nicole Hyland got 6.7%, and Jorge Arancivia 1.9%.
This story was originally published November 9, 2021 at 12:06 PM.
