Large sums flow to a conservative candidate in Boise. What does it mean?
Money is flowing into the Boise Council District 6 race — and particularly into one conservative candidate’s coffers.
Lynn Bradescu, the conservative, raised $30,000 compared with incumbent Jimmy Hallyburton’s $18,000 as of Wednesday, Oct. 15. Lisa Sánchez, a former council member and former ally of Hallyburton, raised just under $500.
“This is a sizeable amount of money for a City Council race,” said Jaclyn Kettler, a Boise State political scientist.
But the financial outlook changes if you look at contributions from just their constituents, the only people who will actually vote in the race.
District 6 residents have donated $4,600 to Bradescu and just under $6,000 to Hallyburton, according to a Statesman analysis of campaign finance data. Hallyburton has received donations from 35 voters in his district, compared with 20 voters for Bradescu, according to the Statesman’s analysis. That includes a $50 donation from Bradescu to herself.
Voters will decide this November whether they want Hallyburton, Sánchez or Bradescu, who has organized against Mayor Lauren McLean and her priorities. For example, she helped with a failed 2020 recall of McLean. She has also testified in the Idaho Legislature against Boise’s rental ordinances.
A big question is whether Hallyburton and Sánchez will split the progressive vote. City Council races are also usually low-turnout elections, especially with no presidential or mayoral race on the ballot, Kettler told the Idaho Statesman.
Though it’s a nonpartisan race, partisan interests may be driving out-of-district spending, Kettler said by phone. Bradescu and Hallyburton have received most of their money from out of the district.
“People outside the district may feel invested in that race for partisan or ideological reasons and so want to support the candidate that aligns with their partisanship or their ideological views,” Kettler said. “It suggests that people throughout the state, even if they don’t even maybe live in Boise, view that who is serving in the Boise government, on City Council, that matters.”
Politicians have been trying in recent years to change the makeup of the Boise City Council. In 2020, the Idaho Legislature passed a bill that required cities over 100,000 to hold elections by geographic district. Many of the then-council members lived in the North End, according to previous Statesman reporting.
District 6 runs from West Downtown to Horseshoe Bend Road near State Highway 55. It’s bounded by the Boise River and runs all the way into the Foothills. (Boise residents can look up their district on the city’s website.)
Even though many contributions are coming from outside the district, money is still important. Campaigns cost more now than in the past, Kettler said, and money can help with increasing name recognition.
The person with the most money doesn’t always win, and there’s lots of research on how much effect campaign contributions make, Kettler said. More support from within the district for the incumbent can be a sign of continued support, Kettler said. On the other hand, money coming from outside the district to Bradescu could show unhappiness from other parts of the city with Boise’s direction.
In District 2, the only other contested race, dollar amounts are far lower. Colin Nash, the incumbent, raised just over $4,000 as of Oct. 15. Derek James Smith, an opponent, gave $1,000 to himself. Josh Ellstrom, the other opponent, had not raised any money. Ellstrom’s campaign treasurer, Chandler Hadraba, was part of a group aiming to dissolve the Meridian Library District.
District 2 is bounded by Five Mile Road to the west, Franklin Road to the south, and the Interstate-184 Connector to the east. It extends most of the way up to Chinden Boulevard to the north.
Who has donated to the candidates?
Bradescu has received support from local conservatives, including state Sen. Kelly Anthon, R-Burley, and from people who fought against allowing certain books in the Meridian Library District. Former Norco CEO Jim Kissler gave $1,000, the maximum individual donation allowed. Don Hubble, of Hubble Homes, gave $999.
Meanwhile, Hallyburton has support from another prominent developer, Tommy Ahlquist, who donated $1,000 to his campaign. Democrats like Nash and state Sen. Monica Church, D-Boise, contributed money to his re-election efforts. Tech investor Jim Matheson, along with his wife, Julie, each gave $1,000. Brad Hillgren, a Barber Valley developer based in Newport, California; and Republic Services, which handles waste like trash and recycling, donated large sums as well.
Both Hallyburton and Nash received $1,000 from Way Back PAC, a Wyoming-based political committee that said it wants fewer culture-war issues and more solutions.
The bulk of Nash’s cash is from $1,000 each from state Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, his Boise City Council colleague Jordan Morales, and the Conservation Voters for Idaho Action Fund.
This story was originally published October 17, 2025 at 4:00 AM.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Chandler Hadraba’s role in Josh Ellstrom’s campaign. He is the treasurer.
