Endorsement: Democrats seek primary win for Ada County Commission | Opinion
Aaron Swisher and Kelceymarie Warner are running in the Democratic primary for Ada County Commission in District 1, a seat now held by Ryan Davidson, who is also facing a challenger in the Republican primary.
Whoever wins the Democratic primary is going to have a tough time against the Republican candidate, as commission seats are voted on by the entire county, which, as a whole, is majority Republican.
Both Swisher and Warner would represent Democrats well and could put up a good fight in the general election.
But we give Warner a slight edge in this campaign.
The Idaho Statesman editorial board endorses Kelceymarie Warner in the Democratic primary for Ada County Commission in District 1.
Warner ran for Garden City Council in November and did not earn our endorsement, but it’s clear she’s done her homework for this race. And even though she did not win the City Council election, she’s remained active, co-chairing the city’s marketing committee and getting the city to host its first town hall, an idea she championed during the election. That shows a true spirit of public service.
Warner has watched outgoing state Sen. Ali Rabe work behind the scenes, often getting little to no credit, and her intention would be to follow suit, finding a solution instead of garnering attention.
Warner’s top three priorities as county commissioner would be public transit, public safety, particularly the county jail, and protecting public spaces.
Warner said the county has to prepare now for projected growth to around 1 million residents in Ada and Canyon counties by 2050 by strengthening public transit to prevent severe congestion that larger cities see. She wants to ensure infrastructure “today to support the population of tomorrow.”
As for the county jail, she said it will be important to address overcrowding and conditions, noting a jail bond in 2023 missed the two‑thirds requirement by less than 1%. She said she would try again for a bond. She said the current situation is a liability if not fixed.
She also wants to continue the work of protecting and enhancing public lands and parks, particularly Expo Idaho.
Her goal would be to ensure that as development happens in unincorporated Ada County, the county doesn’t lose access to key trails and trailheads and maintains meaningful public spaces.
Warner, who co‑owns a marketing agency with her husband, works with nonprofits and advocacy groups locally and nationally on voter turnout, communications and fundraising.
We also give her great credit for getting up to speed on specific county issues that she might face as a commissioner.
While she wasn’t as familiar with the issue of the commission’s denial of a solar farm application in rural Ada County, she was well-versed in several issues, including impact fees, rats, the health board and extracting methane from the landfill.
Swisher, whom this editorial board endorsed for Congress six years ago, said his top three priorities are planning for growth instead of reacting to it, using taxpayer dollars wisely and protecting public health in Ada County. He and Warner hold many of the same positions on several issues. He said as commissioner, he would guide development in unincorporated Ada County so it fits with nearby cities and ensure a mix of housing types and price points, not just large-lot, high-cost homes, to avoid consuming all farmland and to keep housing attainable for workers like teachers and EMS.
Either candidate would be a formidable candidate in the general election, but we give the edge to Warner in this race.
Statesman editorials are the opinion of the Idaho Statesman’s editorial board. Board members are opinion editor Scott McIntosh, opinion writer Bryan Clark, editor Chadd Cripe, assistant editor Jim Keyser and community members John Hess, Debbie McCormick and Julie Yamamoto.
