COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — With 25 days left until an election that could shift the balance of power on North Idaho College’s board of trustees, some Kootenai County Republican Central Committee members say the local GOP has sent “misleading” mailers to their constituents, causing confusion over which candidates they really support.
The dispute is emblematic of a larger conflict within the central committee.
In the hotly contested May primary election, a slate of challengers backed by the group North Idaho Republicans won 30 spots on the central committee. They had hoped to shift the balance of power on the KCRCC but fell six seats short of securing a majority. Many of the races were narrow, with candidates winning or losing by a handful of votes.
According to several committeemen, about 30 of the 73 precinct committeemen have thrown their support behind NIC trustee candidates Rick Durbin, Eve Knudtsen and Mary Havercroft.
The majority of the central committee voted to endorse William Lyons, Greg McKenzie and Michael Angiletta for NIC trustee.
Kathleen Tillman, who represents Precinct 417, said she was surprised and dismayed this week to receive a mailer bearing the KCRCC’s logo, her name and a call for voters to “make NIC great again” by voting for Lyons, McKenzie and Angiletta. At least one mailer is labeled as paid for by Michael Angiletta, who did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday.
“I didn’t authorize it for my precinct, and they’re using my name,” Tillman said. “It looks like I’ve sent it out. But those are not the people I support.”
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