All eyes were on the polls on Tuesday, with contested elections taking place across the country.
Here in Lewiston, the races for Mayor and City Council and the Infrastructure Bond issue attracted over 6,000 voters, or 32% of all those registered.
We send out congratulations to the winners: Dan Johnson (Mayor); Kassee Forsmann, Matthew Wright, and Bryan Moree (City Council).
But perhaps just as important, we send kudos to all the candidates. You stood up, took a stand, and gave voters a choice.
The results, by the numbers
Lewiston Mayor
| Candidate | Percentage | Votes |
| Dan Johnson | 63.2% | 3,499 |
| Darlene Lambert | 36.8% | 2,034 |
Lewiston City Council
| Candidate | Percentage | Votes |
| Kassee Forsman | 21.5% | 3,210 |
| Matthew Wright | 17.8% | 2,651 |
| Bryan Moree | 16.3% | 2,437 |
| Andrea Ackerland | 16.1% | 2,403 |
| Bob Blakey | 11.6% | 1,725 |
| Brennon Leafty | 6.3% | 934 |
Lewiston Infrastructure Bond
Requires 66.7% to pass
| Response | Percentage | Votes |
| IN FAVOR OF | 54.0% | 2,945 |
| AGAINST | 46.0% | 2,513 |
Big wins for Democrats across the country
There were several high-profile races won by Democrats in other parts of the country, including:
- Zohran Mamdani – New York City Mayor
- Abigail Spanberger – Virginia Governor
- Mikie Sherrill – New Jersey Governor
But there were also many races in smaller districts and less-publicized races that showed Democrats outperforming expectations. These included:
- Christina Vogel – Erie County, Pennsylvania County Executive – won by 24 points
- Nicole Cole – Virginia House 66th District – defeated a Republican who had been in office for 36 years
- Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard – Georgia Public Service Commissioners – the first non-federal statewide wins for Democrats since 2006
- Mississippi state senate – two seats flipped to Democrats, ending a 13-year Republican supermajority
Many major media outlets declared that these results, and many others like them, represented a repudiation of Donald Trump and his agenda.
Some of what we heard
Some anecdotes from poll workers reflect the challenges ahead.
One person we talked to said that while working the polls on Tuesday, she detected dissatisfaction in the voices and mannerisms of some voters. She wasn’t sure if their focus was on local or national issues, but it was probably some of both. One insight she had was that a lack of trust in local government likely caused some people to vote against the infrastructure bond. “They just don’t believe that their taxes won’t get raised.”
Another poll worked reported hearing a voter grumbling about the ballot not showing the political affiliation of the candidates. Since the city election was a nonpartisan contest, there were no “R’s” and “D’s” next to candidates’ names. “He was probably looking for the “D” column so he’d know who to vote for.”
The same poll worker also heard voters expressing confusion about the infrastructure bond. One said “Where do you get information about this thing?” Another said she wished she had studied the issue more before coming to vote.
Looking ahead
While the pundits are crowing about the results, we need to be clear-eyed about the future. The 2026 mid-term elections now become our focus.
According to the Idaho Secretary of State’s website, there are 22,113 registered voters in Nez Perce County. It’s no surprise that over half (12,439) are Republicans. Only about 12% (2,598) are Democrats.
While the raw numbers seem to make any effort seem doomed from the outset, we also note that there are almost 6,800 “unaffiliated” voters – those with no known party preference – that we might attract. And some moderate Republicans (yes, there are some!) may quietly reject their party’s capitulation to Trump by voting blue.
We have two strong candidates seeking the Democratic primary nomination for the US House of Representative. Kaylee Peterson and Ken Brungardt are both running to unseat Russ Fulcher. (BTW, has anyone seen him, lately?)
And in the race to unseat Jim Risch, there are already several declared challengers:
- David Roth – Democrat
- Todd Achilles – Independent
- Natalie Fleming – Independent
- Joe Evans – Republican
As a local party chapter, we will be challenged in 2026 to clearly define our positions, communicate our ideas and values, and to be a positive, visible presence in the LC Valley. We will need to recruit, train, and support candidates for local races.
And most importantly, we need to play the long game: Registering more Democrats. Getting current Democrats energized and out to the polls. Making certain that there is a Democrat running for every open position.
Standing up. Taking a stand. Giving voters a choice.
Let’s go!
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/07/democrats-state-local-elections
https://www.facebook.com/kayleeforcongress
https://www.achillesforidaho.com
This post was updated on November 8, 2025.
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