Brad Wolfe or Kim Keeley? I’m struggling with this as a registered Republican. And I avoid voting straight ticket because I know it can result in a dumbed-down government. Nor is it good if your spouse, church, or whoever tells you how to vote.
Yet I’ve seen many of my fellow Republicans consistently vote straight ticket. They say they want strong conservative leadership, yet often do not know the details of their candidate.
Let’s face it, neither are radical left- or right-wingers, and both are good people. I wanted to know them better so did a little research: (1) Kim Keeley has a lot of experience and an admirable track record in Teton County government for 8 years - people on both sides of the aisle (including Brad Wolfe) have praised her knowledge and efforts. Brad Wolfe has less experience in governing and has complained publicly about finding the time to adequately perform the job. (2) Who’s funding their campaign? The Idaho Campaign Finance website shows Kim received 77 small donations from locals. Brad Wolfe’s data shows ten contributions totaling $10,000, with seven of those from developers and one from the Republican party. Most of his signs are also placed on recently approved or pending developments. That is a big conflict of interest for me. (3) Kim is a local who has successfully run a small business (Victor Emporium) here for 26 years. Brad seems to have his foot in too many time-consuming businesses, all of them outside Teton Valley. And he’s said he wants to do more County work “remote“ from his winter home in St. George.
I’d prefer someone who is grounded here in Teton Valley and is not so tied up with developers and money. There’s a lot more than business acumen needed to be a good commissioner: infrastructure, public safety, work force sustainability, Ag, and concern for quality of life and the land.
If I ignore the elephants on the signs and think about these facts, the choice is pretty clear to me - Kim Keeley.
Mike Abbott
Tetonia