Tidwell, Parker lose election, gain awareness
By Eric Valentine
If you run for office but lose, one sign that you ran a good campaign is whether you’ve “changed the debate”—that is, gotten those in power to consider matters that may have previously gone overlooked. Another sign you ran a good campaign is when someone you don’t know crosses your path on Election Day and stops to say, “Mr. Parker, win or lose, I’m glad you ran.”
For two also-rans in the 2020 election—Kiki Tidwell for county commissioner and Eric Parker for state senator—these are the campaign experience takeaways they’ll be holding onto for a while, and with just as much pride as disappointment.
“I didn’t prevail in the ballot box, but I did get a lot of information out there to the community,” Tidwell said, especially involving the conflict between Blaine County and Idaho Power in regards to the development of a backup transmission line.
“I felt that my momentum was stronger in Blaine County, so I’m a little confused. I thought I could get more like 30 percent (of the vote),” Parker acknowledged. “We ran a good campaign. I’m proud of that.”
Tidwell, who launched her campaign nearly a year and a half ago, lost her bid to unseat chairman Jacob Greenberg, who has held his seat since 2012. Tally? Greenberg: 9,069 to Tidwell: 3,526. Parker, a novice to the political scene and running formally as a Republican but messaging as an independent, lost his bid to defeat Senator Michelle Stennett, who has been the incumbent since 2010. Tally? Stennett: 9,647 to Parker: 3,597.
By the numbers, they are both clear-cut defeats. But in both candidates’ cases, they have changed the political landscape and brought some new wrinkles to campaigning here. Let’s start with Parker.
As previously reported, Parker came into the spotlight for his involvement in the Bundy Ranch standoff with the federal government in 2014. By 2018, Parker ultimately made a plea deal for a misdemeanor obstruction charge for aiming his rifle at federal officers. And by 2020, he was running for state senator. But the leader of the Real 3 Percenters of Idaho organization fell into mainstream political dialogue when National Public Radio (NPR) aired a feature story about Parker’s evolution in an episode of its popular All Things Considered show. However, not mainstream enough for Facebook, Google and YouTube, all of whom would not allow Parker to air his content or buy ads. In the case of Facebook, it removed his political page and personal page entirely.
“That really hampered us. That was our only tool, especially with COVID,” Parker said. “But I had a lot of conversations with a lot of people in the community and I got to explain where I was coming from and hear where they were coming from on a lot of issues. And that’s what I wanted to happen.”
Parker said he remains dedicated professionally to his work as an electrician and vocationally as the leader of the Real 3 Percenters of Idaho, which he says will remain active in emergency preparedness. Politically, he hopes to see headway on legalizing industrial hemp in Idaho as well as abolishing mandatory minimum sentences. He has not decided if he will run for office again.
As for Tidwell, she’s also unsure of any future political run. However, she is 100 percent sure she will be involved with county issues going forward. In addition to the power line controversy Tidwell shed light on, she also deep-dived county coffers and bookkeeping during her campaign. Tidwell brought light to how much the county was spending on salaries and benefits for staff, among other expenses.
“I think the commissioners need to be more fiscally responsible to the citizens and I don’t think the questioning I did had happened much before,” Tidwell said.
Tidwell said her most immediate next step will be focusing her energy and her family’s foundation on helping to fund loans for putting solar equipment on businesses around the county. Tidwell says there are a lot of cost savings that can be implemented sooner than later when it comes to energy efficiency.
“I think people will be pleasantly surprised,” Tidwell said.
