District 2 House candidates seek to work with both sides of political aisle

Oct. 28—Former Latah County Commissioner Tom Stroschein is running for office again, but this time it's in one of the largest legislative districts in the state.

Stroschein, who now resides in Elk River, is one of three candidates vying for the 2nd Legislative District House B seat.

The district stretches from the Clearwater River north to Lake Pend Oreille. It includes all of Clearwater, Shoshone and Benewah counties, as well as the eastern half of Kootenai County and a slice of southern Bonner County.

Stroschein is the Democratic nominee for the House B seat. Jennifer Ann Luoma of Bayview is the Libertarian candidate, and Fernwood gun shop owner Dale Hawkins is the Republican nominee.

Hawkins declined to answer questions from the Lewiston Tribune in person or over the phone. He asked that questions be submitted to him via email, but then did not respond to a list of questions, including age, education, work experience, why he's running and what are his top issues.

Stroschein wasn't planning to run for office again, but then he made a mistake and answered the phone.

He and his wife, Ruby, "were down in Tuscon enjoying life when we got a call from the Orofino Democrats," Stroschein said. "They needed someone to run for a set in the new district. We had about two days to decide."

Answering the call for public service is something that runs in Stroschein's family. His father served on the Aberdeen School Board, as well as two terms in the Idaho House. His sister, Sharon Block, also served six terms in the House and chaired the House Health and Welfare Committee.

Stroschein grew up in eastern Idaho, attending a three-room schoolhouse in Sterling, north of Aberdeen, during grade school, and then graduating from Aberdeen High School.

"There were 45 of us in the senior class," he said.

He earned an animal husbandry degree from the University of Idaho, where he was one of a handful of students to start the FarmHouse Fraternity. He then returned to eastern Idaho to start a sheep ranch, eventually increasing his herd to about 5,000 head.

"We did that until the mid-'80s," Stroschein said. "Interest rates were killing us. We were losing about $20 a head for every lamb."

They rented out the farm and moved back to Moscow so his wife could earn her master's degree.

When he was still in eastern Idaho, Stroschein ran for the local school board and served on the Idaho Sheep Commission. During his time in Moscow, he served four terms as Latah County commissioner and was the regional representative on the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Board for 15 years.

He currently serves as chairman of the Elk River Recreation District Board and on the board of Recovery Idaho, a behavioral health and addiction program he helped initiate.

If elected, Stroschein said protecting Idaho's public school system and finding ways to reduce the property tax burden are two of the priorities he'd like to work on.

"I feel like I'm the best candidate because I have a broad view of the issues and can work with different people," he said.

Luoma, who grew up in Minnesota, had Stroschein and his wife over to her house and found them both charming. She shares his enjoyment of people, saying she doesn't mind the gruff approach that folks in the 2nd District sometimes take.

"I've never been intimidated by anyone. Where I grew up, people talked all kinds of 'Gran Torino,' " she said, referring to a 2008 Clint Eastwood movie.

Luoma worked in county and municipal government for a number of years before moving to Idaho, including time as a mosquito control officer. She met regularly with farmers, law enforcement, school kids and homeowners, helping them to understand what steps were being taken to control the insects and addressing any concerns they might have.

"I'd dress up as a mosquito mascot in parades," Luoma said. "There's over a hundred different species, just in Minnesota. Each one has different breeding habits. You try to control them in a way that has the least impact on the environment."

Love brought her to Idaho. She'd been friends with her husband for several years before they both realized they wanted to be together.

"We hadn't even kissed before we got engaged," Luoma said. "It turned out to be perfect. It's been five years and it's still just like a honeymoon."

Given the diverse and sometimes extreme positions Idaho politicians sometimes take, Luoma said the main reason she's running for office is to help average Idahoans sleep better at night.

"Things have become so biased up here (in north Idaho) and everything is so polarized, I think people just need a chance to have someone they can completely trust," she said. "What I'd really like to do is help both sides with their legislation — whoever is trying to do the best for liberty with the least government and least harm. People can trust me because I'm not going to come up with some emotionally challenging issue."