Republicans back one nonpartisan candidate, Democrats the other. ACHD races shape up
A little more than a month until Election Day, big-name developers, homebuilders and local politicians have jumped in to support candidates in races far down the ballot.
Two seats on the Ada County Highway District Commission are on the Nov. 8 ballot, one to represent Eagle, Garden City, several parts of Boise and Star; the other to represent Kuna, South Meridian and Southwest Boise. Both have incumbents seeking reelection, and both incumbents face challengers.
The most hotly contested race is in District 3, where incumbent Mary May, of Eagle, raised $21,400 from 31 donors in the past year, an average of $690 per donation. Challenger Miranda Gold, a former Eagle City Council member, raised more, $26,520. She’s received contributions from 96 donors, more than three times as many as May, for an average $276 per donation.
District 3 includes downtown Boise, the North End, Northwest Boise, Garden City, Eagle and Star.
Though the ACHD races are nonpartisan, May received support from Republican state lawmakers, while Gold received support from Democratic state lawmakers. Both received contributions from local developers, whose work requires extensive interaction with local governments and their elected leaders.
According to May’s campaign website, she’s received endorsements from Meridian Mayor Robert Simison, Eagle Mayor Jason Pierce, Garden City Mayor John Evans, Kuna Mayor Joe Stear and Star Mayor Trevor Chadwick.
A second District 3 challenger, Payton “Regina ‘Queen’” Khan, of Boise, did not report raising any money, or at least not enough to be included on the Idaho secretary of state’s campaign-finance site. Campaign finances must be reported once a candidate raises $500.
In District 4, incumbent Kent Goldthorpe raised $15,600 from 14 donors, almost entirely as the maximum $1,000 donations. Several of Goldthorpe’s donors also donated to May.
Challenger Neil Durrant, a farmer from Kuna, has raised $2,000, half of which came from a loan to himself and half from Committee to Elect Joe Palmer, referencing the state representative from Meridian who is running for reelection.
District 4 includes South Meridian, Kuna and Southwest Boise.
ACHD commissioners serve four-year terms and are considered part-time. In fiscal year 2023 beginning Oct. 1 , the annual salary is $26,868. The commission president will make $32,292.
Here’s a breakdown of the top donors for each candidate from September 2021 through August, with data on some large donations through Sept. 27:
Mary May (District 3, incumbent)
May has been an ACHD commissioner since 2018 and is now the commission president. She’s received donations from developers and homebuilders.
Tommy Ahlquist (CEO of commercial developer Ball Ventures Ahlquist): $1,000
Shanna Ahlquist: $1,000
Ball Ventures Ahlquist: $1,000
Dan Richter (managing partner of Avimor, a planned community): $1,000
Rebecca Richter: $1,000
McAlvain Companies Inc. (construction company): $1,000
Banbury Management LLC: $1,000
Chris Anderson: $1,000
Travis Anderson: $1,000
James H. Hunter (president, Boise Hunter Homes): $1,000
Travis Hunter (co-owner, Boise Hunter Homes): $1,000
Jan Hunter: $1,000
Republic Storage of Idaho LLC: $1,000
Tim Wolff: $1,000
David Wali (Gardner Co. Executive Vice President): $1,000
Conger Group (residential developer): $1,000
Notable donors:
Joe Palmer (state representative): $600
Bob Taunton (developer representative): $250
James Page (Garden City Council president): $100
Miranda Gold (District 3)
Gold served on the Eagle City Council from 2017 until 2021, when she moved away from Eagle. Now living in Boise, she’s returned to the political scene with state Rep. Chris Mathias, D-Boise, as her campaign treasurer.
Harris Family Limited Partnership (Harris Ranch developer): $2,000
Caleb Roope (CEO of The Pacific Cos., an apartment and charter-school developer): $1,000
Michael Adler (president of Adler Industrial, a developer): $1,000
Casey Lynch (CEO of Roundhouse, an apartment developer): $1,000
Jonathan Lee: $1,000
AJ and Susie Balukoff (AJ is former Boise School Board member and Democratic gubernatorial candidate): $1,000
Gary Multanen: $1,000
Janet Buschert: $1,000
Justin Snyder: $1,000
Notable donors:
Hannah Ball (developer and former Garden City mayoral candidate): $900
Diana Lachiondo (former Ada County commissioner): $500
Jason Jones (developer): $250
Scott Schoenherr (commercial developer): $250
Skip and Esther Oppenheimer (commercial developer): $250
Colin Nash (Democratic state representative in Boise): $200
Shellan Rodriguez (apartment developer): $100
Payton “Regina ‘Queen’” Khan (District 3)
Payton S. Khan’s name will appear on the ballot as Payton “Regina ‘Queen’” Khan.
No donations recorded.
Kent Goldthorpe (District 4, incumbent)
Goldthorpe was elected to the ACHD commission in 2014 and reelected in 2018. He’s twice served as commission president. Nearly all of his donations have come in the form of $1,000 contributions and mostly from people in the development world.
Three businesses — Harris Family Limited Partnership, Barber Valley Development Inc. and Barber Valley Irrigation Co. — tied to Doug Fowler, the developer behind Harris Ranch in Southeast Boise donated a combined $6,000 to Goldthorpe. In February, Fowler told the Idaho Statesman that Goldthorpe has done a “fine job” in his time on the commission.
Harris Family Limited Partnership (Harris Ranch developer): $2,000
Barber Valley Development Inc. (Harris Ranch developer): $2,000
Barber Valley Irrigation Co.: $2,000
Dan Richter (Avimor managing partner): $1,000
Rebecca Richter: $1,000
James Hunter (president, Boise Hunter Homes): $1,000
Travis Hunter (co-owner, Boise Hunter Homes): $1,000
Jan Hunter: $1,000
Cody Hunter: $1,000
Tommy Ahlquist (Ball Ventures Ahlquist CEO): $1,000
SEM Consulting LLC: $1,000
C4 Investments LLC: $1,000
Neil Durrant (District 4)
Committee to Elect Joe Palmer: $1,000
