Republican Jim Donoval, of Sun Valley, has said he wants Constitution Party candidate Randy Patterson, of Carey, to drop out of the District 25 state Senate race.
He wants it so badly that he sent a letter asking Carey voters to knock on Patterson's door, call him on the phone and show up to City Council meetings, demanding that Patterson withdraw before the Sept. 7 deadline.
However, Patterson says no one besides Donoval has asked him to drop out yet.
"Basically, what he did is make a bunch of people mad and really helped my cause a lot," Patterson said.
According to Donoval—an attorney—the letter followed two personal meetings and one phone call to Patterson—the Carey mayor—urging him to withdraw his candidacy. Patterson said the first of these meetings occurred shortly after the Republican primaries in March.
The reason, Donoval said, is that he and Patterson have similar platforms, but Donoval has the support of the larger party.
"If [Patterson] is really committed to having a conservative voice in the region, it doesn't make sense for him to be in the race," Donoval said in an interview on Monday.
The reason, said Donoval, is because while Patterson may not get enough of the District 25 vote to win, he could draw enough conservative votes to tip the election to Democratic candidate Michelle Stennett, of Ketchum.
"Randy Patterson may get a couple percent of the votes, but he is kidding himself and the rest of you to think that he has any chance to actually win the state Senate election," the Aug. 10 letter states.
But Patterson sees it differently.
"He said I'd split the vote," he said. "I think if anyone's splitting the vote, it's Jim."
Though Donoval's tactics are somewhat unorthodox, they're not unheard of.
"It's not the first time this has ever happened," said Jonathan Parker, executive director of the Idaho State Republican Party. "There's nothing illegal about it."
But Stennett said she was surprised Donoval would ask Patterson to withdraw.
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"I'm surprised he feels like he has the authority to ask for that," she said. "He should concentrate on what he stands for and what he can do."
Stennett herself may be losing votes to Patterson, who describes his own appeal as bipartisan. State Rep. Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, said Patterson's appeal partially lies in his having lived in Carey for his entire life.
"He could be a threat to both Jim Donoval and Michelle Stennett," she said.
Jaquet added that while mailings and online campaigning may work in an urban environment, voters in Blaine County and specifically Carey respond better to personal contact.
"We're out talking with people. We're not blogging," Jaquet said of the current delegation.
Patterson said that despite pressure from Donoval, he hasn't and wouldn't consider dropping out.
"I'm pretty committed to running," he said. "All the reasons he told me to drop out, I turned around to tell him why he should."
For example, Patterson said, he is the true conservative voice of the Wood River Valley, as Donoval has only lived in the area for two years.
Patterson said his chances of winning rely on grassroots support and name recognition, but he remains realistic about his chances of winning.
"I think it's possible that I could win, but it's definitely a long shot," he said.
Even if his running means splitting the conservative vote and giving Stennett an electoral victory, Patterson said he stands by his choice to remain in the race.
"I am the more viable conservative candidate," he said. "If anyone has an honest shot at beating Michelle, it would be me."
District 25 includes Blaine, Camas, Gooding and Lincoln counties.
Katherine Wutz: kwutz@mtexpress.com
Jim Donoval Photo by Willy Cook
