Run for Office

The Blaine County Republican Party is recruiting principled conservative candidates for city, county, and state government. If you’re interested in running for office, contact us and let us help you get started!

Following are typical job descriptions for elected positions in Blaine County and Legislative District 26.
 

MAYOR (BELLEVUE, CAREY, HAILEY, KETCHUM, SUN VALLEY)

  • Serve as the chief elected executive officer, providing leadership for the city and presiding over city council meetings (typically as a voting or non-voting member, depending on local code).
  • Oversee implementation of city policies and ordinances, working closely with the city administrator, department heads, and legal counsel to ensure efficient delivery of public services.
  • Represent the city in intergovernmental affairs and regional partnerships, including collaboration with county, state, and federal agencies, as well as local nonprofits and business organizations.
  • Develop and promote strategic priorities in areas like infrastructure, housing, transportation, public safety, and economic development, consistent with community values and comprehensive planning goals.
  • Engage with the public and foster civic participation, responding to constituent concerns, facilitating transparency, and promoting initiatives that reflect the needs and values of residents.
  • Term: 4 years
  • Time Commitment: 25-40+ hours per week

CITY COUNCIL (BELLEVUE, CAREY, HAILEY, KETCHUM, SUN VALLEY)

  • Legislate local policy by proposing, debating, and voting on ordinances, resolutions, and city budgets that affect land use, public safety, transportation, housing, and other municipal concerns.
  • Represent the interests of residents by engaging with constituents, attending public meetings, and ensuring community voices are reflected in city decisions.
  • Provide fiscal oversight by reviewing and approving the annual city budget, monitoring expenditures, and helping set financial priorities to ensure responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
  • Collaborate with the mayor and city staff to set strategic direction, evaluate programs, and respond to emerging issues impacting city operations and quality of life.
  • Participate in regional coordination and committees, representing the city in broader discussions on transportation, environmental stewardship, economic development, and intergovernmental affairs.
  • Term: 4 years
  • Time Commitment: 10-20+ hours per week

BLAINE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TRUSTEE

  • Set district policy and strategic direction by adopting goals, approving curriculum standards, and ensuring alignment with the community’s educational values and student success.
  • Oversee the district budget and financial decisions, including approval of expenditures, staffing levels, and long-term capital planning to ensure responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
  • Hire, evaluate, and support the superintendent, providing governance-level oversight while allowing administrative leaders to manage day-to-day operations.
  • Engage with parents, teachers, and the broader community, responding to concerns, attending school events, and ensuring public input is reflected in board decisions.
  • Ensure legal compliance and academic accountability, monitoring student performance, upholding state and federal education laws, and advocating for quality education across all schools in the district.
  • Term: 4 years
  • Time Commitment: 10-20+ hours per week

BLAINE COUNTY COMMISSIONER

  • Adopt and manage the county budget, setting tax levies, allocating public funds, and overseeing financial decisions related to roads, law enforcement, public health, and other county services.
  • Make land use and zoning decisions, including approval of subdivisions, conditional use permits, and long-range planning to guide growth and protect property rights.
  • Oversee county departments and services, such as the sheriff’s office, assessor, road & bridge, emergency services, and solid waste, ensuring efficient and lawful operations.
  • Pass ordinances and resolutions, creating local laws and policies on matters ranging from public safety to environmental regulations, subject to Idaho state law.
  • Represent the county in intergovernmental and regional matters, working with cities, school districts, state agencies, and other counties on issues affecting residents.
  • Term: 2-4 years
  • Time Commitment: Full-time position

BLAINE COUNTY CLERK

  • Serve as the Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners, preparing meeting agendas, recording minutes, and maintaining official county records and resolutions.
  • Act as Chief Elections Officer for the county, overseeing voter registration, ballot preparation, polling logistics, and certification of election results in compliance with Idaho law.
  • Manage court-related responsibilities as Clerk of the District Court, including maintaining legal records, processing court filings, and supporting judicial proceedings.
  • Oversee financial administration, including accounts payable, payroll, budgeting support, and audits for various county departments and elected offices.
  • Provide public access to official documents, ensuring transparency and legal compliance with requests related to land records, marriage licenses, and other public filings.
  • Term: 4 years
  • Time Commitment: Full-time position

BLAINE COUNTY ASSESSOR

  • Determine the market value of real and personal property within the county for tax purposes, ensuring assessments are fair, uniform, and compliant with Idaho state law.
  • Maintain up-to-date property records and ownership information, including legal descriptions, mapping, and parcel boundaries in coordination with the county GIS system.
  • Oversee the appraisal process, managing staff and ensuring timely revaluations, inspections, and responses to inquiries or appeals from property owners.
  • Administer property tax exemptions and programs, such as the homeowner’s exemption, circuit breaker, and agricultural classifications.
  • Coordinate with the County Treasurer and Commissioners, providing certified values and reports that form the basis for calculating tax rates and funding local services.
  • Term: 4 years
  • Time Commitment: Full-time position

BLAINE COUNTY CORONER

  • Investigate deaths under specific circumstances, including those resulting from violence (homicide, suicide, or accidents), occurring under suspicious or unknown conditions, or when a person dies without an attending physician to certify the cause of death.
  • Determine and certify the cause and manner of death, utilizing information from scene investigations, witness interviews, medical records, and, when necessary, ordering autopsies conducted by forensic pathologists.
  • Ensure proper identification of decedents, employing methods such as visual confirmation by family, fingerprints, dental records, tattoos, jewelry, or X-rays to confirm identity.
  • Collaborate with law enforcement and other agencies, sharing findings from death investigations and, if evidence suggests a crime, forwarding information to the Prosecuting Attorney for further action.
  • Maintain and manage official records, including filing death certificates with the Idaho Department of Vital Statistics and providing certified copies to families or funeral directors as needed.
  • In Blaine County, the Coroner’s office operates out of facilities provided by the Wood River Chapel mortuary, which include a morgue, refrigeration units, office space, and vehicles necessary for conducting investigations.
  • Term: 4 years
  • Time Commitment: Part-time position in addition to full-time duties as funeral director at Wood River Chapel.

BLAINE COUNTY TREASURER

  • Receive and safeguard all county funds, ensuring that all monies collected are deposited and accounted for in a timely manner.
  • Invest idle funds to ensure adequate liquidity for the county to meet its financial obligations, while aiming for long-term economic prosperity.
  • Collect property taxes on behalf of schools, cities, and other districts within the county, ensuring accurate billing and timely collection.
  • Maintain detailed financial records, including accounts of receipts and expenditures, and provide regular reports to the Board of Commissioners.
  • Act as Public Administrator, managing the estates of deceased persons without appointed representatives or known heirs, as required by law.
  • Term: 4 years
  • Time Commitment: Full-time position

STATE SENATOR AND REPRESENTATIVES (LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 26 REPRESENTING BLAINE, LINCOLN, AND JEROME COUNTIES)

  • Draft, debate, and vote on state legislation, shaping laws that govern education, healthcare, transportation, taxation, natural resources, and other critical issues affecting Idaho residents.
  • Represent the interests of constituents in their legislative district by responding to concerns, attending community events, and advocating for local priorities at the Capitol.
  • Serve on legislative committees, where bills are first analyzed, amended, and debated before reaching the full House or Senate for a vote.
  • Participate in the state’s budgeting process, reviewing agency requests, setting funding levels, and helping determine how taxpayer dollars are allocated across state programs.
  • Engage in oversight of state agencies and executive actions, ensuring accountability, efficiency, and adherence to legislative intent.
  • Term: 2 years
  • Time Commitment: 40+ hours per week January through early April; 10-20 hours per week April through December.