We Called It: The Democrats’ Political Machine Strikes Again

The latest hit piece targeting our elected coroner ran exactly on schedule because establishment Democrats in Blaine County are nothing if not predictable. (If you missed our email during the holidays predicting this attack, read it here.)

We are not going to waste your time linking to the article published today by the Idaho Mountain Express. Frankly, it is the same recycled garbage we have all come to expect: partisan accusations, heavy on insinuation, and light on facts.

As many expected, the Blaine County Democrats’ political machine, working hand in glove with their media allies, has launched a coordinated smear campaign against our elected coroner, Russell Mikel.

Why? Because they want to replace him with a Democrat they can control, and they do not want to wait the ten months until the next election because the democratic process is inconvenient for them.

What they will not tell you is this: they have no authority to remove the coroner. Only the voters of Blaine County can do that on Election Day. Lacking the legal power to force him out, they have chosen a different path. They are politicizing the office, manufacturing a crisis, and attempting to destroy the reputation of a man who has served this county honorably for more than four decades.

It is especially troubling that Coroner Mikel was not invited to the meeting where these issues were discussed, while the Idaho Mountain Express was given a front row seat. That alone tells you everything you need to know about their motives.

There is another critical fact missing from their narrative. Blaine County still does not have a morgue. Funding and building one is the responsibility of the Blaine County Commission. For decades, the county has relied on access to Mikel’s mortuary facilities, and county leadership has done nothing to plan for a replacement. If they succeed in forcing him out prematurely, they are entirely unprepared for the consequences.

The individuals driving this effort should be remembered by voters:

· Muffy Davis, County Commissioner
· Matt Fredback Prosecuting Attorney
· Morgan Ballis, Sheriff
· Steve England, Hailey Police Chief

This is exactly why elections matter. Blaine County deserves leaders who respect the rule of law, the will of the voters, and the integrity of public offices, not backroom power grabs and media driven smear campaigns.