Democratic candidates visit Weiser

Three Democratic candidates running for Idaho office visited Weiser Saturday for a forum and question and answer session with the Washington County Democrats.
 Washington County Democratic Chair Linda Strain organized and arranged the event, held outside the Weiser Historical Train Depot. The three candidates in attendance were Rudy Soto, running for U.S. House of Representatives, Allen Schmid, running for Idaho House, and Paulette Jordan, running for U.S. Senate. State director for the Biden-Harris campaign Kassie Cerami was also in attendance.
 A raffle and silent auction were also held, with all three candidates as well as Director Cerami speaking and answering questions from the audience. The event was well received by attendees, said Strain. The evening was warm, and the outdoor structure of the event kept all in attendance safe.
 “It makes it good when we have events…so [voters] can actually talk to the candidates and meet them,” said Strain. “We don’t really have the opportunity in some of the rural areas to meet candidates.”
 Since being elected chair, Strain said she has made an effort to give community members the opportunity to discover and learn who the candidates are. The overall goal of this event and events similar was to educate and give voters an opportunity to meet their candidates, she said. Voters are encouraged by Strain to research candidates so as to make an informed decision when filling out their ballots.
 “Whether or not you’re in Cambridge, or Weiser or Boise, it’s important to be able to meet and get familiar with the candidates that you’re going to have to vote for,” said Strain. “Everybody’s vote is important.”
 Cerami said she was excited to visit Weiser and said she has a love for the town. Weiser is a snapshot of small-town America, she said, and voters in rural areas deserve to have a candidate visit and engage. Candidates should be in touch with all voters, both in metropolitan areas as well as rural. Voters in Washington County have their own unique needs to be met by lawmakers, different from the needs of individuals living in larger areas such as Boise. Voters in attendance asked honest questions to the candidates regarding their specific concerns, including education and medical insurance.
 “[Rural areas] are the backbone of the state,” said Cerami. “Candidates need to be reminded who their constituents are.”
 The forum was candidate Rudy Soto’s third time visiting Weiser in a political capacity. Soto said visiting rural areas is important for candidates to recognize and connect with the people they wish to represent. Rural communities offer a variety of services however they can be ignored, he said.
 “If you’re going to run…you need to be accessible in a first-hand way,” said Soto. “I’m really driven to do more for rural communities.”
 An overall successful event, voters took advantage of the opportunity to ask questions about important topics. Strain said she has heard only positive responses from attendees and is thankful for a successful event.