Among the mysteries of this year’s primary elections in Idaho is the candidate running for a District 4 legislative seat in Coeur d’Alene whose name is “Turns to the East.” The mystery: Why is that his name?

After repeated inquiries, East, who legally changed his name from Charles Russell Addy at a naming service at a Unitarian Church in Illinois in 1994, had this explanation: “It's a long personal story. … I was named after my maternal and paternal grandfathers and changed my name after they had both passed away.  The rest of the story is very personal.”

East is running in a contested race in the Democratic primary for the legislative seat now held by Rep. Luke Malek, R-Coeur d’Alene; Malek also has contested primary, facing Art Macomber. East’s opponent in the primary is Patrick “Pat” Mitchell, a Coeur d’Alene native who’s unsuccessfully run for mayor and city council. Mitchell, who says he wants to improve education, the economy and elder care, is a freelance marketer who holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho.

When I interviewed him last week, Mitchell hadn’t yet met his opponent or appeared at any forums with him. “I’d like to,” he said. Like many, he’s wondered about his opponent’s unusual name. “It’s like, do I turn to the west if I’m debating him? I don’t know, I don’t know what I do.”

East is a former customs and border protection officer on the Washington-Canada border, who moved to Coeur d’Alene in 2014 for semi-retirement. He’s holds a master’s degree in public administration from Michigan State University and a bachelor’s degree from Northern Michigan University. His top issues include pay equity, increasing the minimum wage and Idaho’s health coverage gap.