State Representative, position A
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Luke Malek (R) | 14,229 | 68.82% |
| Patrick P. Mitchell (D) | 6,447 | 31.18% |
* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.
About the Race
Luke Malek’s top issues are education, health care, economic development, job creation, “good communities and a criminal justice system that provides for safe communities, but isn’t incarcerating people unnecessarily.” Patrick “Pat” Mitchell, his Democratic challenger, a former standup comedian, jokes that his advantage over Malek is “that I’ve got 20 years on him age-wise, and I’ve always respected my elders.”
Mitchell says he wants to improve education, the economy, and elder care, and contribute to the community where he’s lived all his life. He’s open about his April 2015 DUI conviction and his recent spotty work history. “My past is an open book,” Mitchell said. Malek, an attorney, declined to contrast himself to Mitchell. “I don’t know my opponent, so I haven’t seen what he’s done in the community or anything,” Malek said. Both easily won their respective party primaries in the spring.
The Candidates
Luke Malek
- Party:
- Republican
- Age:
- 43
Education: Graduated from Gonzaga Prep High School, 2000. Earned bachelor’s degree in political science from the College of Idaho and law degree from the University of Idaho.
Political background: Incumbent, elected to Idaho House in 2012 and 2014. Served as North Idaho regional director for then-Lt. Gov. Jim Risch, and then in the same position when Risch was governor. Interned for Idaho Sens. Larry Craig and Mike Crapo.
Work experience: Served as executive director of the Post Falls Urban Renewal Agency. Worked for three years for the Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.Was in-house counsel for Heritage Health for two years, then formed Smith-Malek law firm. Continues to serve as general counsel for Heritage Health. Also serves on the McClure Center board for the University of Idaho, and on the Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) board for the 1st Judicial District. Co-founded the Kootenai County Young Professionals organization.
Family: Married. Has no children.
Patrick P. Mitchell
- Party:
- Democratic
- Age:
- 62
- City:
- Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Education: Graduated from Coeur d’Alene High School, 1980. Earned bachelor’s degree in marketing, University of Idaho. Currently training for work as a counselor.
Political background: Ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Coeur d’Alene in 1993 and Coeur d’Alene City Council in 2011.
Work experience: Former traveling stand-up comedian. Worked in entertainment booking with Emmett Mitchell Productions. Worked in investigative work for law firms; real estate; and telephone sales. From May of 2005 to February of 2013, was employed full time as guardian and caregiver for his father. Currently working on a fill-in basis for North Idaho Commercial, an HVAC company.
Family: Single, no children.
Complete Coverage
Coeur d’Alene newspaper carrier trapped by passing snowplow
A funny thing happened to Jamie Sedlmeyer and her boyfriend, Les, while delivering papers at Coeur d’Alene Place early this morning. They got plowed in. We’re not talking about being plowed in while they were in a driveway, tossing newspapers to sleeping customers. They were plowed in WHILE driving on the street.
Rising stars
At the Fort Grounds Grill last night, from left, Sid Smith, representative-elect Paul Amador and state Rep. Luke Malek, all of Coeur d’Alene, hobnob re: the results from Election 2016. Amador and Malek will represent Coeur d’Alene in the 2017 Legislature.
Poll: Hucks Nation backs Malek
In Thursday’s poll, a supermajority of Hucks Nation backs incumbent Rep. Luke Malek, R-Coeur d’Alene, over Democrat Patrick Mitchell in the race for the House District 4A (Coeur d’Alene) seat. Today’s Poll: Who will get your vote in the race for the Senate District 4 (Coeur d’Alene) seat — Republican Mary Souza or Democrat Kristi Milan?
Poll: Hucks Nation backs Amador
In the Wednesday poll, a solid majority of Hucks Nation said it supports the candidacy of Republican Paul Amador in the House District 4B race. Amador is running against Democrat Tom Hearn. Today’s Poll: Who will get your vote in the House District 4A race — Republican Luke Malek or Democrat Patrick Mitchell?
Huckleberries: Closed Republican primary in Idaho attracts Democrats
The strategy by conservative hardliners to close the Idaho GOP primary may have backfired.
Three North Idaho lawmakers backed by Idaho Freedom Foundation lose seats in Idaho primary
Three North Idaho lawmakers lost their seats in Tuesday’s primary election. The three – Reps. Kathy Sims, R-Coeur d’Alene, and Shannon McMillan, R-Silverton; and Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll, R-Cottonwood – have something in common: They’re all among the top 10 scorers in the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s “Freedom Index.” The conservative lobbying group launched a new campaigning arm this year, Idaho Freedom Action, and pushed hard to boost lawmakers like these three and take out other Republicans it deemed too moderate. But the push largely failed.
District 4 races: Malek-Macomber, Sims-Amador, and more…
Here’s my full story from today’s Spokesman-Review on contested primary races in legislative District 4 in Coeur d’Alene, the third in a series: CdA legislator faces challenger who hopes to defund Idaho budget of federal money By Betsy Z. Russell As he seeks a third…
Coeur d’Alene legislator faces challenger who hopes to defund Idaho budget of federal money
As he seeks a third term in the Legislature, Rep. Luke Malek, R-Coeur d’Alene, faces a challenge from a local real estate attorney who’s gone on the attack – criticizing Malek as too young and inexperienced to represent Coeur d’Alene in the Legislature, saying, “He hasn’t built anything in his life to speak of, including a family, a business, or anything else.”
Idaho House backs firefighters cancer coverage bill, after years of attempts
More than two dozen firefighters filled public gallery of the Idaho House on Friday as state representatives voted 65-3 in favor of Coeur d’Alene Rep. Luke Malek’s bill to change Idaho’s worker’s compensation law to presume that certain cancers, within certain time periods, are job-related for firefighters.
Eye on Boise: Idaho homeowner’s exemption could lose inflation index
Eye on Boise column for Sunday
Bill would bar Idaho cities from increasing minimum wage
Idaho lawmakers split along party lines Monday, with majority Republicans on the House Business Committee backing a ban on local laws or ballot measures to raise the minimum wage.
‘All business’ approach will compete with pre-election posturing in Idaho Legislature
BOISE – When the Idaho Legislature convenes Monday, it will face a push-pull between two competing goals for the session: A desire for a quick, “all-business” session that wraps up well before the May primary election, versus a desire to roll out hot-button issues on which lawmakers want to stake out stands before they seek re-election.