State Representative, Position A, Republican Primary
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Lucas “Luke” Malek (R) | 1,717 | 58.32% |
| Arthur B. Macomber (R) | 1,227 | 41.68% |
* 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.
The Candidates
Lucas "Luke" Malek
- Party:
- Republican
- Age:
- 42
- City:
- Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
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.
Arthur B. Macomber
- Party:
- Republican
- City:
- Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
A real estate attorney, Macomber is managing attorney at Macomber Law PLLC in Coeur d'Alene. He holds a bachelor's degree from George Fox University and a law degree from the University of California Hastings College of the Law. He has been married for 24 years and has two children, plus two from a previous marriage who were subsequently adopted. Macomber moved to North Idaho in 2006; previously, before going to law school, he worked for Micron Electronics in Nampa for five years, and before that, as a Realtor, a carpenter, and a Pacific Bell employee in California. He has served on the public policy committee of the Coeur d'Alene Chamber of Commerce since 2009.
Complete Coverage
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.
Huckleberries: Coeur d’Alene newcomer misfires in challenge to incumbent Edinger
Toby Schindelbeck, a relatively recent California transplant, should fire the advisers helping him run his campaign for the Coeur d’Alene City Council. First, he angered some residents in a debate with Councilman Ron Edinger by saying he knows from his experience in California how to help Coeur d’Alene avoid becoming another Oakland. Or Spokane. Coeur d’Alene residents love being told by a newcomer – especially from California – what they’re doing wrong. Not. Secondly, Schindelbeck’s campaign circulated a flier stating that Edinger is a “registered Democrat” and a career politician. Many Lake City residents consider a Democrat to be almost as bad as an ex-Californian. Funny thing, though? Edinger is a registered Republican. Finally, the Second Amendment Alliance of southern Idaho supported Schindelbeck by depicting Edinger on its Facebook page as being anti-gun. But Edinger owns three guns and is part of a gun-loving and hunting family. The Second Amendmenters advocate permitless carry of concealed firearms. They misfired at Edinger because he voted for a city ordinance that banned guns from Coeur d’Alene parades. The ordinance was put in place years ago to prevent the defunct Aryan Nations from carrying loaded firearms during its reign of annoyance. So who’s counting? Is that strike three for Schindelbeck? We’ll find out on Nov. 3. Technical difficulties
Malek navigates Republican politics, Kootenai County-style
Luke Malek is a young lawyer, a North Idaho resident since the second grade with deep ties in the community, and the son of two local physicians. A Republican, he worked for former Sen. Larry Craig and Sen. Mike Crapo, and was recruited by former…
Luke Malek navigates Republican politics, Kootenai County-style
A popular, well-respected second-term North Idaho lawmaker barely squeaked through the GOP primary against an unknown newcomer. But that’s how politics work these days in heavily GOP but still much-divided Kootenai County.
Luke Malek to speak to KCRR tomorrow
Think he’ll be greeted with open arms?