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| Angela Kucera-Baker gets video on her cell phone during the Woman's March II event Saturday at Sandpoint Middle School. |
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| Idaho gubernatorial candidate Paulette Jordan |
Born and raised in North Idaho, she is familiar with our way of life and our common values. Jordan ran in a very red, “unwinnable district,” even though she chose to run as a blue Democrat, a young person and as a woman.
She won. Twice.
Jordan spoke about her time in immemorial contract with the entire ecosystem as an indigenous person of our land. It is stewardship of our lands, waters and wildlife she advocates. She has upheld that contract since day one of her tenure.
Jordan spoke of division in our country and how many are so far left or so far right that we forget how many ties we have between us.
In her district, staunch Republicans and Tea Party Republicans have become some of her greatest supporters. She won over her very red district by listening and respectfully speaking to landowners, ranchers and businesspeople, mothers and single parents and many other people in her community.
She has kept and gained support voting for and doing the things that she promised. Though she is running as a Democrat, it would not do to call her a liberal. Congresswoman Jordan talks like a centrist who leans conservative. She is a gun owner and advocates protecting our Second Amendment Rights as well as being a strong proponent for education.
Jordan serves on the Idaho State Affairs Committee, Business Committee, Energy Environment and Technology Committee and was selected to serve on the Legislative Council.
She advocates for the choice of Medicaid Expansion.
“We have a lot of work to do to get the Medicaid Expansion Initiative on the ballot, so that we are able to vote on it, to give every Idahoan the Healthcare they deserve." Jordan told those who filled the Sandpoint Middle School gym Saturday.
There are several petitions going around statewide to get this initiative on the ballot in November.
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| Boundary County Democratic Central Committee Chair Debbie Flory and gubernatorial candidate Paulette Jordan. |
“Even though we may have our differences," Jordan said, "if we talk to our neighbors we will find we have much more in common than not.”
She spoke about her neighbor, a staunch Republican. She said that even though they may disagree on many issues, they found they agreed on these things: Our right to gun ownership, our human right to clean air and water, quality healthcare, protection of our public lands, protecting families and that the aging have the right to live and prosper.
She talked about less taxes and limited government, so we can be equalized with a strong justice system. She also said government should not be telling us how to be, how to live, how to speak and how to be divided.
One of her mantras is “Idaho First, Idaho Always."
She believes that to truly love Idaho, we must respect our differences, yet learn to look past them. We must be friends and realize we are all related.
"We must all fight for Idaho and each other," she said. "We must all own each party’s problems."
Democrats, she said, should listen when someone wants to point out something they see as an issue in the party, and she will, she said, point out all the problems she sees created by Republicans and speak out. No finger pointing, but owning up and facing it to do something about it on all sides.
“Our children deserve to inherit not just a beautiful Idaho but a fair and justified Idaho,” she said.
Integrity, as Paulette Jordan relates it, is simple: Your word is your bond, your handshake the affirmation that will fix Idaho.
The crowd was as divided as all of Idaho, a mix of protestors and counter protesters. Yet all were respectful, listening intently to her speak and, it appeared, listening intently to what she had to say.
Despite the many differences that make Idaho the diverse, sometimes maddening yet always wonderful place it is, the crowd, as a whole, was enthusiastic in its response to the gubernatorial candidate.
"I will live and die by Idaho because I was born and raised by Idaho," Jordan said.
Many in the near capacity audience, in spite of their diverse points of view, seemed convinced they were listening to Idaho's next governor.