Teton County sheriff taken off ballot

A local sheriff who wants to run for another term will not be on the ballot in the Mary primary.

The Teton County Idaho clerk had to declare the Teton County sheriff’s candidacy invalid because of an “obscure” law.

“I’ve been disqualified because of a little known rule,” Sheriff Tony Liford said. “Not a little known, an unknown rule of election law.”

Liford missed the filing deadline in an attempt to change his party affiliation. The law says he needed to give notice five days before the March 11 filing deadline. Liford filed his party change on March 10.

The sheriff went to the county clerk to find out what steps he needed to take in order to withdraw his Democratic candidacy and re-file as a Republican.

“Apparently state election officials were also unfamiliar with the obscure law, since the Clerk obtained direction from the Secretary of State’s staff regarding the steps Sheriff Liford should take in order to with draw his Democratic candidacy and re-file as a republican,” County Clerk Mary Lou Hansen said in a press release.

In that release, Hansen said she accidentally found the law when she was researching write-in options for another candidate whose candidacy was found invalid.
That’s when Hansen asked the Teton County prosecutor if Liford’s candidacy had to be declared invalid.

“The prosecutor had the authority to let it stand, and then make sure this didn’t happen again or doesn’t happen again, in any future elections,” Liford said. “I think the most salient point is that the gentleman who’s run against me previously, and if i remain a candidate would be running against me again, works for the prosecutor and has for the last seven years.”

Teton County prosecutor Kathy Spitzer