Sharon Ullman

Idaho’s governor race for 2010 is beginning to fill, after its fashion. We don’t know for sure if the incumbent Republican, C.L. “Butch” Otter, will run (though the weight of opinion is that he will), and there aren’t any Democratic contenders emerging (some being talked about quietly, but no serious movement yet). But. There’s independent Jana Kemp, who has previously served as a Republican legislator (albeit a relatively moderate one). And among the Republicans Rex Rammell, who ran for the Senate last cycle as an independent, and (apparently) Pro-Life Richardson, who has run for office before too. Not a crew of political giant-killers, but an interesting gumbo.

And now, some added spice: Sharon Ullman, the Ada County commissioner, who told the Idaho Statesman today that she plans to run.

Almost anything you can say about Ullman, beyond the fact that she is an Ada County commissioner (and held the office for two years once before, earlier in the decade), can be interpreted or contradicted through a kaleidoscope. She has run for office as a Republican, a Democrat, and as an independent. She has often been in the middle of local government firestorms, though, seemingly, less so in her current run on the commission. (A description of her first term: “Some called it a personality conflict with her co-commissioners, others accused her of being divisive. Ullman always insisted she was simply standing up for what she believed.”) She has been accused of taking her job un-seriously, though she seems to keep herself well informed about the county and county issues, and she seems passionate about it – there’s a wonkish component there. Alongside something that feels like populism. It’s an unusual mix, and where it might take a gubernatorial candidacy is hard to say.

Why would she? To judge from the Statesman report: “Bottom line, public health and safety. Isn’t that what government is all about.”

Her blog – she has been blogging throughout this year on the commission – may offer a few more clues. The main one, from June 28, and apparently the only one referring directly to Otter: “More often than not I agree with Governor Otter but this past legislative session had to disagree with his road and bridge funding policies. Personally, I really like the Governor, but politically I am wondering what he is thinking these days and whom he represents with regard to this issue.”