Times-News Endorsement: Balukoff, A Governor for the Recovery
Until recently, we were in the same boat as many Idahoans. Neither man had convinced us. Until last week, we were planning a non-endorsement.

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We knew early on that magnate Balukoff was onto something with his education-focused campaign. Yet a governor must be well-rounded in policy and political savvy, especially in a state where any Democrat will face substantial opposition in the Legislature. It wasn’t even clear how he would find the tens of millions required to bolster education, the crux of his entire bid.

We hadn’t heard specifics from Balukoff about water conservation, infrastructure and day-to-day governance until Oct. 17. The doubts persisted. Could he be effective with an adversarial Legislature? Is he a one-trick pony hitched only to education?

That’s when Balukoff came in for his last pre-election sit down with the Times-News Editorial Board. We demanded specifics. And Balukoff didn’t disappoint. He offered a fiery, passionate side that we hadn’t seen. For the first time, we saw a clear, practical, impassioned vision from the longtime Boise school trustee. He was impressive and earned our support on Nov. 4.