Idaho Dems’ Director Heads for Sunnier State

By Jill Kuraitis, 3-16-07

It doesn’t surprise Idaho Democrats to lose their Executive Director, Maria Weeg, but it makes many of them sad.

Weeg has accepted the same position with the Arizona Democratic Party, and will leave Boise the end of March. 

Former Idaho congressman Richard Stallings, chair of the Idaho D’s, told Weeg, “Wow. I have mixed feelings about this…it’s terrible to lose you but it’s such a great opportunity.”

Rep. Wendy Jacquet of Ketchum is Minority Leader of the House Democrats. “The job of the party is to elect Democrats, and under Maria’s leadership we’ve really done a good job with that.  The base she leaves us will help elect more.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for her, but I really regret that she’s leaving.  I hope we can replace her with someone who has her set of skills.”

And Senate Minority Leader Clint Stennett, also of Ketchum, said, “It’s a tremendous opportunity for her.  Clearly she has a lot to offer for an organization of that size to bring her on.  She’s done a great job for us and leaves the Party in great shape.”

In Arizona, Weeg will direct a staff of 22.  The Idaho Democrats have eight people on staff.

Arizona’s governor is Democrat Janet Napolitano, and its Attorney General is Democrat Terry Goddard. There are 13 Democrats in the State Senate (out of 30) and 27 out of 60 in the House are D’s. Weeg said she’s looking forward to working in a state with a few more elected Democrats.

“As former Executive Director of the Arizona Democratic Party I had the opportunity to partner with Maria on many of the 50 state strategies and see her talent in action.  I have been able to see how wonderful her management and leadership skills are during challenging and important campaigns in another western state.  We are looking forward to Maria’s expertise leading Arizona and the West into a successful 2008 campaign.  We can’t wait to have her as a part of the team,” wrote David Waid, Arizona Democratic Party Chair, to NewWest.Net/Boise.

Weeg rose through the dues-paying ranks of the Idaho Dems, starting her political life in her home town of Pocatello.  Her first official job was as a page in the House Minority office in 1988, and her most recent before taking over the Idaho Democrats was Field Director for Boise Mayor Dave Bieter’s election in 2003.

Weeg, who has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Columbus State University, a Master’s in public administration from Idaho State University and says she is “75% there” on a Ph.D. from Idaho State University, is 37 years old.

Weeg is a native Westerner who told New West today that “the future of the Democrats nationally really is here in the West “It’s really hard for me to move to Arizona because I love Idaho so much, but I also love the West, and it makes sense for me to work on Western issues.  There’s a special sense of place here.  The West has always been where people come to have room to breathe and live and grow, to have open space and to work toward their dreams.”

“We’re not going to get the South back; the same kind of things that used to make Southerners into Democrats don’t play there anymore. Here, our issues are clean air, clean water, quality of life issues.  We see young families drawn here for those reasons.  Family-oriented constituencies are part of what’s helping Democrats make gains in the West.”

A fan of DNC Chair Governor Howard Dean’s 50-state strategy, a program where the DNC changed direction from supporting only hand-picked races to supporting all the state parties, Weeg said, “Political parties are institutions that are there to represent their members,” she said. “What had happened here in Idaho is that for a long stretch we had Democratic elected officials like Governor Cecil Andrus and others, but the infrastructure was built around them, not the party.  When we lost those seats we lost that.  So when I came, it was important to build the infrastructure without those officeholders at the top of the ticket, and the State Parties Partnership with the DNC – where they put their money where their mouth is – has been a huge help.”

She thinks new House Democrat James Ruchti is a rising star with a great future for Idaho Democrats. “We went to junior high together.  I sort of feel like I got him elected and now my work is done,” she joked.