Precinct Captains

What is a Precinct Captain?

A precinct captain is a neighborhood leader who helps connect voters to the Democratic Party. They’re the go-to people for sharing information about elections, encouraging voter turnout, and building community around local issues. Precinct captains play a vital role in strengthening our grassroots movement, one conversation at a time.

  • There are two ways to serve: you can be appointed by the county chair (with approval from the Central Committee), or you can be elected during the May Primary in even-numbered years.

    Ready to lead? Connect with the Latah County Democrats here to get started!

  • Quickly look up where you’ll cast your ballot on Election Day here.

  • See which precinct you live in and explore the full county map here.

MEET YOUR PC

Precinct 1 | Gretchen Wissner

Gretchen taught in the Moscow Public Schools for 36 years and has served as Latah Dems’ County Chair since 2022. Her focus is on providing information to local voters, encouraging involvement in exploring progressive solutions to issues they care about, and electing more Idaho Democrats to office! Please join us in this effort—click here to volunteer!

Precinct 2 | Dan Schmidt

Dan Schmidt is a retired Family Physician. He served Latah County as County Coroner for 15 years, running unaffiliated. He has also served in the Idaho State Senate for 6 years, as an Idaho Democrat. He served on the 2021 Redistricting Commission and was on the Idaho Board of Health and Welfare until the legislature and the Governor abolished it in 2026. He is married with four grown daughters and four grandchildren. He came to Idaho in 1977, Moscow in 1979, and has lived here ever since, except the time in Medical School (WAMI, UWSOM) and residency. Dan works for healthy solutions to community problems and believes political parties should do so too.

Precinct 3 | Trish Hartzell

Precinct 4 | Nancy Zabriskie

Precinct 5 | David Drown

David Drown is a Professor Emeritus Chemical Engineering from the University of Idaho, a licensed professional engineer, and the Chair of Latah Credit Union Supervisory Committee.

Precinct 6 | Jana Argersinger

Precinct 7 | Margaret Dibble

Margaret is a Democrat because she is concerned about the Environment, Health Care, and Education. She serves as Treasurer for the Latah Dems.

Precinct 8 | Open

Click the link at the top of the page to learn more about becoming a precinct captain!

Precinct 9 | Mary Jo Van Gerpen

Mary Jo Van Gerpen has been very active with the Latah Democrats since 2010. The two issues that she is most passionate about are education and Medicaid expansion. She hopes to get to know people in her precinct.

Precinct 10 | Linda Pike

Linda is proud to be the Democrat Precinct 10 Chair for Latah County.  She follows in the footsteps of her son, Tom, who was elected in 1996 when he was a senior at Moscow High. She is an ardent believer in Democrat values and longs for the days when Idaho had a Democrat Governor and a Legislature that worked together to help the people.  She wants to help us get back to that instead of the polarization that exists today.

Precinct 11 | Jim Huggins

Precinct 12 | Aaron Headrick

Precinct 13 | Nick Pappin

Precinct 14 | Kathy Sprague

Kathy (she/her) is older than the Stonewall Riots (barely), the HIV crisis that killed many of her friends, and older than legal same sex marriage in the US. She and her wife Tabitha were the first couple in the state to file a marriage license after the Supreme Court stay was lifted in Idaho in 2015. But, they still mark their anniversary from the date of their first ceremony in 1991. She is also aware that her great grandparents homesteaded on stolen land but very proud of her father’s life work of repatriating grave goods and ancestral remains to the original inhabitants.

Precinct 15 | Sara Pepper

Precinct 16 | Neal Wassmuth

Precinct 17 | Marian “Mimi” Pengilly

Mimi cares about optimizing the Democratic Party in Idaho. As a retired public school district employee, she supports education and health care improvements in our state.

Precinct 18 | Open

Click the link at the top of the page to learn more about becoming a precinct captain!

Precinct 19- Deary | Open

Click the link at the top of the page to learn more about becoming a precinct captain!

Precinct 20- Farmington | Open

Precinct 21- Genessee | Kristy Mayer

Precinct 22- Harvard | Open

Click the link at the top of the page to learn more about becoming a precinct captain!

Precinct 23- Juliaetta | Justin Cope

Justin is active in the small town of Juliaetta on the Blackberry Festival Committee, the Cemetery District Board, and the KJ Planning and Zoning Commission. He believes that the Latah County Democrats have really led by example by volunteering and participating in events all around our county which aligns with his sense of community values.

Precinct 24- Kendrick | Andrea Masom

Precinct 25- Linden | Open

Click the link at the top of the page to learn more about becoming a precinct captain!

Precinct 26- West Potlatch | Scott Dockins

Precinct 27 | Brian Potter

Brian has been an Idaho resident all his life. He was born in McCall and grew up outside of Riggins. While he has traveled extensively, he has always loved Idaho and never really wanted to leave, though he is partial to the northern part of the state. He loves trees. For some people it may seem strange to say that he has always been an Idaho resident and a Democrat, but in the old days northern Idaho was predominantly in Democratic opposition to the more heavily Republican southern part of the state. He guesses he has just clung to his roots, and that’s easy to do as a teacher in Idaho. He thinks his involvement in the Latah County Democrats came largely through his association with the Idaho Education Association and his involvement with some of the politics in that entity.

Precinct 28- Bradley Blum

Precinct 29- John Bickelhaupt and Suzanne Friend

Precinct 30- Viola | Karen Hansen

I grew up on an irrigated farm in southeast Idaho. I earned a B.S. degree in Watershed Hydrology. I’ve lived in the Palouse area for over 30 years. My career was in Ag research. The love of my life was a disabled combat vet. I care deeply about everything from natural resources to national security. I believe in building bridges, both in terms of infrastructure and in terms of human interaction. I want to encourage thoughtful in-depth conversations that include a variety of perspectives and concerns for the purpose of finding common ground and achieving principled compromise when needed. That is the work of building a democracy. Let’s do it. 

Precinct 31- Cora | Bob Kerns

Precinct 32- Bovill | Open

Click the link at the top of the page to learn more about becoming a precinct captain!

Precinct 33- Onaway | Kasey Kampster

Kasey is a lifelong rural Idahoan who graduated from the University of Idaho and has been a teacher on the Palouse for twenty years.  She is a proud advocate of human rights, science, and the separation of church and state.  

Precinct 39- Troy | BJ Swanson

BJ is a lifelong resident of Latah County and resides in rural Troy. She grew up in Deary and is a graduate of Deary High School. She graduated from Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington, is a retired bank executive and currently the Latah County Treasurer. She will work to counter disinformation, protect our democracy, and is an advocate for better education, healthcare, and wise use of our tax dollars.