McCann selected for vacant Idaho House seat

Idaho Gov. Brad Little announced Monday that retired Lewis-Clark State College professor Lori McCann will fill the District 6 Idaho House of Representatives seat vacated by the recent resignation of Aaron von Ehlinger.

Von Ehlinger resigned after the House Ethics Committee recommended that he be censured and suspended for his conduct with a teenage Legislative staffer who accused him of rape. That allegation is being investigated by the Boise police.

Little’s spokeswoman, Marissa Morrison, said the governor chose McCann from a list of three people submitted by the 6th Legislative District Republican Central Committee.

McCann, 60, said she will work hard to help the district move past the scandal that has consumed its politics over the last couple of months.

“I mentioned in my interview (with Little and his staff) that I would certainly work to restore any damage that has been done to the seat, and I would work very hard to bring ethics and honorability back to that seat,” McCann said.

The selection process was thrown into turmoil for several days after committee members determined they incorrectly counted the votes for nominees. The first list they submitted to Little’s office included Glen Baldwin, Robert Blair and Hannah Liedkie. But after tabulation, the committee corrected the list to include Blair, Baldwin and McCann.

There was also intra-committee strife over Liedkie, who was nominated by Nez Perce County Commission Chairman Douglas Havens. Several committee members challenged Liedkie’s conservative bona fides, largely based on her past social media posts.

McCann has been a resident of Nez Perce County for 50 years. She graduated from Lewiston High School and the University of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in education. Her professional experience includes working as a professor at LCSC and helping run her family’s law office, as well as the family-owned McCann Ranch and Livestock Co. and a family-owned residential and commercial rental business.

In fact, McCann said she was at the ranch helping brand 100 calves when the governor’s office called last Thursday for a follow-up interview after an initial conversation with a member of Little’s staff the day before. McCann said she dropped everything to head back into the office for the session.

She was told to expect an announcement Monday morning, and her phone rang around 8:45 a.m. It was Little.

“We had a little chit-chat, and he said it would be an honor for you to accept that position,” McCann said. “And I was just thrilled beyond thrilled. I told him I was honored and humbled, and I look forward to working with him and those in the statehouse.”

An announcement from the governor’s office cataloged McCann’s community endeavors, including her upcoming service as the new president of the LCSC Foundation Board of Directors, member of the Idaho Community Foundation Board of Directors, and member of the Idaho Business for Education board of directors and executive committee.

In an email to its members, Scott Corbitt, president of the Valley Vision economic development agency, called the selection “good news” and said she is a friend to business, agriculture and economic development.

“She is a great choice for our region,” Corbitt wrote. “Congrats to Lori and kudos to Gov. Little for making the right decision.”

McCann is married to retired Lewiston attorney and former Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport Authority Board member William McCann Jr. They have four adult children and 10 grandchildren. Her term began Monday and will continue until the next general election.

Now that she is a member of the Legislature, McCann said she would approach the job with an open mind and open ears.

“Moving forward, I definitely want to listen and hear what my constituents have to say as far as any issues that they see as important,” she said. “I’m looking forward to working hard for District 6, and I’ll try to bring my experiences in education and agriculture and business to the seat.”

Mills may be contacted at jmills@lmtribune.com or at (208) 310-1901, ext. 2266.