Pocatello voters delivered a clear message Tuesday night — it's time for new leadership.
Three new faces will join the City Council while incumbent Mayor Brian Blad finished a distant third in his reelection bid, setting up a Dec. 2 runoff between Mark Dahlquist and Greg Cates.
Blad's 16-year tenure as mayor — after defeating Roger Chase in the 2009 election — is set to end, with Dahlquist and Cates both earning more votes than him, triggering a runoff election on Dec. 2.
Dahlquist earned 5,135 votes, or 40.21 percent; Cates earned 3,938 votes, or 30.83 percent; and Blad earned 1,830 votes, or 14.33 percent.
According to his campaign website, Dahlquist, the executive director of NeighborWorks Pocatello for 18 years, has built his campaign around housing affordability, economic development and fiscal transparency.
His website states that during his tenure at NeighborWorks, he led neighborhood revitalization projects that have added $42 million to the Bannock County tax base, including developments like the Bonneville Commons and Park Meadows Senior Apartments.
An Idaho State University graduate with a background in private-sector management at Farmers Insurance, Dahlquist's website says he has promised to modernize zoning, streamline permits and launch a "Clean & Green" corridor program to attract businesses and skilled workers.
Cates, a retired Pocatello police officer who served from 2007 to 2023, now works as a certified financial counselor at a local credit union.
According to his website, his campaign has focused on keeping families together by attracting businesses that pay livable wages and revitalizing downtown Pocatello.
His website outlines a bold vision for Historic Downtown Pocatello, including permanently closing two to three blocks of Main Street to vehicle traffic to create a pedestrian-focused destination with cafes, entertainment and community events. Cates' website also states he supports relocating City Hall to downtown to drive foot traffic and support small businesses.
The runoff election will cost approximately $60,000, with Bannock County initially fronting the bill before seeking reimbursement from the city of Pocatello, according to Bannock County Elections Director Julie Hancock.
Steve Brown, who previously served on both the Pocatello City Council and Bannock County Commission, ended his mayoral bid with 1,485 votes, or 11.63 percent, Tuesday night. Fellow mayoral candidate Alana Leonhardy, who grew up in Moscow and moved to the Gate City in 2023 for a position at Idaho State University, ended with 214 votes, or 1.68 percent. Nate Kessel ended with 123 votes, or 0.96 percent, and Idaho Law-Carta Sierra-Idaho Lorax earned 47 votes, or 0.37 percent.
The Pocatello City Council Seat 5 race was the closest in the Gate City, with less than 8 points separating the highest and lowest vote-getters.
Stacy Satterfield, who earned 3,606 votes, or 29.41 percent, ultimately unseated incumbent Linda Leeuwrik, who secured 2,711 votes, or 22.11 percent. Keven Lewis fell just short, earning 3,281 votes, or 26.76 percent, while Jeremy Marley brought up the caboose with 2,663 votes, or 21.72 percent.
Pocatello City Council Seat 4 member Dakota Bates, whom Blad appointed in June, won his election bid, fending off challenges from James Bucci and Jim Young. Bates secured 6,127 votes, or 51.43 percent; Young earned 4,046 votes, or 33.96 percent; and Bucci earned 1,740 votes, or 14.61 percent.
Pocatello City Council Seat 6 was always going to see a fresh face after incumbent councilmember Rep. Rick Cheatum, R-Pocatello, announced in August he would not seek reelection after serving two terms. In his place, Ann Swanson will serve for at least the next four years, securing 7,010 votes, or 57.97 percent, while Melissa Hartman secured 5,083 votes, or 42.03 percent.
Both the Bannock County Elections website and the Secretary of State's website went down for several-minute intervals Tuesday night, seemingly unable to handle all the web traffic from Idahoans looking for the latest election results.