Ben Ysursa
Ben Ysursa (born June 10, 1949, in Boise, Idaho) is the former Republican Idaho Secretary of State. He was first elected on November 5, 2002, and sworn in to office in January 2003.[1] Ysursa was re-elected in 2006 and 2010. Ysursa's third term began on January 3, 2011, having won re-election in 2010. He defeated Democrat Mack Sermon in the general election on November 2, 2010.[2]
Although eligible to run for re-election in 2014, Ysursa opted not to seek a possible fourth term. He announced his retirement in November 2013.[3][4] Ysursa's third term as secretary of state ended January 5, 2015, when his elected successor, Lawerence Denney (R), was inaugurated. Before becoming secretary of state, Ysursa was Idaho's chief deputy secretary of state from 1976 to 2002. He was a deputy secretary of state from 1974 to 1976.[5] He previously served as treasurer of the Reagan-Bush Idaho Campaign Committee in 1984.
Biography
Ysursa was born in Boise, Idaho. He graduated from Bishop Kelly High School in 1967 and went on to earn his bachelor's degree from Gonzaga University and his J.D. from St. Louis University Law School.[6]
Immediately after graduating from law school, Ysursa served as Deputy Idaho Secretary of State for two years. From 1976 until 2002, he was the Chief Deputy Secretary of State. In 1984, he was the treasurer of the Reagan-Bush Idaho Campaign Committee.[7]
He has served in a number of other roles, including:
- Member, Idaho State Bar Association (1974-present)
- President, Adh County Lincoln Day (1990)
- Member, Board of Land Commissioners
- Member, Board of Examiners
- Chairman, Board of Canvassers
- Member, Land Board Briefing Committee
- Member, Board of Examiners Sub-Committee
- Member, Basque Center
- Active Member/Executive Board Member, National Association of Secretaries of State
- Member, St. John's Parish
Education
- Graduated from Bishop Kelly High School (1967)
- Bachelor's degree, Gonzaga University (1971)
- Juris Doctorate degree, St. Louis University Law School (1974)
Political career
Idaho Secretary of State (2003–2015)
Ysursa was first elected Idaho Secretary of State in 2002 and was re-elected in 2006 and 2010.[1] He retired in January 2015 after three terms in office. Yrsursa was succeeded by Lawerence Denney, a fellow Republican elected to fill the open seat on November 4, 2014.
Presidential preference
2012
Ben Ysursa endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.[8]
Elections
2014
- See also: Idaho secretary of state election, 2014
On November 8, 2013, Ysursa announced he would not run for re-election as secretary of state in 2014. He retired from office at the end of his third term in January 2015.[3][4]
2010
- See also: Idaho Secretary of State election, 2010
- 2010 Race for Secretary of State
| Idaho Secretary of State, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Ben Ysursa Incumbent |
74.3% | 326,453 | |
| Democratic | Mack Sermon | 25.7% | 113,164 | |
| Total Votes | 439,617 | |||
| Election results via Idaho Secretary of State | ||||
2006
- 2006 Race for Secretary of State - Republican Primary and General Election
- Ben Ysursa ran unopposed in both contests
| Idaho Secretary of State, 2006 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Ben Ysursa Incumbent |
100% | 364,871 | |
| Total Votes | 364,871 | |||
| Election results via Idaho Secretary of State | ||||
| Idaho Secretary of State, Republican primary, 2006 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
| Ben Ysursa Incumbent |
100% | 120,301 | ||
| Total Votes | 120,301 | |||
| Election results via Idaho Secretary of State. | ||||
2002
| Idaho Secretary of State, 2002 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Ben Ysursa |
77.5% | 297,189 | |
| Libertarian | Ronald E. Perry | 22.5% | 86,437 | |
| Total Votes | 383,626 | |||
| Election results via Idaho Secretary of State | ||||
| Idaho Secretary of State, Republican primary, 2002 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
| Ben Ysursa |
66.3% | 90,091 | ||
| Evan S. Frasure | 33.7% | 45,863 | ||
| Total Votes | 135,954 | |||
| Election results via Idaho Secretary of State. | ||||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Ysursa currently resides in Boise, Idaho, with his wife, Penny, and their three children - Shawn Del, Matthew and Andrew. He is also a practicing Roman Catholic. He is Basque-American, as was his predecessor as Idaho Secretary of State, Pete Cenarrusa.[1]
Awards
- Outstanding Administrator Award (1992) from the Idaho Republican Party
- Boyd Martin Award from the Association of Idaho Cities
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Ben + Ysursa + Idaho + Secretary"
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Idaho Secretary of State, "Biography," accessed September 13, 2012
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State, "2010 General Election Results," accessed September 12, 2013
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Spokesman Review, "Idaho Secretary of State Ben Ysursa to retire in 2015," November 9, 2013
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Idaho Statesman, "Ysursa won't run for re-election as Idaho secretary of state," November 8, 2013
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State, "Bio of Ben Ysursa," accessed September 28, 2011
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State, "Bio of Ben Ysursa," accessed September 28, 2011
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Secretary Ben T. Ysursa's Biography," accessed September 25, 2012
- ↑ Idaho Statesman, "Otter to pitch for Romney Monday in North Idaho; Paul dribbles out endorsements," March 4, 2012
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Pete Cenarrusa (R) |
Idaho Secretary of State 2003–2015 |
Succeeded by Lawerence Denney (R) |
| |||||||||||||||||||
