Everything you need to know about ranked-choice voting in one spot. Click to learn more!

Dotti Owens

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
BP-Initials-UPDATED.png
This page was current at the end of the official's last term in office covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Dotti Owens
Image of Dotti Owens
Prior offices
Ada County Coroner
Successor: Rich Riffle

Elections and appointments
Last election

November 8, 2022

Education

Associate

College of Southern Idaho, 2008

Bachelor's

Boise State University, 2012

Graduate

Arizona State University, 2014

Contact

Dotti Owens (Democratic Party) was the Ada County Coroner in Idaho. She assumed office in 2015. She left office on January 9, 2023.

Owens (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for Ada County Coroner in Idaho. She lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Owens completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Dotti Owens earned an associate degree from the College of Southern Idaho in 2008, a bachelor's degree from Boise State University in 2012, and a graduate degree from Arizona State University in 2014.[1]

Elections

2022

See also: Municipal elections in Ada County, Idaho (2022)

General election

General election for Ada County Coroner

Rich Riffle defeated incumbent Dotti Owens in the general election for Ada County Coroner on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Rich Riffle
Rich Riffle (R) Candidate Connection
 
50.2
 
88,158
Image of Dotti Owens
Dotti Owens (D) Candidate Connection
 
49.8
 
87,363

Total votes: 175,521
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Ada County Coroner

Incumbent Dotti Owens advanced from the Democratic primary for Ada County Coroner on May 17, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Dotti Owens
Dotti Owens Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
12,826

Total votes: 12,826
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ada County Coroner

Rich Riffle defeated Cheri Durst in the Republican primary for Ada County Coroner on May 17, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Rich Riffle
Rich Riffle Candidate Connection
 
52.3
 
29,519
Cheri Durst
 
47.7
 
26,930

Total votes: 56,449
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

To view Owens' endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here.

2018

See also: Municipal elections in Ada County, Idaho (2018)

General election

General election for Ada County Coroner

Incumbent Dotti Owens defeated Nikole O'Neal in the general election for Ada County Coroner on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Dotti Owens
Dotti Owens (D) Candidate Connection
 
52.7
 
93,955
Image of Nikole O'Neal
Nikole O'Neal (R)
 
47.3
 
84,212

Total votes: 178,167
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Ada County Coroner

Incumbent Dotti Owens advanced from the Democratic primary for Ada County Coroner on May 15, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Dotti Owens
Dotti Owens Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
21,567

Total votes: 21,567
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ada County Coroner

Nikole O'Neal advanced from the Republican primary for Ada County Coroner on May 15, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Nikole O'Neal
Nikole O'Neal
 
100.0
 
32,129

Total votes: 32,129
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Dotti Owens completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Owens' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

I have been in the Medicolegal Death Investigation field since 2006 and have served my community as the Ada County Coroner from January 2015 to present. I am passionate about quality death investigations and the office's forensic work. I have brought the office to a new level of quality by achieving the only two accreditations avaliable, National Association of Medical Examiners and International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners. I am PASSIONATE about prevention work, trying to reduce suicide and overdose rates.
  • Actual, Verifiable Experience Does Matter!! THis position is non-partisian and important for ALL members of our Ada County.
  • My staff will NEVER be thought of as "worker bees", but are professionals in their field with compassion, training and quality work
  • Always working hard for my community of Ada County
First and foremost, quality Death Investigation, by a qualified leader. How does one lead this office so that it benefits our community if someone hasn't worked in an office like Ada County Coroners Office. Medicolegal experience is essential for this position. We, as taxpayers, should never accept a Coroner to be “just an Administrator.”

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2018

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Dotti Owens completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Owens' responses.

What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

While continuing my career as the Ada County Coroner, there are many family and community projects that have become the focus for myself and the office. Suicide prevention education has been at the forefront. While many suicide prevention organizations are assisting those in need, the majority are focused on our youth. In reality, the majority of our suicide victims in Ada County are middle age. I will continue my work with local agencies in in finalizing our state suicide mortality workgroup which has been an ongoing joint effort for the last several months. Along with the suicide epidemic, my position as Coroner has been an eye-opener for the opioid crisis that is consuming both our state and nation. With representatives from the Idaho Drug Courts and other agencies we have recently begun to do "open-talk" community sessions to spread awareness on severity of opioid consumption in our community. In addition to providing accurate facts on opioid abuse, we also offer information for individuals (or families of individuals) looking for help with an opioid addiction.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

This is my first term as the Ada County Coroner. However, during this term, I have been involved in many legislation efforts. This month I was elected President of the Idaho State Coroner Association and chair of Intergovernmental Affairs through Idaho Association of Counties. I also sit on several committees with National Association of Counties (NACo), whom is instrumental in developing policy and procedures throughout various county jurisdictions around the nation.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Prior to my time as Ada County Coroner, I was the Forensic Supervisor and Medicolegal Death Investigator. I started my medicolegal death investigation journey while attending college almost 12 years ago. I have personally investigated and reviewed thousands of scenes ranging from suicides to homicides, child deaths to hospices, each and every one equally as important as the other. In 2011 I obtained my American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigations (ABMDI) certification and am a registered diplomat. I am Board Certified eligible for the ABMDI Fellowship, which I will be testing and obtaining within the next few months, this certification requires 4000 hours of medicolegal death investigation, demonstrating my experience in the field. I have extensive knowledge in all divisions of the office and have led the Ada County Coroner's Office to becoming the third Coroner's jurisdiction in the nation, obtaining prestigious accreditation's through National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME), International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners (IAC&ME) and have also successfully trained my investigations team effectively so that they have obtained their ABMDI.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

It is the Ada County Coroner's duty to determine cause and manner of death. Was the death natural or an accident? Was it a suicide or homicide? What caused the death? What are the events, diseases and/or trauma that resulted in the death of the individual? And what were the circumstances of the death? Complete, accurate, and competent death investigations are imperative for families within our community. Families of decedents need the reassurance of experience and consistency of accuracy pertaining to the death of their loved ones when settling estates, filing life insurance claims, and seeking medical care based on our recommendations after forensic investigations. Public health and safety are also affected. Without actual qualifications and experience, public health risks increase. The position of Coroner is not a position that can be "figured out as you go". The Ada County Coroner's office aids the community in multiple ways. Aiding in finding closure while expressing compassion, respecting their loss, and valuing the life they lost. The lives of individuals within our great community are affected on a daily basis by the loss of a loved one and it is essential that for you, your Coroner is experienced when determining cause and manner of death. Experience is REQUIRED to maintain accreditation's for the Ada County Coroner's office.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Leaving my county better than I found it by improving and moving this office forward.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Worked at a local cafe! Loved the family that owned it.

What is your favorite holiday? Why?

Christmas! Love the entire month of December, it is a month of traditions and family.

What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?

My kids. My home is where ever we are all together.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

Death investigation experience, real experience in the field and knowledge of the industry. I believe that ALL CORONERS should maintain a standard that allows them to be nationally accredited and certified.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.


See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 2, 2022