Jordan says campaign staff shake-up necessary to better understand, help Idahoans

With less than two months to go until the Nov. 6 election, Idaho Democratic gubernatorial candidate Paulette Jordan’s campaign manager and two other staff members all resigned on Friday.

“I signed a (nondisclosure agreement) and cannot talk about why,” Michael Rosenow told the Statesman on Friday afternoon.

Also resigning were communications director Lisa Newcomb and campaign event scheduler Leah Nemeroff. Both said they, too, signed nondisclosure agreements.

A news release issued Saturday afternoon from Jordan’s campaign said it “has parted ways with manager Michael Rosenow and his staff as part of a leadership transition in progress over the past month.” Rosenow, a political consultant from Minnesota, joined the campaign in July 2018.

According to the news release, within the past two weeks the campaign had hired four new staffers because Jordan “believes that she needs a campaign manager who understands Idaho, its citizens and needs.”

“We are excited about our new hires, and confident in the current leadership team,” Jordan said in the news release. “They understand Idaho’s issues and share my commitment to best serving each and every Idahoan.

Jordan’s campaign did not immediately respond to Statesman queries asking for the names of the new staff and whether they are from Idaho.

Nemeroff’s resignation letter, which she provided to the Statesman, simply stated, “I’m so embarrassed and ashamed. Bye.”

Former Idaho Sen. John Peavey, who is Jordan’s campaign treasurer, said he has not resigned and he has no information on the resignations.

Jordan, 38, is from Plummer in North Idaho and a member of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. She served in the Idaho House of Representatives from Dec. 1, 2014, through Feb. 14, when she resigned from her seat to run for governor.

She won the Democratic gubernatorial primary in May with 58 percent of the vote, defeating Boise businessman and longtime Boise school trustee, AJ Balukoff.

On May 8, one week before the May primary, Jennifer Martinez, Jordan’s campaign field director, also resigned.

“The staffing change was a necessary decision for the campaign moving forward,” the campaign said in a news release at the time.

Jordan will face Republican candidate Lt. Gov. Brad Little in the November election.

Members of Little’s campaign staff have not been asked to sign nondisclosure agreements, spokesperson Ysabel Bilbao told the Statesman.