Nampa City Council appoints Darl Bruner as mayor after Hogaboam’s unexpected death

The Nampa City Council on June 8 appointed Darl Bruner as the city’s new mayor, filling a vacancy created by the sudden death of Mayor Rick Hogaboam in March.

Bruner’s swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for Monday, June 15, at 4:30 p.m. at Nampa City Hall, ahead of the regular council meeting at 5 p.m. He will serve through the November 2027 general city election, when voters will have the opportunity to elect a mayor.

The appointment came under Idaho Code § 50-608, which places responsibility for filling mayoral vacancies with the city council.

Hogaboam, 47, died March 18 after suffering a sudden medical emergency while speaking at a Treasure Valley Partnership town hall meeting. He had taken office Jan. 5, 2026, as Nampa’s 31st mayor ― just weeks before his death. Eagle Mayor Brad Pike, a former firefighter, administered CPR until emergency medical technicians arrived.

Before his election as mayor, Hogaboam had served as a Nampa City Council member, briefly as a substitute state senator, as chief of staff to former Mayor Debbie Kling beginning in 2020, and most recently as Canyon County Clerk.

“Rick Hogaboam was an exemplary public servant, a dedicated family man and a true friend,” the mayors of the Treasure Valley Partnership wrote in a statement following his death.

Community events where residents can meet Bruner are expected later this month, the city said in a release. The city acknowledged the weight of the transition in its announcement.

“We appreciate the community’s patience and understanding through this emotional process,” Director of Communications Amy Bowman said.

This story was written using artificial intelligence with human oversight.