A newly elected Idaho mayor collapsed and died while speaking at a town hall meeting on Wednesday evening, March 18, 2026, despite desperate life-saving efforts by a fellow mayor who rushed to perform CPR.
Rick Hogaboam, 47, experienced a medical emergency at about 6:45 p.m. during a Treasure Valley Partnership town hall held at Eagle City Hall. The Nampa mayor was giving a speech when his words became slurred and he suddenly fell to the floor before stunned colleagues and attendees.
Eagle Mayor Brad Pike, a former firefighter seated to Hogaboam’s right, immediately acted and began CPR. Pike was assisted by Eagle’s police chief, who was also at the event. Officers, firefighters, and paramedics responded, but they were unable to revive him.
First responders worked on Hogaboam for roughly an hour before representatives from the Ada County Coroner’s Office arrived. The city announced his death at 8:40 p.m.
On Thursday, the Ada County Coroner’s Office announced that Hogaboam’s official cause of death was cardiac tamponade. Cardiac tamponade is a serious condition where fluid or blood builds up in the thin sac around the heart. That extra fluid squeezes the heart so it can’t fill and pump properly.
The tragic incident happened just over two months after Hogaboam began his term as Nampa’s 31st mayor. He was sworn in on January 5, 2026, after winning the November 2025 election with 62.9 percent of the vote against three opponents.
Caldwell Mayor Eric Phillips suffered a separate medical issue while attending the same town hall. He received treatment outside the venue and was taken by Ada County Paramedics for Phillips’ self-described chest pain and dizziness. City officials confirmed by Thursday morning that Phillips was “doing well.”
Pike spoke with reporters outside Eagle City Hall on Wednesday night, reflecting on the harrowing moments. “Good, bad or indifferent, I was the last person in his life that was touching him when he passed,” Pike told KTVB.
A Republican and father of five, Hogaboam had long been involved in public service in Nampa and Canyon County. He relocated from western New York to the Idaho city in 2008 and remained an avid Buffalo Bills fan.
Before his election as mayor, Hogaboam served as chief of staff to former Mayor Debbie Kling from 2020 to 2023. His civic career also included time as a city councilor, a substitute Idaho state senator in 2021, and Canyon County clerk, where he oversaw the county’s budget and elections. He had also been a senior pastor at Sovereign Grace Fellowship in Nampa.
Earlier on the day of his death, Hogaboam participated in a training with the Nampa Fire Department and later described the day as “beautiful” in a Facebook post.
Tributes came from across Idaho’s political community. Governor Brad Little called the loss “heartbreaking,” writing that Hogaboam “served with a real heart for public service and dedication to the community.”
The Idaho GOP praised Hogaboam as “everything we want our political leaders to be.” Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane said he was “heartbroken” by the loss, noting they had worked closely together when Hogaboam served as Canyon County Clerk.
Former Mayor Debbie Kling, who had publicly endorsed Hogaboam as her successor, said she was “deeply grieved and saddened” by his passing. She described him as “a talented, smart leader who served with integrity and a servant’s heart.”
The City of Nampa asked residents to keep Hogaboam’s family in their prayers during this difficult time. The Treasure Valley Partnership extended condolences, calling him an outstanding public servant, a devoted family man, and a true friend.
Nampa City Council president David Bills is acting mayor. The council will appoint an interim mayor to serve until a new mayoral election in November.
Hogaboam is survived by his wife Mimi, five children, and a grandchild.
