Everybody has an opinion, and that is especially true around election time. Voters are bombarded with signs, texts, mailers, and social media ads designed to change their views on one candidate or another. Some of these messages are substantive—sharing an incumbent’s voting record or explaining what a challenger will do differently—but others are nothing more […]
In Idaho’s one-party landscape, the Republican primary has become the only election that truly decides most races. Democrats (or moderates with Democratic-leaning views) increasingly recognize that running as a Democrat in the general election is often futile. Idaho has not elected a Democrat to statewide office since 2002. Republicans hold a supermajority in the Legislature […]
In the fable about the Dog and his Reflection the fabled dog found a tasty bone in the forest and is carrying it back home to enjoy. His journey takes him over a footbridge across a small stream. While crossing he glances down and sees an image of another dog with an even bigger bone […]
“Accuse your enemy of what you are doing, as you are doing it, to create confusion.” Saul Alinsky ‘Rules for Radicals’ In a recent opinion piece, political operative and campaign consultant Becky Funk, who self identifies as a North Idaho “Republican,” makes the claim that political parties are public entities and not private organizations. I […]
Why is the Idaho Republican Party so divided, even as it holds a supermajority in both chambers of the Legislature and the Governor’s office? That question was recently posed on Idaho Reports to former Governor Butch Otter and former Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General David Leroy—two of the most skilled retail politicians Idaho has ever produced. Along […]
What to do about the Presidential primary? Our legislators are currently in Boise doing the work of the people and one of the matters they are considering is what to do about the Presidential Primary, which is held once every four years. Back in 2023 the House passed Bill 138 which was supposed to move […]
“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” Shakespeare I had a laugh out loud moment when I heard who the North Idaho RINOs (NIR) invited to speak at THEIR event later this month. It’s both funny and disturbing if you know the backstory. The Kootenai County Republican Central Committee (KCRCC) is the official Republican Party […]
On March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office to become the first Republican president in American history. Two years later, in the midst of a terrible civil war, he signed an act creating the Idaho Territory. From the very beginning, Lincoln, Idaho, and the Republican Party have been linked. That shared history […]
The 2026 IDGOP Winter Meeting was high energy and low drama. Twice a year, summer and winter, the 228 members of the Idaho Republican Party State Central Committee meet to conduct party business. The 2026 Winter Meeting was last weekend in Meridian Idaho. The Idaho Republican State Central Committee (SCC) is comprised of four representatives […]
This Friday and Saturday, Republicans from all over Idaho will gather in Meridian for the 2026 Winter Meeting. Members of our State Central Committee will vote on new rules and resolutions, recognize those who have given of themselves to the party and our state, remember those we lost in the past year, and enjoy a […]
A lot of folks ask me what the Idaho GOP stands for. With 90 elected legislators, seven elected statewide officials, two senators, two congressmen, hundreds of precinct committeemen, thousands of volunteers, and over 600,000 Republican voters, we have a lot of healthy debate on a variety of issues. However, there is one document that defines […]
I sometimes hear people ask, why have political parties at all? Why not just vote for the best person for the job? That sounds good on paper, but in reality, parties serve important purposes at every level of government. Under our republican system of government, voters elect lawmakers to represent them. Whichever party holds the […]