It’s summer of 2024, and Dorothy Moon is running for Idaho GOP chair. President Trump is on his way back to the White House, but the future is uncertain. Ranked choice voting threatens to upend everything Idaho Republicans have worked for. Recent legislative primary wins have conservatives energized.

It’s summer of 2026, and Dorothy Moon is running for Idaho GOP chair. President Trump has been in office for nearly two years, and has accomplished so much that many have gotten tired of winning. Statewide primaries were quiet this year, and legislative races did not do much to change the status quo. Having united to defeat ranked choice voting, Idaho Republicans are preparing to fight a radical abortion initiative.

I truly believe the Idaho GOP is stronger and more unified today than it has been for a long time, which is why I am proud to declare my support for Dorothy Moon’s third (and presumably final) campaign for the chair:

I have never seen a more tenacious worker, and as high as her expectations are for staff and volunteers, Dorothy’s highest expectations are for herself. She has spent tremendous time and treasure in service to the Idaho GOP and the conservative cause for four years now, following six years in the Legislature, spending far too many days away from her husband, family, and home on the mountain.

Under Dorothy Moon’s leadership, the Idaho GOP has grown from 550,000 registered voters to more than 631,000. Its share of registered voters in Idaho has increased from 55% to nearly 62%. The last legislative session had more Republican senators and representatives than at any point in the past twenty years, and our statewide and federal offices have remained firmly red. Under Moon’s leadership, the Idaho GOP led the charge against ranked choice voting in 2024 and is preparing to lead the charge against the radical abortion initiative this year.

Over the past four years, Dorothy Moon has built a strong coalition of elected officials, party officers, and volunteers within the Idaho GOP. While some on the more populist/libertarian side of things seem frustrated that Moon hasn’t snapped her fingers and unilaterally ejected all the “RINOs” from the party, I know quite a few people who once opposed her but have now come alongside her to work together for the good of Idaho. Once people get past the caricature that has grown up around her, they often find that there is no one more dedicated to the cause of liberty than Dorothy Moon.

Read the whole thing

The Thayn Train heads to Meridian

Of course, Dorothy Moon is not the only contender for leadership of the party. Former state senator and district 14 chairman Steven Thayn has officially announced his own campaign:

As chairman, Thayn said he would work to create a culture that welcomes ideas, encourages respectful debate, and focuses the party’s energy on addressing real challenges facing Idaho citizens, including housing affordability, educational excellence, health care reform, and pathways out of poverty.

“We spend too much time engaged in internal struggles that bring little value to the people we serve. Idahoans are looking for solutions. They want affordable homes, better educational opportunities for their children, affordable health care, and a path to prosperity. Republicans should be leading those conversations.”

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Labrador targets H-1B abuse

Attorney General Raúl Labrador continues to lead on important issues. Today he signed on to a multi-state coalition submitting comment to the federal government regarding new rules to tighten up the H-1B visa system:

“The H-1B visa program was originally intended to bring in foreign workers only when Americans aren’t available. Instead, corporations have exploited it to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labor,” said Attorney General Labrador. “I’m urging the Department of Labor to raise the wage floors that make this abuse profitable. When the financial incentive disappears, so does the scheme.”

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Video of the day

Rufo & Lomez remain some of the most insightful commentators on the right today. This week, they discussed some of the esoteric philosophical underpinnings of the New Right that emerged in the wake of Donald Trump’s rise to the presidency, and where that movement is heading now:

Thanks again to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and New Saint Andrews College. Please reach out if you have a small business and want to partner with the Gem State Chronicle. Thank you to readers and supporters alike!

Idaho is a firmly red state, so it makes sense that left-wing progressives might strategically interfere in the Republican primary election. It’s also reasonable for we as Republicans to fight back. Today I dug into some numbers regarding voter registration and potential crossover voting in the GOP primary:

Those two perspectives neatly illustrate Dr. May’s explanation of the contrasting priorities of activists and government officials: Lauer wants to see more conservative victories, while McGrane wants to see greater participation. The question of whether the Idaho GOP should pursue a switch to a caucus system will be hotly debated at the state convention later this month, and I will share my thoughts on it in a future article. For now, however, let us clearly identify the problem.

There are three ways crossover voting occurs: partisan Democrats switching their affiliation to vote in the Idaho GOP primary, unaffiliated voters requesting a Republican ballot and then disaffiliating afterward, and ideological progressives who permanently register as Republicans.

Read the entire article

Healthy or normal?

Regular health and nutrition columnist Savanna DeHay says it’s more important to be healthy than to go with the flow:

Americans are sick. Many are overweight or obese, plagued by chronic diseases and symptoms that just won’t go away. We’re overweight and we get our fast food delivered right to our doors because we are too tired to cook. We think nothing of adding yet another prescription to our medicine cabinets – filled with pills of all shapes and sizes.

Diet and lifestyle are perhaps the biggest influences to our health, yet they are the last things people are willing to change. Most of us are getting sicker and sicker every day, trapped in this unhealthy norm.

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IFPC fights back

Idaho Family Policy Center has filed a complaint on behalf of a man who was fired after not using a fellow employee’s preferred pronouns:

The charges detail how Hahn, who was employed by MOR Manufacturing in Post Falls, Idaho could not, due to his religious convictions, refer to his transgender-identifying colleague by a name and pronouns not in accordance with the employee’s biological sex. Hahn requested a religious accommodation from the company and also gave his coworkers information about Title VII and their right to request an accommodation. MOR Manufacturing disciplined him for that, accusing him of talking to other employees about his “religious . . . beliefs.”

Hahn eventually submitted a two-weeks’ notice of resignation because of upper management’s hostility towards his religious beliefs. But rather than letting him leave peacefully, the company fired him during his last week on the job, saying he was a “distraction” in the workplace.

I’m proud of the work my friend Caleb Pirc has been doing with IFPC on this and many other issues.

Read more

I came across this video a while back that attempts to explain why cities have become increasingly progressive while rural areas have become more conservative:

Thanks again to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and New Saint Andrews College. Please reach out if you have a small business and want to partner with the Gem State Chronicle. Thank you to readers and supporters alike!

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to sit down with Secretary of State Phil McGrane to talk election integrity and procedures, why his office is being sued by the Department of Justice, and whether or not it makes sense to switch to a caucus system for party nominees.

Watch the interview here:

Other posts

• Congressman Mike Simpson’s weekly newsletter

• Branden Durst throws his hat in the ring for first vice chair

• Attorney General Labrador cracks down on Medicaid fraud

• Congressman Simpson secures funding for INL

I came across an interesting video yesterday. This BBC clip from 1979 looks at the evolving world of the computer, explaining how people can get more work done using word processors and proto-email. Check it out to see what turned out to be major advances, and what fizzled into history:

I’ve been busy with Idaho GOP work, and I took some time over the past few days to attend to my lawn and spend time with my children. I hope to be back with some original reporting tomorrow.

Thanks again to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty and Money Metals Please reach out if you have a small business and want to partner with the Gem State Chronicle. New Saint Andrews College returns as a sponsor this month as well, so go ahead and check them out too! Thanks also to all of you for supporting this work!

MAGA Moon

Idaho GOP chairwoman Dorothy Moon argues that recent election results show that Republican voters trust President Trump, and want candidates who will carry out his agenda to make America great again:

There are still a few lonely holdouts in politics who believe we can return to a pre-2015 normal once President Trump leaves the scene. They desperately want to go back to a Republican Party full of beautiful losers who agreed with the other party’s definition of “progress,” only at a slower pace. They want to do to MAGA what they did to the Tea Party—co-opt it into the establishment.

Folks, that’s just not going to happen.

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Labrador versus fraudsters

America is waking up to the reality and stunning scope of welfare fraud in this country. Vice President J.D. Vance’s task force has already identified hundreds of millions of tax dollars that have been stolen from the American people, and Attorney General Raúl Labrador is on the case:

This ought to be one issue that doesn’t divide along party lines. Every dollar stolen by a provider billing for services never rendered is a dollar that doesn’t reach a disabled adult, a low-income family, or a child with nowhere else to turn. Fraud doesn’t just cost taxpayers. It hollows out the programs that vulnerable people depend on.

That’s why I was at the White House this week with Vice President JD Vance, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, and Fraud Task Force Executive Director Scott Brady, joined by attorneys general from across the country. My office has been taking on Medicaid fraud for years. I went to report on our results and to ask the Administration for more tools to get the job done.

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McGrane on election integrity

Secretary of State Phil McGrane used his weekly newsletter to explain how his office ensures election integrity in Idaho. I took a lot of heat for a tweet last week expressing my confidence in Idaho’s elections, but many critics don’t seem to pay close attention to how the system actually works.

Post-election audits may not receive the same attention as election night results, but they are one of the most important parts of the process. They demonstrate that election integrity is not simply something we claim; it is something my office and every clerk in our 44 counties are working to guarantee. That commitment to accuracy, transparency, and accountability is how public trust is earned and maintained.

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One man’s take on the KCRCC

Regular guest contributor Todd Hoffman explains what he believes happened in Kootenai County this month:

To appreciate the magnitude, some history is necessary. North Idaho’s political tradition was once decidedly corporatist — chamber-of-commerce Republicans focused on pulling state money and regulatory favors back to local allies. Issues like gun rights barely registered. One legislator, Shawn Keough, even moonlighted as a paid corporate lobbyist while in office.

Beneath the surface, a strong Ron Paul-style conservative base had always existed. As the region grew through the 2000s, that base found its voice. The Obama years accelerated the shift, and by 2014 Kootenai County was the only county Butch Otter lost in the Republican gubernatorial primary — to Russ Fulcher.

The old guard didn’t adapt. In 2016, incumbent KCRCC leadership was swept out in a clean slate of precinct races. Brent Regan was elected chair, and the committee was remade.

Read more

Press releases

• Which counties will be audited?

• Sen. Crapo supports foster children

• District 21 GOP reorganizes

Rufo and Lomez broke down the Texas election results on their show this week, and it’s worth your time to understand where national politics is going:

As always, stay tuned for more! I’m heading out to join the Idaho Young Republicans for their Great American BBQ at Storey Park in Meridian. Stop by for food, games, and Republican fellowship!

Thanks again to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty and Money Metals Please reach out if you have a small business and want to partner with the Gem State Chronicle.

New Saint Andrews College will be returning as a sponsor next month, so go ahead and check them out too! Thanks also to all of you for supporting this work!

I finally finished this project that I’ve been working on the side this past month. I compiled the responses from victorious Republican primary candidates to the Integrity in Affiliation form and integrated them as notes in an easily-navigable copy of the current Idaho GOP Platform:

With the primary election over, the Idaho Republican Party now has a slate of voter-supported candidates heading into the general election. New PCs are also preparing to elect delegates to next month’s state convention in Meridian, where additions, modifications, or deletions to the platform will be debated. Out of that convention will come a new platform, perhaps with only small changes, or perhaps something very different entirely. Delegates will begin submitting proposals following this weekend’s reorganization meetings, at which point we’ll have the opportunity to discuss them.

…

If a candidate submitted a note or disagreement, I attempted to copy it verbatim. In some cases, candidates simply noted disagreements without explanation. For those instances, I added their name under the respective section.

I noticed a few interesting things while working on this project. By far, the three most controversial planks are the platform’s demand to repeal the 17th Amendment, which requires the direct election of U.S. senators; the platform’s call for a return to the gold standard; and the platform’s strict position on abolishing abortion.

Check out the Google Doc or the PDF version below. What do you think? What would you like to see out of the new Idaho GOP Platform that will be considered at the state convention next month?

Annotated Idaho Gop Platform

491KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

Read the whole thing

Mr. Labrador goes to Washington

Attorney General Raúl Labrador visited Washington, DC to meet with Vice President J.D. Vance and the anti-fraud task force:

“The Trump Administration is serious about fraud enforcement, and Idaho’s results prove what’s possible when the federal government works with states instead of against them,” said Attorney General Labrador. “Working with the White House and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we recovered more Medicaid dollars outside of multistate settlements last year than any year in the past decade. With better data access and the right reforms, we can recover even more, and I’ll be going back to the Idaho Legislature to secure the additional authority and resources to help make that happen.”

Read more

Gov. Little makes some appointments

Gov. Brad Little announced four new appointments today:

Boise, ID – Governor Brad Little announced today his appointments of Theodore J. Fleming and Gene A. Petty to serve on the Idaho Court of Appeals, Cortney Liddiard to serve on the Idaho Transportation Board, and Erika Malmen to serve of the Idaho Park and Recreation Board.

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As always, stay tuned for more! The county and legislative district committees of the Idaho GOP will be reorganizing starting tomorrow, and there is sure to be some firework. Check out idgop.org to find a meeting near you.

Thanks again to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty and Money Metals Please reach out if you have a small business and want to partner with the Gem State Chronicle.

New Saint Andrews College will be returning as a sponsor next month, so go ahead and check them out too! Thanks also to all of you for supporting this work!

I intend to run for another term as chairman of the District 14 GOP, so I’m working hard this week to prepare for our Friday night meeting. There are nametags to prepare, delegate pledge forms to print, balloons to blow up, cookies to bake…

I’m also nearly finished with the project related to the Idaho GOP Platform that I’ve been teasing for a while. I should have it ready for you tomorrow, and I hope it will contribute positively to the discourse among Idaho Republicans.

I’ve also got one last piece from Tim Oren analyzing the 2026 primary, so keep an eye out for that as well.

Today’s press releases:

• Congressman Simpson wants to fly the Betsy Ross flag

• Sen. Crapo is tired of government shutdowns

Are American citizens special?

I watched an interesting video by Jake the Lawyer today explaining why, in his opinion, constitutional rights should apply to citizens specifically, not just anyone who happens to be in the country:

As always, stay tuned for more! Thanks again to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty and Money Metals Please reach out if you have a small business and want to partner with the Gem State Chronicle.

New Saint Andrews College will be returning as a sponsor next month, so go ahead and check them out too! Thanks also to all of you for supporting this work!

Each Memorial Day for the past few years, I’ve returned to a speech given by Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. in 1884 in which the Civil War veteran explicated the meaning of the new holiday. He explained that the purpose of Memorial Day was not only to honor the dead, but to inspire the living?

If it was important in Holmes’ time to set aside a day filled with pomp and ceremony to remember our honored dead, it is even more important now, in a world dominated by technology that offers ephemeral experiences to feed short attention spans.

The further we drift from our history, and the more the experience of war is removed from the average person, the more imperative it becomes to put aside our daily distractions and meditate on what their sacrifice really means. It is in the death of our heroes that we find meaning for our own lives, as Holmes captured more than a century ago.

Read the whole thing

The latest podcast

I received a lot of positive feedback on my essay about the two different political spheres in Idaho. I’ve converted it to a podcast, so check it out on Spotify or your favorite podcast player:

Crapo celebrates America

Sen. Mike Crapo published a piece discussing his support of public lands via the “America the Beautiful Act”:

Public lands face a growing maintenance backlog, which affects roads, bridges, campgrounds, boat ramps, water systems, visitor facilities and trails. The Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) uses a self-sustaining funding model that reinvests 50 percent of federal energy royalties (monies collected from oil, gas, coal and renewable development) back into our public lands.

In Idaho alone, the LRF invested over $86 million in more than 100 U.S. Forest Service projects spanning all seven of Idaho’s national forests. The U.S. Department of the Interior invested an additional $82.9 million in Idaho across 16 projects and improved more than 100 assets statewide from 2020 to 2025.

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McGrane’s blue book

The Idaho Blue Book has been a regular publication of the Secretary of State’s office for nearly a century, each edition full of information about Idaho as well as acting as a reference guide to our government. Secretary McGrane celebrated the release of the latest edition over the weekend:

Earlier this month, I joined Governor Brad Little to unveil the newly reimagined 2026 Blue Book of Idaho. This new edition was redesigned with a broader purpose in mind: to invite readers into Idaho’s story, showcase the beauty and history of our state, and honor the foundation laid by those who came before us. It also reflects this remarkable moment in Idaho’s history. Even with the redesign and the addition of full-color throughout the book, we were able to reduce production costs and save taxpayer dollars in the process.

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Simpson talks energy and veterans

Congressman Mike Simpson’s weekly newsletter yesterday commemorated Memorial Day and celebrated Idaho’s role in the world of energy:

Tomorrow is Memorial Day. Please join me in honoring and remembering the Americans who gave their lives in service to our great nation. To observe this solemn day, I cosponsored a resolution to honor the men and women of the Armed Forces who gave their lives in pursuit of freedom and peace.

It was a busy week here in DC. Appropriations season is still in full swing, and I’m pleased to announce that the Full Appropriations Committee has advanced 7 out of our 12 annual spending bills! One of which was the Fiscal Year 2027 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill. I’m excited to share that I have secured critical funding for the Idaho National Laboratory. You can read more about this below.

Read more

Stay tuned for more analysis and commentary, and enjoy your weekend in the meantime. The 2026 Idaho GOP State Convention will be here before we know it.

Thanks as always to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty and Money Metals Please reach out if you have a small business and want to partner with the Gem State Chronicle.

New Saint Andrews College will be returning as a sponsor next month, so go ahead and check them out too! Thanks also to all of you for supporting this work!

Read the article: https://gemstatechronicle.com/2026/05/the-two-idahos/

Subscribe to the Gem State Chronicle: https://newsletter.gemstatechronicle.com/subscribe

Narration by ElevenLabs. Thank you sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Keller Williams Realty and Money Metals.

As I mulled over Tuesday’s primary election results, I noticed that they reinforced an already polarized state, in which each half has very different conceptions of what it means to be conservative and Republican:

Both sides attempted to gain ground in the other’s territory. CD1 conservatives, including this author, donated to challengers in eastern Idaho such as David Worley, James Lamborn, and Julianne Young. I know many people who traveled to Blackfoot and American Falls to knock doors on their behalf. Yet those challenges ultimately proved unsuccessful.

On the other hand, CD2-aligned figures were equally unsuccessful in challenging conservative incumbents in southwest and North Idaho. Big machine PACs spent heavily on Biden/Harris fangirl Christa Hazel in District 4, Rep. Lori McCann and Cindy Agidius in District 6, Michael Collins in District 7, and Kody Daffer in District 13, but came up short in every race. Additionally, Sen. Jim Woodward and Rep. Mark Sauter, who regularly aligned themselves with their eastern Idaho colleagues, lost their primaries in District 1.

Read the whole thing

Moon moves forward

Idaho GOP chairwoman Dorothy Moon wrote that now that voters have spoken, it’s time for Republicans to unite:

Now it’s time for Idaho Republicans to stand together to defeat the left-wing Democrats who threaten our time-tested values of faith, family, and freedom, as well as their initiative to legalize abortion until birth. I’m confident that, this November, Idahoans will once again affirm the same principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that motivated our Founding Fathers 250 years ago.

Read more

A few press releases

• Congressman Simpson moves to protect American sugar

• Sens. Risch and Crapo move to protect American sugar too

• AG Labrador declares victory in the bathroom

• Gov. Little strengthens ties with Japan

• Sen. Risch promotes local precious metal depositories

Stay tuned for more analysis and commentary, and enjoy your weekend in the meantime. The 2026 Idaho GOP State Convention will be here before we know it.

Thanks as always to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty and Money Metals Please reach out if you have a small business and want to partner with the Gem State Chronicle.

New Saint Andrews College will be returning as a sponsor next month, so go ahead and check them out too! Thanks also to all of you for supporting this work!

One effect of this week’s legislative primary is that immigration reform, which I believe should be our top priority, could well be sidelined for the next two years. More than two dozen bills regarding immigration enforcement were introduced this year, but not a single one made it to the governor’s desk. Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen, who literally employed an illegal alien who was at one point charged with domestic violence and drug possession, survived a primary challenge. Sen. Jim Guthrie, who used his position as Senate State Affairs Committee chairman to unilaterally kill several good immigration bills, also survived.

Big Ag and its allies are powerful in Idaho, we can’t pretend otherwise. We must keep fighting the war of ideas, working to convince Idaho voters that continuing to import a foreign servant class to milk the cows, work the fields, mow the lawns, and clean the hotel rooms is not good for our state in the long term.

In the meantime, we still have enough influence in the Legislature to ensure that no bad bills pass either. If Sen. Guthrie tries to give illegal aliens drivers licenses again, we will shut him down.

I wrote about the difficulty in implementing strong immigration laws even in a red state like Idaho in The Hill today:

Broadly popular legislation thus faces a nearly impossible gauntlet. Immigration policy is not just an ideological question but a fight determined by incentives: Who enjoys the benefits of the current system, and who bears its costs? Businesses gain access to cheaper labor. Nonprofits count on a steady stream of grants. Meanwhile, taxpayers absorb direct costs through public services and healthcare and indirect costs through market distortions and erosion of the rule of law.

Read the whole thing

Stay tuned for more analysis and commentary, but in the meantime, enjoy the nice weather. My children are out of school now, so it’s felt like Saturday all day here at the home office.

Thanks as always to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty and Money Metals Please reach out if you have a small business and want to partner with the Gem State Chronicle.

New Saint Andrews College will be returning as a sponsor next month, so go ahead and check them out too! Thanks also to all of you for supporting this work!

Idaho’s real election is in May, not November, which means yesterday’s results are going to have a tremendous impact on the future of our state. I broke it down for you at the Gem State Chronicle this morning:

There are some big takeaways from this primary election, and here are just a few off the top of my head:

• Idaho is becoming more geographically polarized. The moderate holdouts in the Panhandle went down in defeat, but conservative challengers in the east were still unable to make any gains.

• Rep. Jordan Redman took heat for donating his own money to the cause, but it might well have turned the tide in the north.

• The governor’s machine is strong, but not all-powerful. He and his allies were able to save figures like Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen, Rep. Rick Cheatum, and Sen. Jim Guthrie, but were unable to make any headway in Canyon County or the Panhandle.

• Hard work was rewarded. Good men such as Reps. Cornel Rasor, Kyle Harris, Steve Tanner, and Chris Bruce, each of whom won very close races in 2024, were reelected by large margins yesterday. Each of them put their heads down and worked hard for their constituents over the past two years.

• Immigration enforcement is probably on the back burner for the next two years. Guthrie and Mickelsen, the chief opponents of immigration reform, held on, while Sen. Glenneda Zuiderveld, who became emblematic of the problem when Big Ag conspired to shut down her family business, lost.

• The Gang of 8 is now the Gang of 3, while Idaho Freedom Caucus held all its races and is likely set to expand. Is it time to unite as one conservative caucus heading into 2027?

• It’s time for new blood. I count nine former legislators who tried to make a comeback this year, but only one—Scott Herndon—was successful.

After sleeping on it and doing some analysis this morning, I could probably write ten thousand words covering each of these angles, but I’ll try to break it up into small chunks over the next few days.

For now, let’s just take some of the most contested races one at a time and I’ll share my initial thoughts.

Read the whole thing

I’ll have more analysis over the next couple of days, so stay tuned and make sure all your friends are subscribed!

Relive the exciting night

Kudos to Matt Edwards of Citizens Alliance of Idaho. Not only does he run the best political organization in the state, not only did he spearhead the most impactful electioneering work this year, but he also streamed from the Idaho GOP watch party for four and a half hours straight.

I joined Matt several times with updates, and he was also joined by Idaho GOP chairwoman Dorothy Moon, Sen. Brian Lenney, Rep. Josh Tanner, Attorney General Raúl Labrador, famous radio host Nate Shelman, Ada County GOP chairman Thad Butterworth, Sen. Tammy Nichols, Rep. Rob Beiswenger, Sam Rust from the Gem State Brief, and even Speaker Mike Moyle.

Relive the entire exciting night here:

A flurry of press releases

• Sens. Risch and Crapo want to strengthen public lands

• America 250 in Idaho marks 250,000 acts of service

• Congressman Simpson advances federal funding for Black Mountain

• The Parental Choice Tax Credit is opening up again

• Gov. Little thanks Idahoans for their support

• Congressman Fulcher to host a telephone town hall on June 3

• Sen. Crapo wants to combat crypto scams

• Congressman Simpson advances federal funding for a water treatment plant

Remember, whether we agree with them or not, it’s important for us to know what people in our government are saying.

Thanks as always to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty and Money Metals Please reach out if you have a small business and want to partner with the Gem State Chronicle.

New Saint Andrews College will be returning as a sponsor next month, so go ahead and check them out too! Thanks also to all of you for supporting this work!

If you’re in the Treasure Valley, come by the Residence Inn in Eagle for the official Idaho GOP watch party. I’ll be there pulling double duty—making sure the A/V equipment is set up and running as well as joining Matt Edwards on Idaho Signal for live coverage as results start coming in.

Results should be available on voteidaho.gov about an hour after the polls close. Each county website will display results as well—Ada’s is particularly good.

I hope to see you at the watch party tonight. Remember that no matter how the results unfold, the sun will still rise tomorrow and our work continues.

Tomorrow is the primary election day in Idaho. You and I know that our state’s real election is in May, not November, so it’s imperative that you show up. All the work, all the campaigning, all the hopes and dreams of the past two years come down to one fateful day:

Fast forward to the 2025 and 2026 legislative sessions, where lawmakers clamped down on Boise flying the LGBTQ+ pride flag, codified medical freedom into state law, banned agencies from imposing mask mandates, prohibited forced DEI in higher education, stopped taxpayer subsidies for far-left teachers unions, and even made some of the first real cuts to the state budget in more than a decade (though increasing Medicaid costs still caused the overall budget to rise).

All of this was made possible by good candidates standing for election in the Republican primary and citizens doing their part by turning out to vote. Tomorrow’s primary will decide whether we continue this momentum or take a step back toward rule by a centralized political machine that had no qualms about locking you down just a few short years ago.

And the machine is hard at work, make no mistake. Gov. Little has been campaigning for his people—those he believes will carry out his agenda. Conservatives who charged into politics following the Covid lockdowns have found themselves divided, as the overriding issue of government overreach has faded and we now disagree on a host of other issues. Nevertheless, politics is a team sport, and in most cases there are only two teams on the field at any given time. The governor, along with four other statewide elected officials, has decided that figures including Sen. Jim Guthrie and Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen are on their team, and they’re going all-out for them.

Who is on your team?

Read the whole thing

Where’s the money, Lebowski?

This has been a very expensive primary election. Five candidates have received six figures in donations thus far, with hundreds of thousands more being spent by PACs and other third-party groups. As I wrote above, the governor’s machine is spending a lot of money to assemble a team that will carry out its agenda. Today, Tim Oren explained where much of that money has come from, and where it is going to:

This layering of pass-through entities attempts to obfuscate the actual path of influence. A dairy farm’s donation might flow through, for instance, the Idaho Dairy Industry PAC, the Idaho Victory Fund, and Idaho Liberty PAC, before ending up paying for a mailer supporting Jim Guthrie. Do we think he’s ignorant of where it originated?

The value of this information hiding may be eroding, however. AI is making it easy to trace connections among organizations via required disclosures – as with my Grok session above. Secrecy by obscurity may be waning, which may eventually threaten the layers of consulting and management fees and commissions generated by the influence network.

Read more

Weekly newsletters

I repost regular newsletters from our federal delegation as well as statewide elected officials. Congressman Simpson, Secretary of State McGrane, and Attorney General Labrador each have weekly newsletters, while others such as Congressman Fulcher send them out monthly or at varied intervals.

Let me know if there is a political newsletter you’d like to see reposted at the Gem State Chronicle. Here’s what came out this weekend:

• Secretary of State Phil McGrane

• Attorney General Raúl Labrador

• Congressman Mike Simpson

A couple of press releases too

I subscribe to quite a few press lists as well. In some cases I receive multiple releases each day. For example, Congressman Simpson’s comms team is very prolific, touting every federal funding line item that he is able to appropriate. Again, let me know if there are elected officials or agencies that you’d like to see features. Whether we agree with them or not, it’s important for us to know what people in our government are saying.

• Gov. Little: Operation No Return removes dozens more illegal alien criminals

• Congressman Simpson: Rep. Simpson Advances Funding for Montpelier Police Department Radio Upgrade

• Gov. Little: Idaho’s housing unit growth rate leads the nation in 2025

• Attorney General Labrador: AG Labrador Secures Prison Sentence for Canyon County Man for Possession of Child Sexual Exploitative Material

Tomorrow is Election Day. If you have not already voted, please make the time to do so tomorrow. It’s so important! Visit voteidaho.gov to find your polling place.

I’ll be at the Idaho GOP watch party starting at 7pm at the brand-new Residence Inn in Eagle tomorrow night. I’ll be pulling double duty, helping Chairwoman Moon set up the event and also joining Matt Edwards for live coverage on Idaho Signal. Stop by and say hi!

Thanks as always to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and the iLuvIdaho Voter Guide. Please reach out if you have a small business and want to partner with the Gem State Chronicle.

New Saint Andrews College will be returning as a sponsor next month, so go ahead and check them out too! Thanks also to all of you for supporting this work!

Political campaigns are high-stakes affairs. Candidates often pull out all the stops in hopes of winning election, and sometimes that means underhanded tricks. Consider how Barack Obama began his political career:

In 1996, a young community organizer in Chicago named Barack Obama filed to run for the Illinois State Legislature. His team challenged the signatures on the nomination petitions of all four of his opponents, including incumbent Alice Palmer, and convinced a judge to disqualify them from the ballot. He then won unopposed.

In 2004, Obama ran for a vacant U.S. Senate seat against Republican Jack Ryan. Once again, his team pulled out all the stops. Obama convinced a judge to unseal Ryan’s divorce records, revealing embarrassing details about his breakup with ex-wife and actress Jeri Ryan of Star Trek: Voyager fame. Ryan dropped out, and Obama once again won essentially unopposed. Republican Alan Keyes quickly moved to Illinois and was nominated in Ryan’s place, but won only 27% of the vote.

Why fight fair if fighting dirty makes it easier to win?

A couple of candidates in Ada County are doing everything they can to win their races. Will voters reward underhandedness?

Read the whole thing

Dorothy Moon says go vote

Idaho GOP chairwoman Dorothy Moon used her weekly column to urge Idahoans to vote next Tuesday:

Don’t sit this one out. Next week, you will choose who represents us in Congress, in the Senate, and in the House of Representatives. These men and women make decisions every day that impact our entire country. You will also choose who represents us in the Statehouse. Over the past few years, Republican lawmakers in Idaho have led on medical freedom, school choice, tax cuts, right-sizing the state budget, rooting out DEI in public colleges, and protecting women’s spaces from men playing dress-up.

Let’s keep that momentum growing. Not only must we elect Republicans, we must elect the right kind of Republicans—those who are honest with voters and who stand for the enduring values that made America and Idaho great in the first place. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how many mailers, television commercials, or text messages you receive. The power to decide who represents you in government belongs to you, the citizen voter of Idaho.

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A whole bunch of press releases

I just caught up on six more press releases this afternoon, half of which came from Congressman Simpson:

• Sen. Crapo supports digital currency legislation

• Congressman Simpson supports police

• Congressman Simpson secures federal funding for police

• Congressman Simpson votes to fund veterans services

• Congressman Fulcher also voted to fund veterans services

• Attorney General Labrador visited DC

I recently saw a critic complaining on social media about me posting press releases from politicians he didn’t like. He implied it proved I was supporting those figures and what they’re saying. That’s absurd, of course. No matter whether you like people like Gov. Little, Congressman Simpson, Sen. Crapo, etc. or not, they are in office, and their decisions affect our lives. It behooves us to pay attention to what they’re saying and doing, even if it’s just to properly articulate arguments against them.

As usual, stay tuned for more. Remember to make a plan to vote, whether by mail, early, or on Election Day on May 19. Early voting is going on most everywhere now, and ends this Friday.

Thanks as always to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and the iLuvIdaho Voter Guide. Please reach out if you have a small business and want to partner with the Gem State Chronicle.

The program delivers a full dose of identity politics, Critical Race Theory, and activist training. It teaches children to view America as systemically racist and oppressive. It trains them to treat “whiteness” as an inherent problem. It forces every aspect of life through lenses of power, privilege, and grievance. Materials incorporate Black Lives Matter activism and gender ideology. These turn classrooms into recruitment centers for leftist causes rather than places of real learning. Defending Education’s tracker confirms this radical program has infiltrated 42 states and hundreds of districts. This includes the state level right here in Idaho.

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As you recall, the SPLC was indicted by the Justice Department earlier this year for allegedly paying the very extremists they claimed to be fighting against. Founder Morris Dees built the organization using direct mail to convince well-intentioned Americans that neo-Nazis and the KKK were hiding under every bush.

The SPLC also served as cover for radical progressives (as well as a few useful idiots ostensibly on the right) to denounce their political opponents as “extremists”. Their “hate map” included organizations such as TP USA and Moms for Liberty, allowing leftists to solemnly intone that such people were just as bad as the aforementioned KKK and neo-Nazis.

Good riddance, but let’s make sure to scrub the vestiges of this anti-American organization out of every nook and cranny, especially our public schools.

A sextet of press releases

• Gov. Brad Little promotes Trump Accounts

• Congressman Mike Simpson aims to further protect women’s sports

• Congressman Simpson advances federal funds for ISU

• Congressman Simpson advances federal funds for CWI

• Gov. Little celebrates Idaho’s revenue forecast

• Secretary of State Phil McGrane is honored for his work on elections

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Jake the Lawyer posted an interesting video a few days ago explaining how a court case between the Dodge brothers and Henry Ford still impacts corporate America to this day:

As usual, stay tuned for more. Remember to make a plan to vote, whether by mail, early, or on Election Day on May 19. Early voting is going on most everywhere now, and ends this Friday.

Thanks as always to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and the iLuvIdaho Voter Guide. Please reach out if you have a small business and want to partner with the Gem State Chronicle.

It’s even worse up north. Christa Hazel, who proudly told anyone with a microphone in 2020 that she was voting for Joe Biden, is running against fiscal conservative stalwart Rep. Elaine Price in LD4. Rep. Heather Scott explains:

Democrats know they cannot win any general elections in most parts of Idaho, especially North Idaho, if they have a “D” behind their name. So instead of running openly as Democrats, many are now re-registered as Republicans and attempting to blend in as “conservative” voters and candidates in order to deceive Idahoans. Their goal is to pretend to be something they are not, in order to fool voters with fake conservative campaigns, websites and mailers.

Read the whole thing

On a similar vein, Brian Parsons explains how consensus is often used as a substitute for principles:

The problem with using “Common Sense” as an electable quality is that common sense is rarely common and often nonsense. The subjective nature of common sense says that it can mean whatever you need it to mean. There is no declaration of shared ideals. It is merely a “trust me, bro” variety of statement. “If you put me in office, you can be assured that I will make the correct vote according to my inherent rightness.”

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All of that ties in to what Idaho GOP chairwoman Dorothy Moon wrote last week:

Listen carefully to the words candidates use. Do they sound like Republicans, or Democrats? Do they sound like people you’d meet on a Magic Valley farm, a North Idaho construction site, or in a diner in Salmon, Challis, or Preston? Or do they sound more like the editorial board of a Boise newspaper?

Election Day is next Tuesday. Vote, and vote wisely.

Finally, don’t miss this press release from the America 250 in Idaho Ambassadors announcing a quarter drive to bring the Liberty Bell to all 44 counties before returning to the Capitol. (Do we still use quarters these days?)

As challenging as it gets here in Idaho, I’m thankful that we are not California. America’s second-largest city will soon choose its next leader, following years of fiscal mismanagement, DEI nonsense, corruption, and incredible incompetence that allowed a fire to destroy ten thousand beautiful homes. A former reality TV star might be the city’s salvation, as Rufo & Lomez explain:

As usual, stay tuned for more. Remember to make a plan to vote, whether by mail, early, or on Election Day on May 19. Early voting is going on most everywhere now, and ends this Friday.

Thanks as always to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and the iLuvIdaho Voter Guide. Please reach out if you have a small business and want to partner with the Gem State Chronicle.

Idaho Code § 63-2402 establishes a 32-cent tax per gallon of gasoline and diesel. Tracking down a single number showing how much Idaho receives in gas tax revenue is difficult, since these are dedicated funds divided in various ways before reaching the appropriations process. Idaho Code § 63-2412 details how those revenues are spent—on state highways, waterways, and other transportation infrastructure. A 7-cent-per-gallon increase passed during the 2015 legislative session is split, with 60% of the revenue going to state highways and 40% to local governments. Estimates based on Department of Financial Management (DFM) data place Idaho’s total annual fuel tax revenue at roughly $360 million.

If Idaho were to consider pausing or reducing the gas tax, it would require a special session of the Legislature to modify current Idaho statutes. Lawmakers could pause the tax for the summer vacation season or perhaps reduce it by 10 cents per gallon or thereabouts. Gov. Brad Little could call the Legislature into session, or House and Senate leadership could convene a special session with the support of 60% of both chambers.

Read the whole thing

We’ll see if this gets any traction as Idahoans prepare for summer vacations and road trips.

Jim Jones serves up some Kool-Aid

Former attorney general and Supreme Court justice Jim Jones has been a frequent critic of any Idaho Republican with even an inkling of conservatism. One of his favorite targets, Attorney General Raúl Labrador, fired back with an op-ed this week:

Jim Jones is the worst kind of political pundit: the self-righteous moralizer who treats policy disagreements not as legitimate debates over competing ideas, but as proof that his opponents are corrupt, hateful, or morally deficient. Rather than engage arguments on their merits, he relies on character assassination, which is why he gets so much about Idaho wrong.

This consistent pattern matters because Idaho newspapers treat him as a neutral legal authority rather than what the record shows: a political actor with a clear and longstanding point of view who served as treasurer for Democrat Tom Arkoosh’s campaign for Attorney General against me. That background is never mentioned when his columns run, leaving readers without the context they need to evaluate what they are reading.

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Big Potato makes its move

Tim Oren is back with his weekly column analyzing how money is flowing through the Republican legislative primary campaigns:

This week featured an independent journalist and hidden camera revealing Governor Brad Little calling backers of his opponent Mark Fitzpatrick “racists” or even worse – “Californians”. Less noted was a following segment of the video where a rep from Idaho Potato PAC confessed that 50% of their workers are illegal. They’d be happy to have low paid immigrants work for them year-round, aka amnesty. Let’s look at who and what the Big Potato PAC supports.

Read more

School and soccer are winding down, which should give me more time to work on the myriad projects I have on my plate. On the other hand, the primary election is next week, and the Idaho GOP State Convention follows in another month, so there’s always something to keep me busy. As usual, stay tuned for more.

Remember to make a plan to vote, whether by mail, early, or on Election Day on May 19. Early voting is going on most everywhere now.

Thanks as always to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and the iLuvIdaho Voter Guide. Please reach out if you have a small business and want to partner with the Gem State Chronicle.

New Saint Andrews College will be returning as a sponsor next month, so go ahead and check them out too! Thanks also to all of you for supporting this work!

Both major factions in Idaho politics believe they are representing the people. The governor and his machine are connected to large industries, many of which claim to employ a substantial portion of Idaho’s working citizens and pay a significant amount of taxes. On the other side are what one could call the grassroots: ordinary people who have taken an interest in politics, especially after the COVID-19 lockdowns demonstrated how oppressive government could become. Fitzpatrick boasts endorsements from ten Idaho GOP county central committees, compared to none for Gov. Little. That reflects the zeal of the grassroots, who have become involved in party politics precisely because they believe the political system is controlled by big businesses and special interests.

Read the whole thing

Simpson, eh?

Congressman Mike Simpson’s weekly newsletter celebrated Small Business Week, recounted a tour of Vermeer Mountain West, and celebrated the DAIRY PRIDE Act:

Speaking of Idaho, in my district alone, there are 24,142 small businesses with employees. As National Small Business Week comes to an end, I’d like to commend the achievements of small business owners and employees throughout our great state. Last but not least, I have long supported efforts to prevent milk alternatives or plant-based products from being marketed or misbranded using terms commonly associated with dairy products. Check out the DAIRY PRIDE Act below!

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Labrador puts the bad guys away

Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced prison sentences for five individuals convicted of crimes against children:

“Protecting Idaho families from child predators is a top priority for my team and I,” said Attorney General Labrador. “These sentences reflect the relentless work of our investigators, prosecutors, and the growing network of law enforcement partners across Idaho who share the goal of protecting kids from those who would exploit them.”

Give the man all the budget he needs.

Read more

Remember to make a plan to vote, whether by mail, early, or on Election Day on May 19. Early voting is going on most everywhere now.

Thanks as always to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and the iLuvIdaho Voter Guide. Please reach out if you have a small business and want to partner with the Gem State Chronicle.

New Saint Andrews College will be returning as a sponsor next month, so go ahead and check them out too! Thanks also to all of you for supporting this work!

This has Democrats, and Democrats’ favorite Republicans, outraged:

Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen took the pearl-clutching hypocrisy to a new level, however:

Based on the candidates the committee supported and opposed, Mickelsen assessed that Redman was working to move the Republican-dominated Legislature further to the right — in a way that would send a “bad message” to lawmakers.

“I think what it says is, ‘If you don’t vote exactly the way we want you to, then the next election, the next go-round, we’re going to come after you,’ ” she said. “I think voters across the state ought to be really concerned.”

Mickelsen’s complaint might carry more weight if her family farm had not donated the maximum $1,000 contribution to Christa Hazel, a proud Biden/Harris supporter running against conservative Rep. Elaine Price.

Read the rest at the link below:

Legislative Battles Heat Up

Dorothy explains it all

In her weekly op-ed, Idaho GOP chairwoman Dorothy Moon explained how to identify a real Republican in Idaho:

Listen carefully to the words candidates use. Do they sound like Republicans, or Democrats? Do they sound like people you’d meet on a Magic Valley farm, a North Idaho construction site, or in a diner in Salmon, Challis, or Preston? Or do they sound more like the editorial board of a Boise newspaper?

Finally, watch how they treat people. When families flee states like Washington, Oregon, California, and Colorado—escaping high taxes, overregulation, and woke politics—does your candidate welcome them? Or dismiss them as “cowbirds” and outsiders?

Many such cases!

Read more

Labrador versus HOAs

Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced a settlement against two HOAs and a management company over undisclosed fees:

“Idaho families work hard to buy a home, and they deserve to know every cost before they sign,” said Attorney General Labrador. “Hidden fees collected without legal authority violate Idaho law, and we will hold HOAs and the companies that manage them accountable.”

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Fulcher brings it home

One of the lesser-known jobs of our federal congressional delegation is to stand up for constituents in their battles with the bureaucracy. Congressman Russ Fulcher announced that his office has cleared the way for $25 million for Idahoans dealing with various agencies:

Today, U.S. Congressman Russ Fulcher (Idaho-01) announced that $25,050,884 has been returned to Idahoans through casework. This is money that was owed to constituents but was held up in a federal agency.

Since arriving in Congress, Congressman Fulcher’s office has opened 7,938 cases and closed 7,268, with those involving the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Department of Veterans Affairs being the most prevalent.

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Free park day

Gov. Brad Little announced that admission to Idaho state parks will be free on July 4, to celebrate America’s 250th birthday:

“As we prepare to mark 250 years of American independence, there is no better way to celebrate than by getting outside with our loved ones and enjoying the freedoms and natural treasures that define our great nation. Idaho’s state parks showcase the very best of our state, and we are proud to welcome families, friends, and visitors to explore them free of charge during this special occasion,” Governor Little said.

Read more

As always, stay tuned for more. I’m continuing to work on a project related to the Idaho GOP Platform, still looking into where our healthcare tax dollars are going, and I’m following up on some reader tips. Welcome to all the new subscribers, and thank you to those who have been here for the long haul!

Remember to make a plan to vote, whether by mail, early, or on Election Day on May 19. Early voting is going on most everywhere now.

Thanks as always to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and the iLuvIdaho Voter Guide. Please reach out if you have a small business and want to partner with the Gem State Chronicle.

New Saint Andrews College will be returning as a sponsor next month, so go ahead and check them out too! Thanks also to all of you for supporting this work!

Those of us motivated by ideology often find it difficult to evaluate political figures who are not. Yet it’s true that many in politics are motivated by other factors, such as pure pragmatism, economics, or simply maintaining their own power and prestige. It can be hard for ideologues to discern the motives of non-ideologues because we assume they are operating from the same perspective we are. Obviously, that is not always the case.

Yesterday, five of the seven statewide constitutional officers—Gov. Brad Little, Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke, Secretary of State Phil McGrane, Controller Brandon Woolf, and Superintendent Debbie Critchfield—expressed support for Sen. Jim Guthrie. To me, and presumably to many of you as well, that is mind-boggling. Guthrie voted with Democrats on numerous important issues, including keeping men out of women’s restrooms and protecting children from being socially transitioned without parental notification. He also boasted on the Senate floor this year that he voted against hundreds of millions of dollars in tax cuts. Yet Republicans in the executive branch still want to see him reelected.

Why?

It doesn’t make sense from an ideological perspective. But if you take ideology out of the equation, there is a certain logic to it. Guthrie has been around a long time and has surely built relationships with many of these figures. They probably know they can count on him to do what they believe needs to be done—even taking the blame for holding bills they would rather not see reach the Senate floor. How many favors have been traded over the past decade?

What I’m suggesting is that their political calculus is different from ours. I still disagree, don’t get me wrong. Kudos to Attorney General Raúl Labrador for publicly supporting David Worley, who I hope will unseat Guthrie and send him somewhere more suited to his views—perhaps the Idaho Statesman editorial board. But it is valuable to take the time to understand why people do what they do so we can better compete in the political arena. Remember: Patton beat Rommel by first reading his book.

The Podcast of the Gem State Chronicle

I converted yesterday’s article on Homedale Police Chief Jeff Eidemiller’s refusal to cooperate with ICE into a podcast. Find it at Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or your favorite podcast platform. Substack subscribers can access it via the Substack app.

Scott lauds new civics program

Rep. Heather Scott wrote a great Substack post about Idaho’s new civics curriculum:

This session, the Idaho Legislature passed Senate Bill 1336 (sponsor Rep. Barbara Ehardt), which is a step toward refocusing education back to some of the key American foundational principles. In many ways, this may be one of the most important underappreciated pieces of legislation passed in decades to help re-direct our kids in public education towards a more positive direction.

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Donnelly defying the law?

Edward Clark of Idaho Family Policy Center exposed how the Donnelly Public Library is attempting to evade Idaho law regarding protecting children from adult materials:

Idaho Family Policy Center recently received a tip that the Donnelly Public Library is now offering blanket consent waivers disguised as “patron applications” that allow children to access obscene materials without parental supervision.

We obtained one of these patron applications through a public records request—and you won’t believe what it contains…

Recall that Donnelly is also a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the state over the law.

Read more

Press releases

• Attorney General Labrador arrested some bad guys

• Lt. Gov. Bedke went nuclear

• Congressman Simpson celebrated small businesses

As always, stay tuned for more. I’m continuing to work on a project related to the Idaho GOP Platform, still looking into where our healthcare tax dollars are going, and I’m following up on some reader tips. Welcome to all the new subscribers, and thank you to those who have been here for the long haul!

Remember to make a plan to vote, whether by mail, early, or on Election Day on May 19. Early voting is going on most everywhere now.

Thanks as always to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and the iLuvIdaho Voter Guide. Please reach out if you have a small business and want to partner with the Gem State Chronicle.

New Saint Andrews College will be returning as a sponsor next month, so go ahead and check them out too! Thanks also to all of you for supporting this work!