One Day More

Daily Digest 6/19/26

Busy Saturday coming up

Day 2 of the 2026 Idaho GOP State Convention saw the Rules and Resolutions Committees meet to do their business, while the first General Session got bogged down with tedious arguments over credentials.

Delegates also enjoyed a fun event hosted by the Ada County GOP, including a game where the crowd had to guess which strange facts applied to which official—Sen. Jim Risch, Chairwoman Dorothy Moon, or Attorney General Raúl Labrador, emceed by Brent Regan.

For example, which of the three ended up in a Chilean whorehouse on the way to Antarctica? Which one never leaves home without a wolf tag, just in case? And which one got in trouble for coming home with an ear piercing as a child?

Saturday will be busy. The long-awaited debate over the new document adopted by the Platform Committee will take place, and it will surely be spicy. While I’ve received a lot of quiet positive feedback, I’ve also seen a handful of loud and very angry people who consider me worse than the devil for daring touch their sacred document. The difference between the quiet support I’ve received and the loud condemnation is like night and day, and it has been extremely revealing as to the character of some who I once respected.

Greg Pruett used his Idaho Second Amendment Alliance platform to denounce the proposal, claiming it removed references to the 2nd Amendment, which of course is not accurate. That didn’t stop people from reposting it on social media, most likely without having read the proposal for themselves.

Such is politics.

I recognize that people have become very attached to the words of the previous platform. Yet words alone do not hold lawmakers accountable. People do that, specifically, voters do that. Words can inspire people to action, but only if the people read those words. How many regular voters ever sit down with the 20 page Idaho GOP Platform and use it to decide how to vote in a primary election?

Very few, surely.

I’m doing this because I want the platform to matter more, not less. I want it to be a sharper tool, not a duller one.

Someone ran the 2024 platform and the one currently before the Convention through Grok and asked it to compare, and shared the result with me:

The 2026 document reflects an evolution toward implementing conservative principles through concrete legislative priorities rather than solely restating them. It appears designed to give the party and legislators clear marching orders for the 69th Legislature and beyond.

Always take AI with a grain of salt, but perhaps critics should stop and read for themselves before launching more diatribes on social media.

Whatever happens tomorrow will happen. Whatever the body decides is what will be. If the convention votes down this new platform, then we have two years to sit down and thoughtfully discuss how to make it sharper and more relevant for voters and candidates alike, and I'm totally fine with that.

Once the platform debate has concluded, one way or another, we will take up resolutions. There are several interesting proposals in the report, but the two that were most talked about prior to the convention—calling for legislation to move from a primary to a caucus for PCs and other elected officials—failed to advance out of committee. It’s possible that we will see a minority report on the floor tomorrow to address these issues.

Finally, delegates will vote on new officers to lead the Idaho GOP. Dorothy Moon is running for a third term as chair, challenged by current first vice chair Mark Fuller and former state senator Steven Thayn.

Meanwhile, incumbent second vice chair Viki Purdy is running for first vice chair, challenged by former state senator Branden Durst. Old State Saloon owner and gubernatorial candidate Mark Fitzpatrick had originally announced, but withdrew earlier today.

Carla Mattare is the only declared candidate for secretary, while incumbent treasurer Steve Bender is running for reelection to that position.

Of course, anything can happen once the floor is open for nominations tomorrow afternoon.

The campaign for chair has become quite contentious over the past couple of weeks, intensifying here at the convention. Mere hours after overseeing a debacle of his own making, in which he threw both the parliamentarian and his own Credentials Committee under the bus, Bender tossed his support to Fuller for party chair, pledging not to run if Moon wins her race.

It’s going to be a busy day.

Moon looks back

Idaho GOP chairwoman Dorothy Moon looked back at the past two years since the last state convention:

These victories happened because of you—the American people, the good citizens of Idaho—who gave of your time, talent, and treasure to defend the God-given liberties we all cherish. You donated, you knocked, you called, you shared, and you voted. Because of you, Idaho remains the greatest state in the nation.

But our work is not done. As we speak, the radical left is preparing a campaign blitz the likes of which we’ve never seen to impose radical abortion policies on our state. This ballot initiative would undo Idaho’s long tradition of protecting life—both the unborn and children at risk of irreversible transgender drugs and surgeries.

We won’t let that happen.

Warnings from the AG

Attorney General Raúl Labrador released a list of products under recall:

“The global marketplace gives Idaho consumers more choices than ever, but it also brings real risks when safety standards aren’t met,” said Attorney General Labrador. “These 24 recalls cover products families use every day, from children’s sleepwear to pool drains to baby bottles. Check this list, check your home, and take action.”

I’m looking forward to putting this contentious party business in the rear-view mirror and getting back to thoughtful articles that help you be a more engaged citizen of our Republic. I’m also looking forward to the Eagle Fun Days Parade a week from now, where I’ll be joined by PCs and volunteers on the LD14 float!

As always, thank you to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and New Saint Andrews College. Thank you also to all the paid subscribers who make it possible for me to do what I do.