Recapping the horse race
Daily Digest 5/20/26
The day after
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.
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
Congressman Simpson advances federal funding for Black Mountain
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!
Our opinion....
Idaho Republican Primary Election Results (May 19, 2026 election)
While there were some bright spots, overall the Idaho Republican primary results were not good for conservatives.
Conservative voters who sat out the primaries (or who listened to lies, smears, and misinformation) helped all Idahoans move to the socialist states of California, Oregon, and Washington without hiring a van!
⭐ RESULTS from Idaho Secretary of State
* ALL results: tinyurl.com/bda6zcbp
* Voter turnout: tinyurl.com/25yjy938
* Updated voter guide: tinyurl.com/hfptxsu2
Pitiful showing from Idahoans. For example, only 22% of the registered voters turned out in Cristy Zito's district. Thank the LORD she won. Seems like BIG Money is controlling Idaho elections for the most part. Thankfully, Kyle Harris won even with all the BIG Money that was spent against him. So many awesome legislators were defeated by the BIG Money, such as Glenneda Z. Either bow to the BIG Money establishment or they will endeavor to destroy you. Conservative Idahoans need to realize that they have to get more engaged. I recently realized that the complaint that "native" Idahoans have against political refugees that have come here from their Socialist states, (CA, OR, WA), thinking that Idaho was a RED state, isn't that they are bringing Socialism with them, but rather that they are too far RIGHT! Too many Democrats in Idaho that self-indentify as Republicans.