That's a Wrap! 2025 in Review

It was another great year for the Gem State Chronicle.

The second full year of the Gem State Chronicle has come to a close. What began as a simple Substack newsletter in January 2022 has grown into a multifaceted platform designed to help you become a more engaged citizen and voter.

The year 2025 brought many new challenges but even more triumphs. The Gem State Chronicle faced slander and attacks not only from political opponents, but from former allies as well—those who decry the existence of an independent conservative platform that doesn’t take orders from anyone. Through it all, I’ve striven to remain a calm and collected voice in a world consumed by clickbait and constant outrage.

Sitting down with Sen. Jim Risch at the Idaho GOP Summer Meeting in Pocatello was a fun highlight this year, as was my opportunity to present Attorney General Raúl Labrador with a “golden fiddle” in recognition of his victory over Satanists in court.

The 2025 legislative session was the third I’ve been able to cover from start to finish, and most agree it was the most conservative session in recent memory. There were so many incredible victories—many once thought impossible: a mask mandate prohibition, medical freedom, massive tax cuts, protection from debanking, real school choice, no forced DEI in higher education, anti-SLAPP protections, no homeless camps on public grounds, over-the-counter ivermectin, and much more. All of it came about because a critical mass of conservative legislators got the job done.

Following the session, I wrote that persuasion had won the day.

I wrote many articles over the course of the last year—visit the Gem State Chronicle archive if you’d like to peruse them. Some I like more than others. Some went more viral than others. A few triggered intense reactions from the haters.

Yet I believe the infrastructure I’ve been building at the Gem State Chronicle is even more important than my own posts. In addition to guest opinions and press releases, 2025 saw significant work poured into Idaho Insider, your one-stop source for information about your government.

• The Legislative Branch page lists all 105 representatives and senators. Each has a dedicated profile page with a photo, short biography, posts in which they are mentioned, electoral history, committee assignments, 2024 and 2025 scorecards, whether they signed the Citizens Alliance of Idaho Pledge, links to their legislative and campaign webpages and social media, contact information, Sunshine reports, newsletters (if any), and a map of their district.

• Each legislative committee—House, Senate, joint, and interim—has its own page listing members, schedules, agendas, archives, and a live video feed during the session. You can email all members of a committee with a single click.

• You can also browse legislators by district. Each district page includes a map, the two representatives and senator, and a one-click email button.

• I also created a page linking to the elections websites of all 44 Idaho counties, in case you have questions about election results, schedules, procedures, and more.

• I recently unveiled Scorecard Explorer, a simple tool that allows you to view multiple legislative scorecards in a variety of ways. It’s really cool, so check it out.

• The Executive and Judicial Branch pages are still works in progress, but they already contain valuable information. Executive officials have profiles similar to legislators, including photos, biographies, news links, electoral history, resources, and contact information.

I have big plans going forward. If I’m able to secure additional funding, I’d like to produce a series of videos and webpages explaining how you can become more involved—whether by testifying in legislative committees, communicating with your legislators, or otherwise engaging in the process. Video will be a major focus in 2026. I’ve already resumed the Gem State Report, and I plan to expand significantly into both long- and short-form content.

I’ve also been working on some exciting improvements to the mobile version of the website, so stay tuned for more on that front.

I will continue doing my best to bring you the news and analysis you need to stay engaged in the coming year. You won’t find clickbait or ragebait at the Gem State Chronicle, but you will find information that cuts through the noise and helps you take action to save our state from sliding down the path toward left-wing totalitarianism.

None of this would be possible without you. Thank you to everyone who has financially supported my work, as well as those who have subscribed for free, shared my posts, and sent encouraging notes. Politics is a field that can destroy your soul if you let it—but you help me remain a happy warrior, approaching the challenges ahead with joy rather than bitterness. Thank you.

I want to especially thank my three sponsor partners: Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and New Saint Andrews College. I not only greatly appreciate each of them, but I also believe in what they are doing.

• It was a pleasure to work on Lynn’s campaign for Boise City Council this year—she truly is a “barracuda” in the world of politics.

• I’ve appreciated getting to know Stefan Gleason, Clint Siegner, and the rest of the team at Money Metals. They are strong supporters not only of sound money principles, but also of the conservative movement in Idaho.

• Finally, New Saint Andrews is doing exactly what needs to be done to reclaim our culture: providing a Christ-centered alternative to the woke milieu that higher education has become.

Please visit them and let them know that you appreciate their support of the Gem State Chronicle as much as I do.

The year 2026 will be another momentous one, and I’m grateful to be on this journey with you. Together, we can continue working toward a political system that is transparent, accountable, and responsive to the people, and to the timeless principles that made America great in the first place. To borrow my friend Matt Edwards’ slogan: we ride together. Onward!