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Guest Columnist Greg Pruett: Idaho’s Red Mirage: 10 Reasons the State Isn’t Truly Conservative

June 7, 2026

June 4, 2026

Idaho’s Red Mirage: 10 Reasons the State Isn’t Truly Conservative

By: Honor Idaho President Greg Pruett

Idaho is the greatest state to live in if you ask me. But it isn’t the conservative stronghold many people moving here assume it is. And frankly, many native Idahoans don’t quite understand the political dynamics shaping our state today. They see the Republican registration numbers and assume that means conservative governance.

I’m here with some bad news: Idaho is not nearly as conservative as it looks on paper. But here’s the good news: Honor Idaho is fighting every day to make it the conservative state voters believe it should be.

Here are 10 reasons Idaho isn’t as conservative as you think.

1. Supermajority in Name Only

Republicans hold roughly 85% of the seats in the Legislature, yet conservatives must fight tooth and nail to pass even basic reforms. This year’s push for illegal immigration legislation went nowhere, not because Idahoans opposed it, but because special interests and weak‑kneed leaders in the Capitol refused to act for the conservative electorate and instead worked for their special interest cohorts. A supermajority means nothing if it won’t use its power.

2. Committees and their Chairs are Built to Block Conservative Bills

The biggest roadblock to conservative policy isn’t Democrats, it’s Republican committee chairs and how their committees are formed.

Senate State Affairs Chairman Jim Guthrie blocked illegal immigration reform and solid pro‑gun bills this session. While blocking conservative legislation, Guthrie made sure to support liberal ideas such as men in women’s sports and bathrooms. Other chairs quietly killed conservative legislation at the request of liberal lobbyists. Idaho’s committee system is where conservative ideas go to die.

3. Liberal Elites Run the Show

Powerbrokers wield enormous influence in the Capitol, and too many lawmakers, including the governor, defer to them. When a chairman like Dan Foreman blocks a bill to stop taxpayer dollars from flowing to liberal unions, you have to ask: Why is a supposedly conservative Legislature listening to unions at all? Agencies and special interests often have more sway than the voters.

4. Local Governments Lean Left

Idaho’s cities, school boards, and judicial races are labeled “nonpartisan,” but the ideology is purely partisan. Without party labels, voters often elect left‑leaning officials who push progressive policies on education, zoning, and spending. The left has quietly built power at the local level while voters assume everything is conservative.

Democrats know they can’t win statewide, so they hide in nonpartisan races. Former Idaho Democratic Party Chair Evangeline Beechler openly admitted Democrats love city elections because they can hide their affiliation. Party labels matter; they tell voters how someone will govern. Idaho must stop letting ideology hide behind the word “nonpartisan.”

5. We are Spending Like Democrats

Idaho’s budget has exploded over the last five years. It has grown by more than 50% in that time. Yes, Idaho is growing, but government growth is far outpacing our population growth and inflation. The fact is, Idaho’s lawmakers love to spend your money.

You don’t have to look any further than their refusal to repeal Medicaid expansion, one of our largest expenditures in the state budget. And while expansion came thanks to a far-left group’s ballot initiative, the Republican Legislature continues to fund it year after year.

6. Lobbyists and Special Interests Dominate

A handful of lobbyists fight for liberty, but many are there to protect corporate interests, expand government power, or secure taxpayer funding for their organizations. For instance, during the 2026 session, lawmakers fought to protect Idaho Power from being held accountable. Legislation like that is dangerous when you see what has happened in states like California and Hawaii, where power companies have been neglectful, and people have lost their homes as a result.

These lobbyists for these big corporations have money, access, and influence, and they use all three to steer lawmakers. Too many legislators listen to lobbyists before they listen to you.

7. Idaho’s Liberal Media Shapes the Narrative

Idaho’s mainstream media leans so far left you’d think we were already California. They amplify progressive Republicans, attack conservatives, and frame conservative legislation as “extreme.” Meanwhile, Idaho lacks strong conservative media outlets to keep voters informed. When the media tilts left, public perception tilts with it.

8. Liberal Republicans Still Run the Show

Democrats figured out long ago that the easiest way to influence Idaho politics is to run as Republicans. The establishment embraces these left‑leaning Republicans because it helps them maintain moderate control. The result? A Legislature filled with people who campaign as conservatives but govern like centrists.

9. Republican Officials Capitulate to the Left

Too often, Republicans in the legislature, who ran as conservatives, and the governor himself, capitulate to the left. They are either afraid of the liberal organizations and lobbyists, or they themselves are far more liberal than what they campaigned on.

For instance, Sen. Jim Guthrie killed a solid pro-gun school carry bill several years ago at the behest of Moms Demand Action, an anti-Second Amendment organization. Then, to make matters worse, Guthrie proposed his own version of a “school carry” bill that was so bad, Moms Demand Action and radical left lawmakers like Sen. Melissa Wintrow (Boise) supported the bill!

But perhaps an even more glaring example is when Governor Little called the legislature back into session to dump nearly half a billion dollars into our failing education system. All because leftists from Reclaim Idaho were going to put an education initiative on the ballot. Little and the legislature caved to his demands.

10. The Primary System Isn’t Working

Between crossover voting and poor vetting of candidates, Idaho’s Republican primary often elevates progressive Republicans. The result is a Legislature that doesn’t reflect the values of Idaho’s conservative voters. We either find a way to dramatically increase primary turnout or consider a different system, like a caucus, that better reflects the will of actual Republicans.

The Bottom Line

Idaho isn’t a conservative state; it’s a state with a conservative brand and a political class that knows how to use it. The voters are conservative. The culture is conservative. But the system? Not even close.

You don’t have to look much further than states like Florida, which has a far less Republican majority, and you see leadership on conservative issues. You see a lot more conservative issues being pushed in what is supposed to be a less conservative state.

Honor Idaho is committed to changing that and restoring the conservative leadership Idahoans expect and deserve.

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on HonorIdaho.com, and is republished here with the author’s permission.

Idaho Freedom Caucus: New Treatment Options for Struggling Veterans

Observer Staff

June 7, 2026

(Idaho Freedom Caucus, June 3, 2026)

By: Rep. Rob Beiswenger, Idaho Freedom Caucus Member

This past April, President Donald Trump made history when he announced that the United States would accelerate the approval process for certain safe psychedelic treatments like ibogaine and psilocybin for several disorders including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Parkinson’s, and depression.

Joined by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., podcaster Joe Rogan, and other advocates, President Trump acknowledged that the rate of suicides, 22 a day for our veteran population, is too large to ignore, and that embracing their use for certain treatments rather than continuing to criminalize psychedelics may be a new beneficial path forward.

While many were surprised by the President’s announcement, the groundwork had been laid in a previous National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), in which the Trump Administration added ibogaine, psilocybin, and other psychedelics to a list of medicines that states could begin administering in controlled environments to voluntary participants. This will allow treatment research in this field, banned in the 1960’s, to restart. In a recent NDAA request, the Pentagon and Department of War asked for $10 million in funding to study psychedelics.

Now instead of traveling to Mexico where these medicines are legal, people in the U.S. would have access to treatments here at home that have been used historically in other countries across the globe.

Researchers at Stanford University recently conducted a study with 30 combat veterans, all suffering from PTSD or TBI, and all desperate for an alternative treatment to the VA-prescribed pills they were taking.

These veterans were flown to an ibogaine treatment facility in Mexico where brain scans were conducted before and after treatment. After a single ibogaine treatment in Mexico, roughly 80% of the soldiers lost their PTSD diagnosis, based on the scans. That number increased to 95% after a second treatment. (The story of these veterans was chronicled in the award-winning Netflix documentary “In Waves and War.”)

During the 2026 legislative session, I introduced a bill that would have created a pilot program in Idaho for research into treating PTSD and TBI for our veterans and first responders.

House Bill 899, named the “Medical Advanced Healing Act,” quickly picked up co-sponsors in the House and Senate, but was introduced too late in the process to secure a full hearing.

My bill did not request any taxpayer money for the program, although it would certainly be justified given the dramatic need to help our veterans. My simple goal is to make these treatment options fully available.

Currently, ibogaine, psilocybin and MDMA are considered Schedule 1 drugs, making them illegal. To be on Schedule I, a drug must be considered addictive and have no medical benefit. In the case of ibogaine, the opposite is true. Ibogaine is not a party drug, but rather it makes you quite miserable during treatment. No one wants to use ibogaine more than one or two times, and the known medical benefits are now being proven by researchers.

There are no known currently accepted treatments for PTSD or TBI that have shown to be anywhere near as effective as ibogaine and similar medicines.

With the Trump administration showing proactive leadership on this important veteran issue, it is my hope that Idaho will follow suit and allow access to these life-saving medicines by the end of the 2027 legislative session. Our veterans and first responders deserve nothing less.

Meet Employers and Apply for Various Jobs at Idaho Falls Hiring Event

Observer Staff

June 7, 2026

(Idaho Department of Labor Press Release, June 3, 2026)

The Idaho Department of Labor is hosting a hiring event Wednesday, June 10, at the department’s Idaho Falls office. The address is 1515 E. Lincoln Road.

The event is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A variety of employers will be in attendance including Cives Steel Company, Idaho Central Credit Union, Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections, Idaho National Laboratory, Lamb Weston, Naval Nuclear Laboratory, Teton Stage Lines and more.

Open positions available include lead insulation installers, quality assurance specialists, welders, leasing agents, personal care aides, sanitation technicians, mortgage loan officers, licensed practical nurses, research data scientists, lead facility engineers, lab technicians, financial advisors and others.

Partner agencies providing resources to job seekers will also be in attendance. This includes Centennial Job Corps, Equus Workforce Solutions, Easterseals-Goodwill Senior Community Service Employment Program, TRIO – Idaho State University and more.

For a complete list of employers attending, visit the department’s calendar.

To find job search information and interview tips, check out our publications page.

Job search assistance, such as resume or interview help, is also available in person with a workforce consultant. Fill out the department’s customer inquiry form to be connected to a workforce consultant at your nearest local office.

Customers with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation to participate can email IdahoFalls@labor.idaho.gov.

Attending a job seeker event counts as one weekly work search action for unemployment insurance purposes.

Dust Off That Old Fishing Gear for Free Fishing Day and Beyond

Observer Staff

June 7, 2026

(Idaho Fish and Game Press Release, June 2, 2026)

Free Fishing Day is June 13, and it’s a great opportunity to be outdoors and get acquainted with Idaho’s great fishing spots. Fishing is an inexpensive sport because you can get all the gear you need for about $50 (or less). But odds are good you have some old fishing gear laying around the house, or someone in your family has some you can borrow. You can also check garage sales or second-hand stores. Even if it hasn’t been used in years, it will probably still catch fish.

So dig out that old, trusty, dusty fishing gear and let’s get it ready to fish.

The rod (aka fishing pole)

Does it have all the eyes intact? Great, it’s probably ready to go. If it’s a sectional rod, check if the sections come apart. If not, put some penetrating oil on it, such as WD-40 or Break Free. The sections should easily disassemble and reassemble. If they won’t come apart, you can still fish with it, it will be just a little trickier to transport.

Next, check the reel seat. Chances are good there’s already a reel on it, but check the locking ring to see if it’s still functioning. If it’s corroded, apply more lubricating oil, or if it has a reel that feels solidly attached, leave it alone because there’s no urgent need to replace the reel so long as it’s working properly.

The reel

These come in many shapes and sizes, but all reels must do two things: reel in line, and let line out. If the handle cranks freely, it will probably reel in line, so you’re off to a good start. Now figure out if it will let line out. Depending on the type of reel, this is accomplished by flipping the bail on a “spinning” reel, or pushing a button a “baitcaster.”

If your reel does those things, you’re probably ready to go. But there’s another thing to check and that’s the drag, which allows line under tension to gradually unspool in case you have a fish pulling hard enough to break the line. Drag is important, but if you’re catching smallish fish, such as panfish or trout under 12 inches, it’s not critical.

The line

This is probably the most overlooked thing if you’re resurrecting old fishing tackle, and what will most likely to ruin your fishing trip because it will be kinky and tangle easily. If the reel hasn’t been used in a year or so, replace the line. Line is inexpensive, and you can replace the line yourself, or take the reel to a sporting goods store or tackle shop and have them do it.

Basic bait and tackle

Now we’re getting to the fun stuff, and it’s no exaggeration to say there are millions of things to put on the end of your line to catch a fish.

But a few pieces of basic tackle will catch nearly any fish, which includes hooks, weights (or bobbers) and bait. An earthworm will catch a huge variety of fish and is probably crawling around in your yard, but it may be easier to spend a few bucks on a dozen nightcrawlers.

Consider those items your starter kit. And if for some reason you have a working rod and reel, but no tackle, you can get all of them for about $10 or less.

Lures

If you have a tackle box with some random-looking lures, give them a try. Even if it’s grandpa’s old tackle box, there’s no reason that what worked then won’t still work now. It helps to know what fish a particular lure was designed to attract, but a lot of lures look nothing like anything in the natural world, and they can catch a surprising number of fish species.

If you notice they have rusty hooks, or their silver, gold or bronze finishes have tarnished. You can buy replacement hooks for a fraction of what a new lure costs, so go ahead and replace them. If they’re tarnished, a small piece of steel wool will brighten them.

Where to go

Now you have all you need to go fishing, and Idaho Fish and Game can help with that. Fishing is free on June 13, meaning no fishing license is required for people 14 years and older on that day. (Children 13 and younger are not required to have a fishing license in Idaho.)

Next take a look at Fish and Game’s Fishing Planner, which provides information about nearly every body of water in the state that has public fishing.

A Quantum Leap: INL Discovers New Behavior in Plutonium That Could Reshape Nuclear Science

Observer Staff

June 6, 2026

(Idaho National Laboratory Press Release, June 4, 2026)

By John O’Connor

Plutonium is one of the most complex elements in the periodic table. First synthesized and isolated in 1940 by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, plutonium has been studied closely for more than eight decades. It’s most often associated with its role in nuclear security, but it’s also vital to nuclear power, where it is produced in reactors and can be recycled as fuel. Despite plutonium’s importance, some of its most fundamental behaviors remain a mystery.

Scientists at the Idaho National Laboratory have made an important discovery: A compound called plutonium hexaboride exhibits a one-of-a-kind quantum property known as a topological Kondo insulating state. Published in Physical Review Research, this finding marks one of only a handful of times such behavior has been observed in plutonium material — opening a new window for research into how some of nature’s most complex elements actually work.

Understanding the discovery

A topological Kondo insulating state sounds complex, but the core idea is surprisingly intuitive.

Most materials on Earth fall into one of two camps: They either conduct electricity (such as copper wiring) or they don’t allow electricity to pass through easily (like rubber insulation). Topological insulators break this mold in a fascinating way. They have special properties that block electrical current within their interior while allowing it to flow freely along their exterior surfaces. The surface conductivity of topological insulators is unusually strong; it can’t be easily disrupted by impurities or physical defects.

The “Kondo” part refers to a specific quantum effect where electrons inside a material interact so strongly with one another that they create entirely new collective behaviors — ones that can’t be predicted by looking at individual atoms in isolation. Plutonium is a striking example. It contains 5f electrons, which are especially prone to these intense interactions, making it one of the most dramatic and complex materials known.

“Plutonium is defined by the unusual dual nature of its 5f electrons,” said INL scientist Krzysztof Gofryk, who led the study. “This makes it difficult to understand, but scientifically fascinating. Plutonium hexaboride gives us a rare opportunity to see how strong correlations and topology work together in actinide materials.”

80 years later, plutonium still has surprises

Actinides are in the family of elements that include plutonium and uranium. Their electrons govern critical properties like magnetism, electrical conductivity and how materials hold up under extreme radiation and temperature. It’s necessary to understand those properties at the quantum level, the scale of atoms and electrons, to predict how nuclear materials will age, how to improve reactor safety and how to design future energy systems.

Actinides are notoriously difficult to study, and progress on this front has been gradual. Plutonium compounds are extraordinarily difficult to handle, synthesize and measure. Only a handful of facilities in the world can do it safely, and INL is one of them. INL is home to specialized infrastructure that includes plasma focused ion beam techniques used to prepare micro-size plutonium samples for ultra-cold quantum measurements, the most accurate way to see the quantum mechanics without interference from heat. These capabilities made this latest discovery possible.

“These advanced preparation techniques allow us to study plutonium at very low temperatures,” said INL researcher Daniel Murray. “INL is the only facility with the expertise and infrastructure to efficiently and safely perform this kind of research on transuranium materials.”

Charting new territory in actinide science

The INL team didn’t stop its work on plutonium hexaboride at lab measurements. In collaboration with Columbia University, INL paired experimental results with advanced computer modeling to better understand what plutonium hexaboride is doing at the quantum level.

“Our calculations capture the essential electronic and structural properties of plutonium hexaboride,” said INL researcher Shuxiang Zhou. “They provide strong support for its topological nature and offer an efficient path for studying similar actinide materials.”

The combination of carefully conducted experiments and rigorous theory gives these findings credibility among scientists. It also provides a road map for studying other actinide materials that have historically been too difficult to explore.

One discovery, endless possibilities

When it comes to plutonium hexaboride’s practical applications, the research sits at the intersection of nuclear science and quantum physics. On the nuclear side, this research will advance the practical and high-stakes work of keeping reactors safe while extending the life of nuclear materials to help secure the country’s energy future. On the quantum side, the research has potential applications in quantum computing, advanced sensing and frontier technologies that could fundamentally reshape how researchers model nuclear systems and materials.

The finding supports the U.S. Department of Energy’s recent $625 million push to advance quantum science as a pillar of U.S. technological leadership. Understanding how topological quantum states emerge in actinide materials could inform how researchers simulate complex nuclear behavior, helping industry design longer-lasting reactor materials and develop technologies that don’t yet exist.

Further, the plutonium hexaboride research underscores INL’s role as a national scientific asset with a one-of-a-kind capability to safely design, fabricate and study plutonium-based quantum materials.

The paper, “Electronic correlations and topology in Kondo insulator PuB₆,” was published as a letter in Physical Review Research. Available at: https://journals.aps.org/prresearch/abstract/10.1103/hwpn-gll9

This research was conducted at Idaho National Laboratory, in collaboration with Columbia University, and was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division.

About Idaho National Laboratory
Battelle Energy Alliance manages INL for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy. INL is the nation’s center for nuclear energy research and development, and also performs research in each of DOE’s strategic goal areas: energy, national security, science and the environment. For more information, visit www.inl.gov. Follow us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.

Guest Columnist Senator Tammy Nichols: Save America Through Election Integrity

Observer Staff

June 6, 2026

June 4, 2026

Save America Through Election Integrity

By: ID Senator Tammy Nichols

ID Senator Tammy Nichols (Photo Credit: Tammy Nichols)

Idaho Republicans are once again stepping forward to lead where Congress has failed to act. As concerns over election integrity continue across the country, Idaho conservatives are preparing to formally call on Congress to pass the Save America Act through resolutions being advanced both within the Idaho Republican Party and for consideration during the 2027 Idaho legislative session.

I recently drafted the resolution because the message is simple: secure elections matter, and states should not remain silent while Congress refuses to act.

The proposed resolution states that “free, fair, and secure elections are the foundation of our Constitutional Republic” and affirms that “the right to vote is one of the most sacred rights of American citizens.” It also makes clear that Idaho believes only eligible United States citizens should be voting in federal elections and that election integrity measures are essential to restoring public trust.

Importantly, the resolution recognizes the constitutional role states play when the federal government fails to fulfill its responsibilities. One section states that “when the federal government fails to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities to protect the integrity of federal elections, the states have both the right and the duty to call upon Congress to act.”

That principle is exactly why Idaho Republicans are moving forward.

Congress has failed to take meaningful action to secure federal elections and restore confidence in the electoral process. Meanwhile, public trust in elections has declined nationwide. Idaho has consistently supported strong election integrity laws at the state level, and conservatives here believe it is time to push for stronger federal standards as well.

This effort is also about federalism and state leadership. The states created the federal government, not the other way around. Conservative states like Idaho have a responsibility to speak clearly when Congress refuses to address issues that impact the integrity of the Republic itself.

The resolution also emphasizes that if states remain silent, Congress has little incentive to act. Federal elections impact every state, making it appropriate for state parties and state legislatures to demand accountability and stronger safeguards.

The resolution is expected to be presented at the Idaho Republican Party Summer Meeting and will also be prepared for consideration during the 2027 legislative session.

Idaho is once again showing what conservative leadership looks like: proactive, constitutional, and unapologetic about defending election integrity, the rule of law, and the voice of lawful American citizens.

You can read the resolution submitted below.

In Liberty,

Sen. Tammy Nichols

Guest Columnist Brian Almon – Dorothy Moon: Now, More Than Ever

Observer Staff

June 6, 2026

(Image Credit: Gem State Chronicle)

June 3, 2026 (Cover Image Credit: Gem State Chronicle)

Dorothy Moon: Now, More Than Ever

By: Brian Almon

I still remember the day Dorothy Moon won election as chair of the Idaho Republican Party. Having lost the race for secretary of state by only 1.66%, she announced her candidacy for party leadership and was immediately met with nasty attacks from all sides. Nevertheless, the feeling at the convention in Twin Falls was electric. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a standing ovation like the one that followed Brent Regan nominating her for party chair.

Despite near-constant attacks and attempts to undermine her from those who preferred previous leadership, Moon tirelessly worked to carry out the will of Republican grassroots activists and advance conservative values in Idaho. She was rewarded with a landslide reelection at the 2024 state convention in Coeur d’Alene, winning 62.3% of the vote, and followed that up by leading the victorious fight against ranked choice voting, which lost 70-30 on the November ballot.

As far as I know, no Idaho GOP chair has run for and won a third term in at least four decades, yet this week Dorothy Moon announced her intention to do just that:

Moon emphasized the importance of party unity heading into the 2026 election cycle, especially in opposing the radical pro-abortion initiative expected to appear on the November ballot.

“Idaho Republicans share a common commitment to protecting our state from the failed policies we see spreading across the country,” she said. “Now is the time to continue building a strong, unified organization capable of winning elections, protecting our most vulnerable, and preserving Idaho’s unique way of life for future generations.”

As a delegate to the 2026 convention, I am proud to support Dorothy Moon in her quest for a third term as chair.

I can’t claim to be unbiased here, of course. I’ve had the privilege of working with Chairwoman Moon for quite a while now. Over the past year, I’ve taken on multiple responsibilities within the Idaho GOP as a paid consultant, all of which require close coordination with the chair and staff. I know some have found Dorothy difficult to work with, but I believe that is because she has high expectations for those who commit themselves to this cause.

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.

Running the Idaho Republican Party takes more than conservative bona fides, it takes more than charisma, and it takes more than organizational talent—though Dorothy Moon has all of those things. The state chair must know all the players and be able to tell who is sincere and who has a hidden agenda. The state chair must be strong enough to do what needs to be done, but humble enough to serve the state central committee and the Republican voters of Idaho. The state chair must have the time and resources to travel to every corner of the state, supporting local committees and candidates, talking to voters where they are, and equipping them to be leaders in their communities.

Later this month, I will attend my fourth Idaho GOP state convention. As an alternate, I did not vote in 2020, but watched and learned. I voted for Dorothy in 2022 and again in 2024, and I look forward to casting my vote for her again in just over two weeks. She’s the hardest-working person I know, and the Idaho GOP has been blessed by her leadership. I hope my fellow delegates will join me in supporting Dorothy Moon one more time.

About Brian Almon

Brian Almon is the Editor of the Gem State Chronicle. He also serves as Chairman of the District 14 Republican Party and is a trustee of the Eagle Public Library Board. He lives with his wife and five children in Eagle.

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the Gem State Chronicle. I encourage our readers to visit their website and consider subscribing. Find this and other informative articles at the Gem State Chronicle here: About – Gem State Chronicle

Pocatello PD Welcomes Moving Honors Memorial

Observer Staff

June 6, 2026

Pocatello Police Department Community Message, June 4, 2026; Cover photo credit: PPD FB)

Pocatello–[On Wednesday], the City of Pocatello had the honor of welcoming the Moving Honors EMS Memorial as it traveled through our community. This meaningful tribute recognizes EMS professionals who have made the ultimate sacrifice and honors the dedication of those who serve others during emergencies every day.

During the ceremony, the poem “Walk With You to the Edge” was read—offering a powerful reminder of the compassion, presence, and humanity EMS professionals bring to people during some of life’s most difficult moments.

We are grateful to everyone who came out to show support and pay tribute, and to the first responders and partner agencies who helped welcome the procession through our city. We honor those we have lost and thank all EMS providers for their service, sacrifice, and dedication to caring for others.

Guest Column – ID GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon: Spencer Pratt Shows the Way

Observer Staff

June 5, 2026

June 4, 2026 (Cover image credit: IDGOP FB)

Spencer Pratt Shows the Way

By: Dorothy Moon, IDGOP Chairwoman

If you had told me a few years ago that California’s best shot at avoiding becoming a failed state was a former reality TV star, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. Then again, there was a time when the idea that another reality star and tabloid sensation would become president and help make America great again seemed just as absurd.

Spencer Pratt’s campaign for mayor of Los Angeles has been a breath of fresh air this year. Rather than getting bogged down in ideological arguments, he has spoken plainly about the real challenges facing his community. The current mayor, Karen Bass, is as close as you can get to being a real life communist, and seems more concerned with promoting failed socialist ideals and implementing DEI than with taking care of her city. When a deadly wildfire bore down on Malibu and Pacific Palisades, Mayor Bass was nowhere to be found.

Spencer Pratt was one of the thousands who lost their homes in that terrible fire and only launched his mayoral campaign because nobody else was standing up to save what was once a beautiful city. Under decades of Democratic rule, Los Angeles has become a byword for failure—a third-world haven for crime, drugs, homelessness, and lawlessness.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Red states like Idaho show that it is possible to maintain freedom and prosperity without descending into the decay that has become normal in many blue states. Does that mean we must simply accept that some of the most amazing and iconic places in America—places like New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles—are doomed?

May God forbid that we ever give up on America!

Problems like crime, drugs, and homelessness have solutions, but they are not found in Democratic candidates or left-wing think tanks. They are found in the tried-and-true traditions that made this country great in the first place: fully funding the police, stopping the subsidization of crime and decay, deporting those who do not belong here, and building communities where people care about each other and themselves.

Even in red Idaho, blue cities look to California, Oregon, and New York for inspiration. I honestly don’t understand it, but it demonstrates the need for eternal vigilance. We will not allow Boise to become another Portland or Idaho Falls to become another San Francisco. It’s imperative that voters turn out on Election Day, and we need dynamic candidates who understand the issues facing our communities.

Spencer Pratt is showing the way. Even if he doesn’t win in November—the Democratic machine is still strong in California—he has already proven that voters are looking for solutions to real problems. Everyone is wondering what comes after Trump. Will MAGA continue, or will we go back to normal? There’s no going back, and the only way forward is to tackle the problems facing our country head-on, without fear.

Dorothy Moon, Chairwoman of the Idaho Republican Party

Guest Columnist Brian Almon: The Crossover Question

Observer Staff

June 5, 2026

(Image Credit: Gem State Chronicle)

June 2, 2026 (Cover Image Credit: Gem State Chronicle)

The Crossover Question

By: Brian Almon

Gem State Chronicle Publisher Brian Almon

Idaho is a red state, and has been for a very long time. The Legislature has been controlled by Republicans since at least the late 1950s. The last time Idaho voted for a Democratic presidential candidate was Lyndon Johnson in 1964. Cecil Andrus and John Evans are the only Democratic governors to have been elected in the past half-century. And the last time Republicans did not hold a two-thirds supermajority in both chambers of the Legislature was in the early 1990s.

Today, there are 631,344 registered Republicans in Idaho, compared to 257,003 unaffiliated voters and 120,644 Democrats. More than three out of every five Idaho voters are affiliated with the Republican Party. President Trump carried the state in 2024 with just under 67% of the vote.

All that said, we all know that not everyone who affiliates as a Republican has what we would call Republican values. Leftists and moderates registering as Republicans—or even running for office in the Republican primary—is distasteful to many conservatives, but it is also a rational strategy in what is essentially a one-party state. Progressive activists face the choice of either remaining in the Democratic Party, which has virtually no power outside the Idaho Statesman editorial page, or crossing over into the GOP to support what they see as the lesser of two evils.

The Idaho Republican Party has long been concerned about crossover voting. Dr. Matthew May’s dissertation on the history and effects of primary elections in Idaho reports that Republicans took issue with the direct primary as far back as the early 1900s due to fears that Democrats would influence the selection of Republican nominees. In 2007, the Idaho Republican State Central Committee voted in favor of a rule calling for a closed primary, along with a court challenge should the Legislature fail to respond during the following session.

Nine days after the close of the 2008 session, the Idaho GOP filed suit, arguing that the First Amendment protected its right to require participation in its primary to be limited to registered Republicans. In Idaho Republican Party v. Ben Ysursa, U.S. District Judge Lynn Winmill agreed that crossover voting was likely occurring and that the Idaho GOP had the right to limit participation in its own primary election. In the closing days of the 2011 session, the Legislature passed House Bill 351, allowing parties to close their primaries if they wished while still leaving them the option of remaining open. Today, the Idaho GOP maintains a closed primary, while the Idaho Democratic Party allows independents and members of other parties to select its ballot in the May election.

Dr. May suggested that the party and the state have two competing interests when it comes to how primary elections are conducted:

The Idaho Republican Party had argued that participation by non-party members in their primaries produced nominees that did not accurately reflect the platform of the Party and that a more restrictive primary system would mitigate those effects. To argue these effects in district court, the Party cited several academic studies. In explaining their reluctance to shift to a closed primary system, the State of Idaho (through its then Secretary of State, Ben Ysursa) argued that more restrictive systems served to depress voter turnout and the state was better off sticking with the open primary system that had been implemented in 1972.

The state, as the neutral arbiter of elections, believes participation is the highest priority, while the party, as a private coalition of activists working toward particular policy goals, believes ideology is more important. In other words, the government wants more people to participate regardless of their views, while parties want their collective views to prevail.

Interestingly enough, primary election turnout appears to have actually increased following the closure of the Idaho GOP primary in 2012:

Nevertheless, 30% turnout is still far too low. Despite the May primary mattering far more than the November general election in Idaho, many voters treat turning out in November as the beginning and end of their civic participation. At the same time, conservative activists have grown increasingly frustrated with the outcomes of legislative races, especially in eastern Idaho. Several prominent Republicans have called for replacing the current primary system with a caucus system in which engaged Republican voters would meet to select the party’s nominees. Former Blaine County GOP Chairwoman Heather Lauer recently explained why she supports such a system:

This debate is not just about process. In much of Idaho, Republican primaries effectively determine who governs the state. Property taxes, government spending, immigration, education reform, regulatory policy, and countless other issues are ultimately shaped by who wins Republican nominations.

I have become increasingly convinced that the long-term solution is not winning every short-term political fight. The long-term solution is electing a Legislature willing to pursue meaningful conservative reforms and fundamentally change the direction of the state.

We are unlikely to consistently elect that Legislature under a system where Republican candidates can be nominated by progressive activists.

I asked Secretary of State Phil McGrane about this idea last week. While he said he does not support switching to a caucus system, he indicated that he is open to ideas for increasing turnout in the 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.

The first category—Democrats who temporarily switch affiliation—is the most obvious, but I do not believe it is especially widespread. I maintain a spreadsheet based on voter registration data from the Secretary of State’s office showing month-to-month changes. Around each primary election—May 2020, May 2022, and May 2024—the Idaho GOP saw a noticeable bump in registrations. However, the Idaho Democratic Party did not experience a corresponding decline either at the time or in the preceding months. Instead, the declines appeared among unaffiliated voters.

Between May and June 2024, GOP registrations grew from 585,977 to 600,794, an increase of nearly 15,000 voters. Democratic registrations also increased slightly, from 125,635 to 125,818. Meanwhile, the number of unaffiliated voters fell from 288,940 to 274,301.

The same pattern appeared during the 2022 primary. Republican registrations increased from 550,873 to 578,628, while Democratic registrations slightly increased from 129,758 to 129,987. Once again, however, unaffiliated registrations dropped sharply, this time from 300,005 to 276,656.

This makes sense. Members of other parties, including Democrats, must by law affiliate with the Republican Party ten weeks prior to the primary election. Unaffiliated voters, on the other hand, can request a Republican ballot at the polling place and, in doing so, affiliate with the GOP. It appears that most registered Democrats in Idaho are committed Democrats who vote in Democratic primaries and support Democratic candidates in the general election. Those who are ideologically left-wing but wish to influence Republican primaries generally remain unaffiliated until it is time to vote.

The 2024 presidential election demonstrates this dynamic well. President Trump received 605,246 votes in Idaho at a time when 653,334 voters were registered Republicans. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris received 274,972 votes despite there being only 138,788 registered Democrats. Assuming Harris received every Democratic vote, she would still have needed more than 130,000 votes from unaffiliated or Republican voters.

The biggest concern for conservative Republicans, however, is ideological progressives who register and remain registered as Republicans. It is well known among Republican campaign strategists that unaffiliated voters break heavily for Democratic candidates in the general election. But how many registered Republicans do the same? That question is difficult—but not impossible—to answer.

Since the Idaho Democratic Party still maintains an open primary, registered Republicans have the option of selecting a Democratic ballot in the May election. However, these progressive voters usually have little reason to do so because Democratic candidates often run unopposed.

District 6 presents an interesting case study. Encompassing Latah, Lewis, and part of Nez Perce counties, it is one of only a handful of districts in Idaho where the November general election is genuinely competitive. Democrats did not have contested legislative races there in either 2022 or 2024, while Republicans had competitive primaries in each of the past three election cycles.

In 2022, the highest Democratic primary vote total in the district was 1,828 in the Senate race, compared to 6,465 votes in the Republican Senate primary. In 2024, only 1,086 Democratic votes were cast in the District 6 Senate race, compared to 6,379 Republican primary votes.

In 2026, however, all three Democratic legislative seats in District 6 featured competitive primaries. Suddenly, left-wing voters registered as Republicans had a reason to participate in the Democratic primary instead. A total of 2,568 votes were cast in the District 6 Democratic Senate primary, compared to 8,049 in the Republican primary.

The chart below shows the relationship between Republican and Democratic votes in the District 6 Senate primaries of 2022, 2024, and 2026, excluding third-party ballots:

It seems clear, even from this one district, that competitive Democratic primaries are one way to ensure that ideological Democrats in Republican clothing stay out of the GOP primary. Yet outside of running obviously planted candidates, that is not something Republican strategists can easily control.

Crossover voting has been a concern in Idaho for more than a century. It is a rational response from left-wing voters and candidates who would otherwise have little influence over the political direction of the state. At the same time, it is equally rational for Republicans to seek ways to protect their primary elections. After all, the Green Bay Packers would be foolish to allow Chicago Bears fans a voice in choosing their draft picks.

Is there something more conservative Republicans can do to ensure GOP nominees reflect conservative ideals? Should the party consider transitioning to a caucus, convention, or some other method of selecting candidates? I will examine those questions in greater depth as we approach the Idaho GOP State Convention later this month.

About Brian Almon

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Guest Columnist Greg Pruett: Idaho’s Red Mirage: 10 Reasons the State Isn’t Truly Conservative

1. Supermajority in Name Only

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3. Liberal Elites Run the Show

4. Local Governments Lean Left

5. We are Spending Like Democrats

6. Lobbyists and Special Interests Dominate

7. Idaho’s Liberal Media Shapes the Narrative

8. Liberal Republicans Still Run the Show

9. Republican Officials Capitulate to the Left

10. The Primary System Isn’t Working

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