July 19, 2022 (Photo credit: Kirsten Lucas)
TWIN FALLS–The Idaho GOP Convention wrapped up Saturday at the College of Southern Idaho. During the general session, delegates voted for party leadership, determined the new party platform, and adopted various resolutions.
In what was clearly a repudiation of the “moderate” wing of the party, all five Executive Committee members who stood for reelection were ousted. Four of the five were replaced by well-known, strong constitutional conservatives. Dorothy Moon is the new State GOP Chair, beating Tom Luna in a 434-287 vote. Machele Hamilton ran for 1st Vice Chair, but was narrowly defeated by Idaho Young Republicans leader Daniel Silver. Mark Fuller, chairman of the Bonneville County Republican Party, was elected 2nd Vice Chair by a 154-vote margin over opponent Mike Matthews. For Treasurer, Steve Bender won against Stephen Parrot. The vote was 401-318. Finally, Maria Nate, wife of Representative Ron Nate and a staunch patriot, received 438 votes and won the Secretary race against Caleb Hoobery, who received only 285 votes.
After the leadership votes, the majority of the moderate delegates–including 18 from Bannock County, led by Chairwoman Char Tovey–walked out of the convention in an apparent effort to force its adjournment for lack of quorum. Their attempt failed, and actually served to increase the percentage of conservative voices during the subsequent platform and resolution votes.
The remaining delegates voted to include the following planks in the GOP Platform:
Right to Life, beginning at conception- Health Care, affirming freedom of choice and conscience in medical decisions, and rejecting government involvement
- Party Affiliation, restricting non-Republicans from voting in Republican primaries
- Education, rejecting indoctrination and reaffirming the right of parents to direct their children’s education
- Redistricting, focusing on a less-arbitrary redistricting commission
- Repeal of the 16th Amendment
- Judicial Interpretation, affirming the originalist position
- Religious Freedom, including in public places
- Children, recognizing their identity as “a heritage of the Lord”, recognizing the right and duty of parents to raise their own children, and calling on all adults to recognize and protect children’s biological gender
To read the full text of these items, click here.
The delegates also voted to adopt the following resolutions:
Unequivocal Support for Israel- Two Resolutions addressing crossover voting, designed to prevent leftist interference in Republican primary elections
- Two Resolutions on election integrity, focusing on encouraging in-person voting and enhancing the integrity of absentee votes, and on improving the use of voter identification
- Partisan Municipal Elections, requiring party affiliation in all except judicial elections
- Reaffirming Idaho’s Position as a Second Amendment Sanctuary State, and Reaffirming Red Flag Laws as Unconstitutional
- Affirming the Idaho GOP Platform that American Combat Troops Should Not Be Used as ‘World Policemen’
- Children’s Health Bill of Rights
- Safer Internet Access for Children
- ESG Anti-Discrimination Resolution
- Privatizing Idaho Public Television
- Refusal to Recognize Imaginary Identities, recognizing only each person’s identity as defined by their DNA
- A resolution instructing party leadership to drop the pending lawsuit against the Bonneville County Central Committee, in which the BCCC is being sued for vetting candidates
To read the full text of the resolutions, click here and here.
