April 3, 2023
The Dawn of the Idaho Presidential Primary
1974-1976
By: Bjorn Handeen
In 1974 the Idaho College Republicans were what Idaho Young Republican Chairman Benny Blick called “a special interest group” who gets “their advice from career college students and some disenchanted Republicans.” Blick sent out a press release clarifying that the Young Republicans are a distinct organization, and even suggested that the IDGOP look at removing the College Republicans as an IDGOP affiliated organization.
The College Republicans main focus that year was a drive to use the ballot initiative process to institute a Presidential Primary that would totally replace the convention system. RNC delegates from Idaho were voted upon directly by convention delegates, and the proportion of delegates each Presidential candidate received was a matter decided by those convention delegates. The delegation often went “uninstructed” and could RNC delegates could switch their votes at will. Greater attention was paid to geographic diversity, and great pains were taken to make sure all parts of the state were represented in the RNC delegation.
Chairman David Warnick championed the drive for a Presidential Primary system at both the Idaho Republican Convention that year, and also the Idaho Democratic convention. While the Democrats were firmly behind the idea (and Gov. Andrus even appointed a Boise area coordinator to boost the petition), the Republicans were split among conservative vs. moderate factional lines. On the conservative side, State Chairwoman Marj Miner spoke out against the idea, as did former Attorney General Robert Robson. Moderates Perry Swisher and Robert Smylie were among the Primary backers. The final vote on the floor of the convention was 220-110 against.
The regular Statewide nominating primary in 1974 was held in August, and so throughout the campaign season, candidates were queried on their stance. The major candidates in the GOP Senate race drew a contrast: Don Winder was for it, and Bob Smith was opposed. He articulated several reasons for his opposition, chiefly: 1) He was against the open nature of the primary system (as it was at the time), and 2) delegates would be chosen by the national candidates, reducing local control.
Though in the end the initiative failed to get the 25000 signatures necessary to gain ballot access, the idea gained enough traction so that two alternate bills on the subject were introduced in the 1975 legislative session.
One bill was sponsored by Democrat State Senator Chick Bilyeu: a May presidential primary where 80% of the delegates are committed to the candidate, prorated on the vote total received by each nomination seeker.
A second bill, sponsored by then State Senator Phil Batt, was a compromise bill where the preference expressed by voters would be advisory.
Speaking in opposition to both bills, Republican State Senator Dean Abrahams said, “I think these bills do violence to party activity and participation.”
The State Senate passed both bills (both 23-12 votes), allowing the house to choose which plan to send to Governor Andrus, and ultimately the Democratic plan was sent, which was signed enthusiastically.
Incidentally, this also moved the precinct committeeman elections from August to May, which was said to enable Idaho to comply with RNC regulations. All RNC delegates must be chosen by elections from within the calendar year, and therefore the county party reorganizations had to happen early.
And thus, after over a hundred years of electing RNC delegates at IDGOP State Convention, the Presidential Primary election of 1976 was the first in Idaho. And with the exception of an experiment with the caucus system in 2012, the primary election system has continued.
For several years afterwards, attempts to repeal the Presidential Primary were made in the Idaho legislature, and in the 90s Governor Kempthorne pursued a dream to institute with neighboring states a “Regional Primary” which he argued would have given Western issues a greater platform.
Now that Governor Little has signed a bill that abolishes the March Primary, what’s next? A return to traditional convention delegations? A caucus? A Phil Batt-style advisory primary? A hybrid? There are sure to be a variety of proposals, but I urge my fellow Idaho Republicans to seek to understand our party’s past as we build our party’s future.
Bjorn Handeen is a longtime Idaho Republican Party volunteer with a passion for Idaho political history. His newsletter, titled The History of the Idaho Republican Right, focuses on the untold story of the ultra-conservative movement in Idaho. His previous articles are available on Substack.
