April 15, 2026
When Politics Turns Poisonous, And Why Idaho Must Be Better
I have been involved in Idaho politics for a number of years now, and I say this plainly: I have never seen a year as nasty as this one.
Campaign season has always had its rough edges. That’s not new. Mailers get sharp. Ads take shots. Opponents draw contrasts. That’s the nature of politics in a free society.
But what we are seeing right now is something different.
We are seeing a flood of flyers, television spots, and radio ads that go far beyond drawing distinctions on policy or record. These messages are designed not just to persuade—but to tear down. To distort. To make good, hardworking people look as bad as possible, whether the claims hold water or not.
One recent example makes the point clearly. A campaign flyer cites bill number S1157 as supposed evidence against a candidate—but the bill itself has nothing to do with the subject being claimed. Even more concerning, the vote count presented on the flyer is simply wrong. The actual vote was a straightforward party-line vote, not what is being portrayed. When basic facts like the content of a bill and the recorded vote are misrepresented, that is not political debate—that is deliberate misinformation.
That level of vitriol is not normal for Idaho.
And neither is the degree of deceit.
There has always been a line, an understanding, even in disagreement, that we are still neighbors, still members of the same communities, still Idahoans first. That line is being crossed more frequently and more aggressively than I have ever witnessed.
It should concern all of us.
When campaigns become less about truth and more about destruction, voters are not informed; they are manipulated. And when that happens, the integrity of our elections begins to erode, not from the outside, but from within.
I have always trusted the people of this state.
Idaho voters are thoughtful. They are independent. They take their responsibility seriously. Most people who make the effort to vote also make the effort to understand what and who they are voting for. They ask questions. They look deeper. They don’t simply accept what shows up in a mailbox or flashes across a screen.
That gives me confidence.
But it also raises the stakes.
Because the volume of misinformation we are seeing this year is designed to overwhelm that instinct, replacing careful consideration with emotional reaction. It is designed to create doubt where clarity should prevail.
And that only works if we let it.
So I would ask something simple of every Idahoan:
Slow down.
Look closer.
Ask one more question.
Who is behind the message?
What is their motive?
Does the claim actually hold up?
Truth still matters, but it requires effort.
This moment is bigger than any single race, any single candidate, or any single election cycle. It is about what kind of political culture we are willing to tolerate in our state moving forward.
Do we reward honesty, even when we disagree?
Or do we reward whoever is willing to go the lowest, the fastest?
Idaho has never been a place that chases the worst instincts of politics. We have prided ourselves on being grounded, direct, and fair-minded—even in tough debates.
We should expect that standard to hold.
Not because politics will ever be perfect—but because we should demand that it be better than this.
The responsibility doesn’t just fall on candidates or campaigns.
It falls on all of us.
I believe Idaho is up to that challenge.
With grit, faith, and unwavering resolve,
God bless,
Senator Christy Zito,
Idaho State Senate
District 8,
Protecting Freedom for Future Generations
P.S. If you haven’t already, subscribe to my Substack (zitoforidaho.substack.com) for straight talk from the Capitol and updates you won’t get from the mainstream press. Let’s stay connected and stay strong. See you at the polls on May 19!
