(Idaho Secretary of State, July 3, 2026)
[On Saturday], we celebrate one of the biggest milestones in our nation’s history.
But there’s another anniversary this weekend that is worth remembering.
Two hundred years ago, on July 4, 1826, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died within hours of each other, exactly fifty years after the Declaration of Independence was signed. Two of the men who had argued, debated, and ultimately helped bring an entirely new form of self-government into the world lived just long enough to see the republic reach its fiftieth birthday.
Two hundred years later, we get to see it reach 250. The republic they launched remains a work in progress. It has endured challenges, triumphs, and real setbacks. It continues because each generation has accepted responsibility for carrying it forward. As you celebrate tomorrow, whether at one of the hundreds of community events across the state, the Capitol Celebration in Boise, out in Idaho’s vast outdoors, or at home with people you love, I hope you’ll take a moment to appreciate just how extraordinary that is, and what it asks of us.
Happy Birthday, Idaho!
One more anniversary is worth celebrating. On July 3, 1890, Idaho officially became the 43rd state, joining the Union just one day before Independence Day. It’s a good reminder that our state’s history is woven into the larger American story.
Benjamin Franklin was asked, as he left the Constitutional Convention, what kind of government the founders had created. “A republic,” he said, “if you can keep it.” As someone fortunate enough to serve within that republic, I think about it a lot. What does keeping a republic actually look like?
From where I stand, it looks like county clerks processing ballots late into the night. It looks like Idahoans showing up to the polls every election, not just the big ones. It looks like neighbors running for school board or volunteering on Election Day. It looks like people who stay curious about how their government works and hold it accountable when it falls short. Idahoans do this well. But a republic isn’t something you finish, it’s something you keep choosing. If you’ve been thinking about getting more involved, there’s no better moment than the 250th to start.
Happy Independence Day, Idaho!
Phil McGrane
ABOUT SECRETARY PHIL McGRANE
Phil McGrane was elected Idaho’s twenty-eighth Secretary of State and took office on January 2, 2023. McGrane served as elected Clerk of Ada County from 2019-2022.McGrane holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, a juris doctorate, and a Master of Public Administration. As a fourth-generation Idahoan, Phil has dedicated his career to making elections in the state of Idaho accessible, secure and transparent.
