November 2, 2026 (Cover Image Credit: Gem State Chronicle)
Go Vote!
By: Gem State Chronicle Publisher Brian Almon
It’s time to vote. There are too many things at stake in this election for you to sit it out. You might be frustrated with national politics—maybe you think President Trump has gone too far, or maybe you think he hasn’t gone far enough. Maybe you’re irritated about all those crooks in Washington DC. But you still need to vote.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, the Ada County Board of Commissioners was majority Democratic. They canceled the Western Idaho Fair and allowed the Central District Board of Health to impose a mask mandate on citizens. That year, we elected Rod Beck and Ryan Davidson to the commission, who promptly restored the fair and put Raúl Labrador on the Board of Health, ending the mask mandate.
They also cut taxes as well!
Both Rod and Ryan are on the ballot in Ada County this year as well. Whether we continue with a frugal county government that believes in individual liberty, or one that sees democratic socialism as a good start, depends on you turning out to vote.
Proposition 1 would legalize abortion in Idaho. Despite proponents’ claims that it’s only a modest expansion of exceptions, Prop 1 is written in such a way as to legalize abortion potentially into the ninth month of pregnancy, as well as supersede our laws regarding parental notification.
Polls and prediction markets suggest Prop 1 is doomed, but once again, that only matters if you show up.
We also need a strong showing on our legislative, statewide, and federal races. Now is not the time to complain about the Republicans on your ballot. That time was before the primary last May, and will come again in the spring of 2028. Right now, our assignment is to defeat the Democrats and the socialists who want to radically transform our society away from the principles of our Founding Fathers.
Gov. Brad Little is being challenged by a far-left Democrat, as well as a supposed independent who while on our Supreme Court wrote that the right to abortion is “fundamental”. Meanwhile, Gov. Little has signed countless good bills while maintaining a growing economy in our state. Is he perfect? No. Is he the best option on the ballot right now? Absolutely.
Sen. Jim Risch is being challenged by another supposed independent, this time one who was the Democratic House Minority Caucus Chair just two years ago, and launched his campaign for Senate mere days after appearing on stage beside Bernie Sanders and AOC. Whatever disagreements you as a conservative might have with Sen. Risch, they pale in comparison to our differences with Todd Achilles.
J. Chase Davis said it well on X [yesterday]:
If you’re not voting Republican because the candidate “isn’t good enough,” you will not:
- Teach the GOP a lesson
- Lower gas prices
- Get a more Christian nation
But you will:
- Get a worse candidate next time
- Lose the local races
- Give people who hate you more power
The old neoconservative faction of the GOP is hoping for a Republican wipeout tomorrow so they can say “I told you so” as they try to drag us back to Romney-era Republican impotence. Meanwhile, whatever you want to call the faction led by Tucker Carlson and others who have gone off their rockers lately wants to see a wipeout as well, so they too can say “I told you so” as they try to purge the party of anyone even remotely capable of governing.
I get a lot of questions about judges. With regard to the magistrates, I have nothing to tell you. I’m working on ways to deliver information regarding the judges on your ballot, but I’m not quite there yet. However, I will be voting for Greg Woodard for the Fourth Judicial District. Not only did his opponent sign the petition to legalize abortion in Idaho, he just sent a joint mailer with the most liberal ACHD candidates, including one who was a Bernie Sanders campaign chair in 2016.
Speaking of ACHD, if you live in Ada County, vote for Greg Ferch and Sean Sundwell. Whether you live in Boise, Eagle, Meridian, Star, or Kuna, decisions about your roads and highways are made by ACHD commissioners, so this is an important election. Do you want liberal commissioners who vote to shrink busy thoroughfares in favor of more bike lanes, or conservatives who want to make cars move again?
Your mission is to go vote for the best candidate on the ballot. As Nick Freitas said [Sunday]:
“I won’t vote for the “lesser of two evils!”
Says the person who if they were on the ballot themselves would still be the “lesser of two evils” to someone.
Get over yourself.
Go vote. Bring ten friends and neighbors with you. Let’s crush Prop 1, crush the left, and keep Idaho Idaho.
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
