Don't Forget the Party Officers

A captain needs a crew

Yesterday I wrote about the race for Idaho State Republican Party Chair. Come Saturday evening, either Tom Luna will be beginning his second term, or Dorothy Moon will be beginning her first. But there are several more positions to be filled before the week is over.

1st Vice Chair

The two Vice Chair positions are split between Congressional Districts 1 and 2.

The current incumbent is Machelle Hamilton from Nampa. She was Director of Strategy for Lt. Governor Janice McGeachin and lost a very close primary for State Representative in District 12. She has political experience as well as a commitment to conservative principles, so I intend to support her for reelection. She mentioned that she is looking forward to working with Dorothy Moon as Chair, remarking that she often gets sidelined by current Chairman Tom Luna.

I am not aware of anyone else running for 1st Vice Chair. I can only go on what I know, and some candidates might be playing things close to the vest until the Convention begins later today.

2nd Vice Chair

Incumbent Mike Mathews of Twin Falls is running for a second term. He too has extensive political experience and has the endorsement of US Senator Jim Risch. That could be good or bad, as Risch is a longtime fixture of the Idaho GOP establishment. I do not know much else about him, and look forward to meeting him and hearing his pitch at the Convention.

Mark Fuller of Idaho Falls is also running for 2nd Vice Chair. He has been in Republican politics for decades, most recently serving as Chairman of the Bonneville County GOP. He lost a bid for the Chair in 2020 by the smallest of margins, and was then sued by Chairman Tom Luna last May over his committee’s primary recommendations. He has been endorsed by most conservative groups within the Idaho GOP. I assume I agree with most of Mr. Fuller’s positions, with a few notable exceptions. I did not support his resolution at last year’s Idaho GOP State Committee meeting to essentially give county committees veto power over primary candidates. As with Mr. Mathews, I look forward to meeting Mr. Fuller in person and hearing his pitch.

Treasurer

The incumbent treasurer is Stephen Parrott from Boise. I remember briefly meeting Mr. Parrott at the 2020 Convention in Nampa, back when I was brand new to all this and had no idea who anyone was. He has extensive experience in finance, and seems to be competent. I have nothing to say against him, however I have already pledged to vote for his opponent.

I have known Steve Bender for more than two years. He was originally the Precinct Committeeman in my neighborhood, and so my involvement with Republican politics began as his alternate. When the map was redrawn, he ended up in a different precinct, and we both won our PC races last May. He is now the Vice Chairman of District 14, while I am the Secretary, so we continue to work together. Mr. Bender has a great mind for detail and is a stickler for the rules. That is an important quality for a position that he likes to call the designated felon. The Treasurer of the Idaho State Republican Party has a tremendous and important job, and I think Mr. Bender will do it quite well.

One thing that Mr. Bender has suggested is connecting the state officers with their regional, county, and legislative district counterparts to share information and conduct training. For example, the State Treasurer might host a training session for all the other treasurers, going over best practices and tips for how to do their jobs better. As the new Secretary of District 14 I think that is a great idea and I would like to see it implemented, no matter who wins.

Secretary

Incumbent Secretary Marla Lawson has moved on to another position, so this job is wide open.

Maria Nate was the first candidate I saw to throw her hat into the ring. She and her husband, outgoing State Representative Ron Nate, are well known in the conservative community for being passionate defenders of traditional values. Mrs. Nate has many years of experience in politics as well as office work that she would bring to the position. She is a popular figure among the liberty wing of the Idaho GOP, and I think she would be a fine officer of the state party.

However, I have decided to vote for Caleb Hoobery of Emmett, who is also running for this position. I have gotten to know Mr. Hoobery throughout the last six months. He is the former Chairman of District 8, but redistricting moved him into District 14 with me. He and his wife are very involved in local politics despite not being retired or independently wealthy like so many activists and politicians. Mr. Hoobery ran in the primary for State Representative this year and I was privileged to have a long conversation with him then about his legislative priorities and the meaning of statesmanship. Serving as a committee secretary is not the place you go when you want attention, but it is a necessary duty, and I believe that Caleb will do it well.

With that, I am off to Twin Falls for three days of conversation and debate with Republicans from the farthest reaches of the Gem State. I will share as much with you as I can - I might even throw in a livestream here or there from the Convention itself! Subscribe, share, and stay tuned!