No Coronations
Iron sharpens iron
Today I had the pleasure of meeting a man who is also running for PC in my precinct. He has a lot of great ideas about how we need to build communities at the local and state level to weather the storm our country is facing, and he brings a different perspective to the table than I do. Whether I win or lose, I believe the party will be in good hands. While the leadership might prefer a unified front, I had no intention of asking him to drop out simply because I have been involved with the party for a longer time. I am excited to work together no matter which position we each end up in.
The Ada County Republican Party prides itself on not being involved in primary campaigns. “That is for the voters to decide,” party leaders say. I agree with this philosophy. If the party establishment were to pick winners and losers, it would create an elitist mentality. The GOP claims to trust the will of the voters, and that should apply at all levels - from President of the United States all the way down to Precinct Committeeman.
We have some competitive races here in District 14 where six candidates are vying for two positions in the State House of Representatives. Representative Gayann DeMordaunt is the only incumbent in the race, having been first elected in 2016 to succeed her husband, former State Representative Reed DeMordaunt. She is being challenged by Eagle Fire Commissioner Josh Tanner.
In the other seat, 14A, four candidates are asking for your vote: GOP State Committeewoman Tracey Koellisch, GOP District 8 Chairman Caleb Hoobery, US Navy aviator Ted Hill, and local businessman Mike Olsen.
I hope to have a chance to sit down with all six candidates and share my impressions with you in this newsletter before the primary election on May 17th. I would like to hear each of them out, get an idea of their positions and ideas, and learn why each one believes that he or she deserves your vote. It takes a lot of time, energy, and money to step into the political arena as a candidate, and I commend each of these men and women for doing so. Teddy Roosevelt would approve.
In the meantime, Republican voters should welcome competitive races. I strongly believe in the principle found in Proverbs chapter 27 that iron sharpens iron. For example, I believe that Representative DeMordaunt has done a great job, but every representative needs a primary challenge to keep them on the straight and narrow. Otherwise it is easy to drift away from your principles and lose touch with your constituents. Consider House Speaker Scott Bedke, who has not faced a challenger either in the primary or general election in nearly two decades. Today, running for Lt. Governor, he is much more at home with the big lobbyists who are funding his campaign than the people he ostensibly represents.
This principle applies at the national level too. Right now, the 2024 presidential race is Donald Trump’s to lose. He is the most recent incumbent, he is the de facto leader of the Republican Party, and he still strikes fear into the heart of the American left. However, without a strong primary challenge, it would be all too easy for him to lose touch with his conservative base and turn his ear instead to the multitudes of consultants, office-seekers, and establishment figures who are drawn to Mar-a-Lago like flies to a cow patty.
I would enjoy seeing a strong leader like Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida mount a primary challenge to President Trump. So long as the candidates can maintain a level of respect for each other, it would be good for both of them. Even if Trump prevails, a challenge from the right will keep his focus where his voters want him to be. For DeSantis, he could hone his message and build connections with the voters he will need for the 2028 race. Consider the 1976 primary campaign, where former Governor Ronald Reagan of California challenged President Gerald Ford. The incumbent president won a closely contested primary, but Reagan was set up for his own victorious campaign in 1980.
The only Republicans who should fear a primary challenge are those who are completely out of touch with their constituents. I believe that our representatives need to be reminded from time to time that their job is to be our voice in the Capitol, not to aggrandize themselves. Campaigns should not be coronations - we are a constitutional republic, not a monarchy. When we pick our champion, it should be at the conclusion of a hard and (metaphorically) bloody fight, where he or she has given it their all. Whether we are running for the White House, the State House, or simply the District 14 meeting hall, we should be energized by a challenge, not demoralized. Iron sharpens iron, so let’s get to work!
Liz Cheney should read this. 😏