By Mike Kingsley
Over the next couple of months you’re going to be hearing about precincts. I’m betting 80% or higher have no idea what a precinct is and how it relates to our political system. In our form of government, the precinct is the absolute closest thing to “We The People.” Whether you’re a Democrat or Republican in our county, each area is divided into precincts; for example, Nez Perce county has 32 precincts.
You may not know but you vote for a captain of your precinct every two years. These are your neighbors — I am precinct captain in Lewiston for District 8 for the Republican party. These seats used to often go unfilled, up until Donald Trump started running and people started waking up to politics.
Precinct captains meet once a month and vote on how to represent our precinct. Twice a year, people spend their own money to travel, to meet, to discuss, and to vote on our platform at Idaho GOP state committee meetings.
The current head of the Idaho GOP is Chairwoman Dorothy Moon. The past chairman who lost an election is Tom Luna. The divide between these two people could not be clearer. Dorothy believes in our platform, Tom believes in establishment government.
In the past 6 years, division has grown between Tom’s establishment Republican party (being more like Democrats), spending tax dollars on increasing government size and scope, versus Dorothy’s side, which believes government should be downsized, even minimized, and tax dollars should be accountable to the people paying them.
The Idaho Republican Platform states the latter — Dorothy’s side — a small effective government.
Over the next 2 months you’re going to see fights for these precinct captains. Tom Luna and others have gathered over $2 million to run precinct captains that represent their side, which is not following the Idaho platform, in every precinct. You get to decide what you want. The sides are clear: Establishment Republican or small limited government platform Republicans
This is sort of a good thing, as we finally will be awakened to the importance of civics in our Republic to which we pledge. Our country is $34 trillion in debt while we the people have been asleep at the precinct level. Let’s stop the insane spending!
I’m asking for your vote in precinct 8. I’m asking you to spread the news of how precincts work to everyone in Nez Perce county or wherever you may live.
Let’s not lose our platform. I suggest you read the Idaho Republican Platform to see if you agree with it. Maybe you don’t. If you don’t, maybe it will help you decide if you’re a Republican or maybe you’re independent, or want to join the Democrat party. We would like true Republicans in our party that adhere to our platform. We have way too many that are Republicans in name only, the term R.I.N.O is an acronym for those individuals. Idaho is known to be the most RED state in America. Democrats know they can’t win, so many call themselves Republican so they can water down our platform.
Hey, it’s our government. Let’s get involved at the precinct level.
God bless, Mike
Mike Kingsley is an Idaho state representative from Lewiston. He recently announced he is not running for reelection this year, though he plans to remain involved in Republican politics.
