What’s Up With Blaine County?

Blaine County is a slice of California in Idaho, and I mean that in both good and bad ways. The resort town of Sun Valley has long been a vacation spot for wealthy celebrities — Ernest Hemingway lived here and is buried in Ketchum — and the county is perhaps even more of a Democratic stronghold than deep-blue Boise. Blaine County hasn’t voted for a Republican presidential candidate since George H.W. Bush in 1988 — the last Republican to win California as well.

Sun Valley remains a gathering place for the wealthy and powerful, with various international NGOs of the World Economic Forum type regularly hosting events there. It’s expensive to live in Blaine County — according to a now-defunct link to a county report, 10% of the working population commutes from outside the county.

This has created an air of mystery around the region, but there have been some even stranger things happening lately. According to a report from the Kootenai Journal, a Blaine County resident named Darcy Creech is suing the City of Sun Valley for alleged intimidation by a police officer following her protest of an LGBTQ+ pride event earlier this year:

The lawsuit names the City of Sun Valley and its officer Kyle O’Brien as defendants and stems from actions taken by Sun Valley law enforcement officers after a disagreement about minors’ exposure to a sexual drag show ensued between Creech and other pride festival attendees. After stating that Creech’s speech was “unacceptable,” the city’s officers pursued Creech to her home after she had peacefully left the festival.  

The report quotes the officer himself, via his body camera, where he admits that Creech had done nothing wrong but said he wanted to “talk to her” because he was offended by her disagreement with the pride event:

The complaint against the city and its officer includes information taken from O’Brien’s body camera in which he stated, “What she [Creech] did does not fit criteria for disturbing the peace…Freedom of speech comes into it, and I hate that.”

O’Brien continued, “I don’t like this because I’m a huge supporter of all this [the Pride Festival]…I’m not ok with this, so we are going to go talk to her no matter what.” The complaint further alleges that O’Brien stated he was going to go tell Ms. Creech, “I’m the city official right now, and you’re not allowed to go talk to anybody.” The officer went on to say he was going to be sure the chief was aware that Creech was “a person we need to be aware of.”

Kate Hartley of the Pacific Justice Institute is representing Creech, who is the state committeewoman for the Blaine County Republican Central Committee.

It’s ironic that the county was named after Congressman James Blaine, whose lasting legacy includes amendments to state constitutions that are now seen as relics of anti-Catholic bigotry. Now, a police officer allegedly used his authority to intimidate a woman for exercising her freedom of speech in support of Christian values.

This is not the only odd story regarding Blaine County law enforcement. The race for county sheriff has become incredibly contentious, with the Republican candidate Aaron Hughston publishing a website with salacious claims about the Democrat nominee Morgan Ballis. Ballis responded with criminal defamation charges, though the Idaho Dispatch was unable to confirm if the charges had actually been filed as of August 30.

Ballis also wrote an editorial for the Idaho Statesman during the legislative session opposing House Bill 415, which would have allowed teachers with enhanced concealed carry permits to bring firearms on campus. The bill passed the House 53-16-1, but was denied a hearing in the Senate State Affairs Committee.

Is it possible for a single county to remain so out-of-step with the rest of the state? Something has to give, right?

Blaine County is part of Legislative District 26, which also includes Lincoln and Jerome Counties. Since 2023, LD26 has been represented by Democrats Sen. Ron Taylor and Rep. Ned Burns, and Republican Rep. Jack Nelson. Nelson is a relatively liberal Republican, but conservative candidate Lyle Johnstone came close — 52.2% to 47.8% — to unseating him in this year’s primary.

Conservatives did manage to gain control of the Blaine County GOP this year, after the more moderate incumbents became too comfortable. Led by Heather Lauer, co-founder of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, conservatives flipped the central committee and are working to build a movement based on fiscal responsibility, individual liberty, and traditional values in this idyllic slice of Idaho.

This is how it’s done. If we are to save our communities, our state, and our country, we must organize from the ground up. Conservatives often fall into a false sense of security, believing a silent majority of traditional Americans will save the nation before it’s too late. But let me tell you: You are the silent majority. You need to be active now, whether in your local Republican Party, civic outreach organizations, or by financially supporting those on the front lines.

There are many conservatives in Blaine County, but I bet some feel their voices don’t matter. Think again. The future belongs to those who show up, so let’s get to work.

Gem State Chronicle is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work of empowering you to make a difference in Idaho, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.