What a year it has been. I launched the Gem State Chronicle in January 2024, two years after it began as a humble Substack newsletter. At the time, the year ahead was unpredictable. Many expected chaos, or even civil war, as the presidential election drew closer. However, we survived. Donald Trump not only won the presidential election, he survived an assassination attempt. The image of the once and future president standing on that stage, blood streaming down his face, fist in the air, exhorting his supporters to “fight, fight, fight” will never be forgotten.
Rather than preparing to defend our families and our communities in a Mad Max dystopia, we are instead engaged in political debates over tax rates and legislative salaries. Mundane, perhaps, but let us count our blessings.
The year began in January with the Idaho GOP Winter Meeting. I attended as a guest, live-blogging the proceedings and having great conversations with fellow Republicans. A few days later I attended the opening of the Legislature and Gov. Brad Little’s State of the State Address and began regularly reporting on legislation and committee hearings. I hosted Capitol Clarity on behalf of the Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) as well.
February saw the Groundhog Day Massacre, when moderate Republicans on the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) teamed with Democrats in an attempt to torpedo the maintenance budget process which was championed by co-chairs Sen. C. Scott Grow and Rep. Wendy Horman. Thankfully the coup failed, and the maintenance budgets were eventually passed.
March saw the Idaho GOP presidential nominating caucus, of which I was a caucus captain in Eagle. It also saw the defeat of the Defend the Guard bill in a House committee after leaders of the military/industrial complex threatened the Legislature with doom should it pass. I wrote about an attempt to expand the welfare state via EBT cards; thankfully the Senate voted the bill down.
March also saw the start of the primary campaigns, and the attempt by former GOP leaders to buy enough precinct committeeman seats to regain control of the Idaho Republican Party.
The Legislature adjourned in April, but not before a fierce debate over what to do with the old Idaho Transportation Department building on State St. I wrote a detailed article that month on how to utilize IFF’s Freedom Index in evaluating lawmakers.
In April, I put out a call for interviews to every Republican running in the legislative primary. I would end up with 42 conversations, and I found every one of them valuable and informative. I hope you did too. I also ruffled some feathers with a critical look at Idaho Chooses Life.
May saw the primary elections, which resulted in numerous conservative victories as well as a few tough losses. I recapped the elections after staying up late at the watch party. I also took some time to look beyond the headlines and ask which strategies and tactics worked and which did not.
There was no time to rest as June saw Republicans gather in Coeur d’Alene for the state convention. Dorothy Moon won reelection as state chair by an even greater percentage than in 2022, and conservatives candidates swept the rest of the officer elections. I wrote an open letter to the Gem State Conservatives inviting them to work together to promote good policy and defeat Prop 1, and explained that we ARE the establishment now.
July 13 is a day none of us will ever forget. I began the day in the Eagle Fun Days Wet & Wild Parade, representing the District 14 Republicans. I was keeping an eye on our booth, where our volunteers were representing the Idaho GOP, when I saw the news that Donald Trump had been shot. It was surreal walking through the park pondering an uncertain future. I wrote the next day about the way in which Providence has protected American heroes, and how God is still protecting America today.
Perhaps my most important piece that month was about how the conservative and moderate wings of the Republican Party tend to make equal and opposite errors that often lead to failure on all fronts.
August almost felt anticlimactic after such an intense summer, but the show must go on. I covered water issues, the grocery tax, property taxes, illegal aliens in Idaho, the Idaho Child Care Program, and the Democrat attempt to swap candidates in District 11. I also created quizzes so readers could see how they would score on the Idaho GOP Platform rating by the Institute for Legislative Analysis as well as the scorecard from the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry (IACI).
In September, I wrote about Big City Coffee and owner Sarah Fendley’s fight with Boise State University. A court eventually decided in her favor, but BSU plans to appeal. I also wrote about my experience putting the library bill to protect children into action in Eagle, and how it illustrates a much larger societal problem.
In October, I urged Republicans to keep their feet on the gas, pointing to New York governor Thomas Dewey’s mistake in the 1948 election. I also looked at the populist roots of Idaho politics, explained why I try not to publicly feud with fellow conservatives, and began a series of articles on legislator salaries.
Remember, remember, the 5th of November! Conservatives and Republicans throughout the country felt jubilation as Donald Trump won the presidency that Tuesday night. Here in Idaho, we also celebrated our overwhelming victory over Proposition 1, which would have instituted ranked choice voting in our state.
In December, I explained why there is currently a divide on the right wing in Idaho, and urged all sides to come together in unity. I also explained why I choose to do things the way I do, and laid out what I want to see in the 2025 legislative session.
With that, another year is behind us. I entered 2024 uncertain of the future, but today I feel confident that we have a chance to preserve our country, and our state, for the next generation. There will be more battles ahead, and we will not win them all, but we are moving in the right direction.
No matter what happens in the next 365 days, I feel blessed to be here in Idaho. Let us continue to pray for God’s guidance and blessings in the year to come, and keep fighting to pass our liberties on to our children and grandchildren after us.
Thank you all for your support. Subscribers — both paid and free — more than doubled in 2024, and I look forward to continuing to bring you news and analysis that empowers you to make positive change in Idaho. It was a tremendous year for me personally as well — I spoke at three Lincoln Day Dinners, was elected chairman of the District 14 GOP, attended my third state convention, testified on three bills, did more media interviews than ever before, taught an elective at the Ambrose School, and even found time to coach my son’s youth soccer team. I have many new projects coming down the pike that I look forward to sharing with you.
It’s an exciting time to be alive, and I wish you and yours a very happy New Year. God bless you, God bless America, and God bless the great state of Idaho!
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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.
