By Secretary of State Phil McGrane
Honoring the Past, Witnessing the Present: Notes from Northern Idaho
While much of my focus lately has rightfully centered on Elmore County, I have wanted to share my trip up north earlier this month, a visit that reminded me why this work matters so much.
The main event that brought me to Coeur d’Alene was the Idaho School Boards Association annual conference, where I presented alongside our data wizard, Gabe Osterhout. We had standing-room-only sessions and the kind of engaged discussions that energize you long after.
While I was there, I received a last-minute but meaningful invitation to attend Kootenai County’s post-election canvass. The canvass is prepared by Clerk Jennifer Locke and her team and formally certified by the Kootenai Board of County Commissioners. While I often get to be involved in preparations and Election Day support, it’s rare that I get to witness the final step of certifying the results. I told the group that day that it was the most organized and thorough canvass I’ve ever seen (and I meant it!)
While in Coeur d’Alene, I was also presented with a unique piece of history. Becky Funk, President of the North Idaho Federated Republican Women, gifted our office an original handkerchief from the women’s suffrage movement, embroidered with the phrase Votes for Women. It comes from the collection of Donna Montgomery and now hangs in the Capitol for the public to see. These handkerchiefs were once worn or carried by supporters of women’s suffrage, both men and women alike, as a quiet but powerful symbol of solidarity.
Idaho has a proud legacy when it comes to women and the vote. We were the fourth state to grant women suffrage in 1896, long before the 19th Amendment became law. Today, more women than men are registered to vote in Idaho, and women turn out at higher rates in nearly every election. That historic handkerchief serves as a reminder: progress often begins with the quiet courage of individuals willing to carry a cause forward.
This Thanksgiving week, I’m grateful for this beautiful state and for the chance to meet the remarkable people in every corner of it. That’s the best part of this job.
Phil McGrane
About Phil McGrane
Phil McGrane was elected Idaho’s twenty-eighth Secretary of State and took office on January 2, 2023. McGrane served as elected Clerk of Ada County from 2019-2022. McGrane holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy, a juris doctorate, and a Master of Public Administration. As a fourth-generation Idahoan, Phil has dedicated his career to making elections in the state of Idaho accessible, secure and transparent.
