By Idaho GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon
We all agree there are serious problems in our country: skyrocketing national debt, the breakdown of law and order in our biggest cities, and an economy built on hope and bubbles—it’s enough to drive anyone to despair. But I’m not despairing, and I hope you’re not either. We believe these problems can be solved when good people who value faith, family, and freedom work together.
One solution you hear a lot about today is a constitutional convention. You might hear it called an Article V Convention, a Convention of States, or simply a ConCon. The idea is that if enough state legislatures pass resolutions calling for a convention to propose amendments to the Constitution, we could bypass Congress and pass measures like a balanced budget amendment or term limits for federal officials.
There are, however, significant problems with this plan. The first—and perhaps most obvious—is that there’s no telling what such a convention might propose. Supporters of an Article V Convention claim state legislatures can limit their delegates to certain subjects, but that’s wishful thinking. Article V of the Constitution makes clear that any convention called by the states would be managed by Congress, which could set its own rules. And nothing would stop the delegates from changing the rules on the fly.
Another problem is determining who would represent each state. Would each state get one vote, or would votes be allocated by population? Idaho has four electoral votes, California has 54. Would California have thirteen times our voice at a convention? No one knows. And there are no rules on who selects the delegates—would it be the state legislature, the governor, Congress? Again, nobody knows.
In my view, this is the biggest danger. Proponents of an Article V Convention—including Mark Meckler, Rick Santorum, Ron DeSantis, and even our own Larry Craig—sell the idea on hope. They tell you not to worry, that everything will work out exactly as they intend. When critics raise serious concerns, they dismiss us as fearmongers and even question our conservatism.
There’s a law everyone seems to forget, one that’s not in the Constitution or was passed by Congress: the law of unintended consequences. We share the goals of Article V supporters—reining in the federal government, balancing the budget, restoring constitutional governance—but we don’t believe this is the right path. A Convention of States opens a Pandora’s Box we might never be able to close.
The Idaho GOP passed a strong resolution opposing an Article V Convention at our 2025 Summer Meeting, and the RNC has maintained a standing resolution in opposition since 2012. Right now, we have a Republican Congress and a strong fighter in the White House. We can keep working to make America great again without risking everything on a radical, unprecedented roll of the dice.
About Dorothy Moon
Dorothy Moon was elected to serve as the chairwoman of the Idaho Republican Party in July of 2022, and reelected in 2024. Moon served three terms in the Idaho Legislature as State Representative for District 8. Moon’s career in public service has focused on the advancement of individual liberties and reducing the size and scope of government.
