By Secretary of State Phil McGrane
Highlights from the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office
March 27, 2026
Modernizing Campaign Finance
Picture this. It’s Idaho in the 1970s: bell-bottoms and shag carpets, disco on the radio, and Ford Pintos lined the streets. It was the era of Watergate, the aftermath of the Vietnam War, and there was a growing call for greater openness in government.
Out of that period came Idaho’s campaign finance laws, better known as our Sunshine laws. Those laws are a citizens’ initiative from the 1970s. And they read like a citizen’s initiative from the 1970s; well-intentioned but woefully outdated for the political landscape we face today.
A lot has changed in politics over the last fifty years.
Today, powerful, well-funded groups can spend big with minimal notice. National donors, often from far outside Idaho can tip the scale in local races. We’ve become a bargain for out-of-state interests who’ve discovered that the same money that barely moves the needle in California or New York can flip races here. Some of them couldn’t find Idaho on a map. But they know how to find our campaign finance loopholes.
None of this violates the First Amendment. Political spending is protected speech, as it should be. But one thing hasn’t changed since the ’70s: Idahoans deserve to know who’s trying to influence politics.
Transparency mattered then. It matters even more now.
That’s why I’ve partnered with my fellow legislators this session on legislation to modernize our Sunshine laws. Not to restrict speech, but to bring our disclosure laws in line with how politics actually works in 2026 and beyond. Heading into a major election year, it’s time we let the sunshine back in.
Because voters deserve to know where the money is coming from and where their candidates stand.
Some things should never go out of style. Transparency is one of them.
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.
