You and I know that the real election in Idaho is not in November, but in May. Outside of a small handful of legislative districts and counties, whoever wins the primary is almost certain to win the general election. It’s important for conservative Idahoans to take the time to vote tomorrow, if you haven’t already done so. The future of our state depends on it.
The Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020–21 woke a lot of people up. They might not have been interested in politics, but the events of those dark years showed that politics was interested in them. Gov. Brad Little campaigned in 2018 on deregulation and maintaining a strong economy, but when the Wuhan Flu arrived in Idaho, he issued a Stay At Home Order that gave cover to lesser magistrates who shut down businesses, forced people to wear masks, and even arrested citizens for praying outside or stepping foot in a public park.
This surge of populist energy led to major changes in the Legislature during the 2022 and 2024 primary elections. Many old-guard moderate Republicans, such as Senate Health & Welfare Chairman and vaccine enthusiast Fred Martin, lost their seats to young conservatives motivated to stop government overreach and preserve individual liberty. Glenneda Zuiderveld defeated incumbent Sen. Jim Patrick by 37 votes in 2022, then easily won reelection in 2024. Elaine Price defeated incumbent Rep. Paul Amador in Coeur d’Alene, Cindy Carlson unseated Carl Crabtree in District 7, and Scott Herndon ousted Jim Woodward up in District 1, though Woodward won the rematch in 2024.
The Legislature through 2022 was characterized by big budgets and expanding government. While it did tackle some social issues, such as banning abortion pending the overturning of Roe v. Wade and keeping men out of women’s sports, it was content to allow public schools, libraries, and other taxpayer-funded agencies to be used for left-wing indoctrination. Members who wished to challenge the governor’s Stay At Home Order and the ensuing abrogation of individual rights were well in the minority.
Fast forward to the 2025 and 2026 legislative sessions, where lawmakers clamped down on Boise flying the LGBTQ+ pride flag, codified medical freedom into state law, banned agencies from imposing mask mandates, prohibited forced DEI in higher education, stopped taxpayer subsidies for far-left teachers unions, and even made some of the first real cuts to the state budget in more than a decade (though increasing Medicaid costs still caused the overall budget to rise).
All of this was made possible by good candidates standing for election in the Republican primary and citizens doing their part by turning out to vote. Tomorrow’s primary will decide whether we continue this momentum or take a step back toward rule by a centralized political machine that had no qualms about locking you down just a few short years ago.
And the machine is hard at work, make no mistake. Gov. Little has been campaigning for his people—those he believes will carry out his agenda. Conservatives who charged into politics following the Covid lockdowns have found themselves divided, as the overriding issue of government overreach has faded and we now disagree on a host of other issues. Nevertheless, politics is a team sport, and in most cases there are only two teams on the field at any given time. The governor, along with four other statewide elected officials, has decided that figures including Sen. Jim Guthrie and Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen are on their team, and they’re going all-out for them.
Who is on your team?
People keep asking me who to vote for. After 2022, I decided not to do full endorsements at the Gem State Chronicle. For me, it’s mostly about humility—I am surely more plugged into Idaho politics than 99% of people, yet I still hesitate to make recommendations outside my ken. I know who I’m going to vote for here in Ada County, but I have no idea who the best commissioner candidate is in Kootenai or Twin Falls counties. Regarding the Legislature, I’ve shared my thoughts on which races will make the biggest difference in a special briefing for paid subscribers, but my hope is that all voters read my reporting on the session and the rhetoric of various figures and come to the right conclusion.
In that special briefing, I explained my theory as to why conservative legislation saw a much tougher gauntlet in 2026 than in 2025. Just two resignations—Wendy Horman and Kevin Andrus—was enough to shift the center of gravity just a little bit to the left, and deadlock three important committees that previously had a one-vote conservative majority. If that theory is correct, it demonstrates how even just one or two races can radically alter the makeup of our Legislature, which is why it’s so important for conservatives to take the time to vote in the primary election.
Some people talk about your vote as if it is a sacred instrument, meaning you can only vote for someone if you are 100% certain they agree with you on every issue. I don’t think this is a healthy way to approach republican governance. Your vote is your tool to build the society you want for yourself and your posterity. In most cases, there are only two choices on your ballot, and it often comes down to one candidate who opposes nearly everything you stand for and another who—though surely flawed—generally agrees with you. To me, that’s an easy choice.
Or let’s put it this way: You’re going out to lunch with your friends, and the group is deadlocked between Mexican and pizza. You’re the deciding vote, and while you prefer Mexican, what you really wanted today was a burger. Your choices are either to go have lunch by yourself or vote for the better of the two options on the table. Keep in mind that if you vote for Mexican today, your friends might be more willing to go along with your preferred option tomorrow—at least more so than if you just took your ball and went home every time you didn’t get your way.
Your vote is your tool to decide what we’re going to build going forward. Your vote is your proxy to support conservative policies or oppose bad ideas in the Legislature. Tomorrow, the voters of Idaho will make a choice: Do we continue transforming the Gem State into a bastion of conservatism and traditional values, or do we turn back toward a Mitt Romney-style country club Republicanism that prioritizes big business ahead of families, bureaucracies ahead of citizens, and illegal aliens ahead of Idahoans?
That choice is in your hands. Primary elections never have high turnout, so every vote matters. You’ve done your research, you’ve figured out who is who and what is what, and now it’s time to exercise your right and your privilege. Get out and vote!
PS: I’ll be at the Idaho GOP watch party starting at 7:00 p.m. at the Residence Inn in Eagle. Stop by and say hi!
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.
