‘We will not turn a blind eye,’ Idaho GOP chairman says about Ammon Bundy’s run for governor
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BOISE — The Chairman of the Idaho Republican Party says gubernatorial candidate Ammon Bundy is not supported by the party.
Bundy, a far-right activist who legally can’t step on Idaho Capitol grounds or be in the building, filed paperwork to run in the 2021 Primary election to be Idaho’s next governor. In a statement released Friday, Idaho GOP Chairman Tom Luna said Bundy’s intent to run in the party requires a response.
“First, Mr. Bundy is currently not registered to vote in Idaho, and he is not even registered as a Republican,” Luna said in the statement. “Furthermore, we do not support his antics or his chaotic political theater. That is not the Idaho Republican Party, and we will not turn a blind eye to his behaviors.”
Luna did say they will be fair for all registered Republicans running for office. However, he says Bundy wants to divide the Republican party and supports political platforms not in line with Republican values.
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“Republicans are the party of law and order, and Ammon Bundy is not suited to call himself an Idaho Republican let alone run for Governor of our great state,” Luna said.
The Idaho State Police arrested Bundy twice in 2021 within a two-hour span on misdemeanor trespassing charges at the Statehouse building. Last August, he was barred from the Capitol grounds for one year and prohibited from coming to the public areas of the building. Bundy, 45, was arrested during the special session in August after refusing to leave the press seats at a committee meeting.
Bundy is known for his anti-government views. In 2016, he led an armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon that left one person dead.
Candidates seeking to be the Gem State’s next Governor include Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, Melissa Sue Robinson, a transgender woman and advocate, Ed Humphreys, Cody Usabel, Lisa Marie Jeff Cotton and John Dionne, according to the Idaho Statesman. Current Gov. Brad Little has not yet announced if he will seek reelection.