Bryan Smith claims local Republican supports communism because of Prop. 1 advocacy, drafts censure resolution
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IDAHO FALLS — A precinct committee officer in the Madison County Republican Central Committee may be censured by the state party for publicly advocating for open primaries and ranked-choice voting in Idaho.
Hyrum Erickson was a proponent of Proposition 1, an initiative that sought to end closed-party primary elections and bring ranked-choice voting to general elections in Idaho. In the months leading up to the Nov. 5 election, he appeared in debates and events across the state defending the effort.
The proposition ultimately failed at the ballot box, with nearly 70% of voters voting against the measure.
Two days after the election, Idaho Republican National Committeeman Bryan Smith sent a proposed resolution to censure Erickson to GOP central committees in each of the state’s 44 counties.
“If your county wants to cosponsor this resolution to be heard at the January meeting, it must be passed by your county or legislative district and submitted to the state party no later than Nov. 19, 2024,” Smith wrote in the email, according to a copy sent to EastIdahoNews.com.
The resolution accuses Erickson of working to “destroy” the Republican party by supporting socialists and communists.
“Be it resolved that the Idaho Republican Party censures Hyrum Erickson for misleading Idaho voters, for conduct unbecoming of an elected Member of the Madison County Central Committee, and for lending aid and support to Democrats, leftists, liberals, and even members of the United States Communist Party who sought to destroy the Idaho Republican Party by implementation of Proposition One,” the resolution says.
READ THE ENTIRE RESOLUTION HERE
Smith cites that the state party opposes the “liberal scheme known as Ranked Choice Voting designed by Democrats, leftists and liberals” and mentions that tens of thousands of dollars and countless hours were spent by the party in an effort to defeat the proposition.
EastIdahoNews.com has learned a handful of central committees agreed by the deadline to sponsor or co-sponsor the resolution.
Idaho GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon told EastIdahoNews.com she has not read the resolution, but it was among many submitted to the state party this week. When asked how many central committees signed on to the censure resolution, Moon said she was not at liberty to say.
“The resolutions will be printed 30 days before our January meeting and you’ll be able to see the sponsors and co-sponsors,” Moon said.
In the past, Smith has said he does not talk to EastIdahoNews.com. When contacted for comment Thursday afternoon, he responded: “You’re not a legitimate news organization. Your (sic) Frank and Melaleuca’s Public Relations Firm. So same answer. No.”
If the state GOP passes the resolution in January, it should not affect Erickson’s position in Madison County.
“The Party does not have a mechanism to remove elected Party Precinct Committee Officers or County Central Committee Officers for aiding and abetting Democrats, leftists, liberals, socialists, communists and the like in their efforts to destroy the Party and the ideals found in the Party Platform,” the resolution says.
Erickson issued a statement to EastIdahoNews.com Thursday evening. It said:
“Our current state party leadership sees disagreement as heresy that must be purged. They want every member of the Republican party to think like them and they try to punish anyone, from the Governor on down, who dares to vote or speak in a way they do not approve of. But disagreement and debate are good. We do not need a party of clones. Most importantly, all elected officials, even mere precinct committeemen like me, are accountable to their constituents – and only their constituents. The party leadership’s continued attempt to discipline elected officials is misguided and bad for the party.”