Bonneville GOP gives away most of its money during closed-door meeting, two days before transfer of power
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AMMON — During a closed-door meeting Tuesday, the outgoing Bonneville County Republican Central Committee (BCRCC) voted to all but empty its bank account, donating about $55,786 to the Idaho State Republican Party and leaving the incoming, newly elected GOP precinct committee officers with $100.
An EastIdahoNews.com reporter was asked to leave the meeting as the media was not allowed to attend but was invited to interview participants afterward.
The party’s decision came one week after a landslide election in which Bonneville County voters elected 38 precinct committee officers (PCOs) from the “Empower Bonneville Voters” coalition to office.
A significant election
In the primary, “the effort to replace the current leadership and drivers behind the Bonneville County Republican Central Committee was successful,” said Steve Taggart, newly-elected PCO for Precinct 19. “We took 38 of 50 precinct offices. On (May) 30, there will be an organizing meeting to choose officers, and we definitely got the upper hand.”
Seventy-six percent of the PCO races were won by coalition candidates, representing a significant shift in power in the leadership and makeup of the Bonneville County Republican Central Committee.
“For the party organization itself and precinct officers, there was quite a bit of turnover there,” BCRCC Chairman Nick Contos said. “So there’s going to be some new people on the Central Committee.”
In the primary election for PCO in Precinct 37, Contos lost to Maria Hatch. Hatch received 256 votes (76.65%) to Contos’ 78 (23.35%).
Legislative District 33 Chairwoman Jilene Burger also lost her precinct committee officer position to challenger Rodd Rapp. Burger had overseen the Article XX hearings, which censured state legislators Rep. Marco Erickson and Sen. Dave Lent in January. Rapp received 119 votes (60.41%) to Burger’s 78 (39.59%).
The BCRCC leadership team is known as the Executive Committee and consists of 13 leaders who are elected by the PCOs.
Current Executive Committee members include Contos, First Vice Chair Diane Jensen, Second Vice Chair Kurt Papke, Third Vice Chair Bryan Zollinger, Fourth Vice Chair Ben Marsden, Treasurer Barbara Miller, Secretary Heidi Hebdon, Legislative District 32 Chair Doyle Beck, Burger, Legislative District 35 Chair Doug Toomer, State Committeeman Anthony Torino, State Committeewoman Lisa Keller and Youth Committeeperson Jonathan Cook. They may or may not be re-elected to the executive committee, depending on the new precinct committee officers’ votes on Thursday night.
“Mr. (Doyle) Beck is, you know, not going to be able to be re-elected as the chairman for the other district. So there’s substantial change coming,” Taggart said. “We hope it continues to the state Republican convention and the elimination of Dorothy Moon (as Idaho GOP Chairwoman).”
The local “Empower Bonneville Voters” coalition received financial assistance from Gem State Conservatives for signs and campaign literature, but the two groups are independent.
“Gem State Conservatives don’t speak for us, and we certainly don’t speak for them,” said Michael Colson, Precinct 26 committee officer and organizer of the Empower Bonneville Voters coalition.
Gem State Conservatives is a statewide campaign, run by former Idaho GOP Chairmen Trent Clark and Tom Luna, composed of Republican candidates seeking to take back control of the Idaho GOP from further-right conservatives like Moon.
Emptying the account
The special meeting Tuesday was organized by the current Bonneville County GOP Executive Committee in response to these results — two days before the new precinct committee officers will meet to elect new leadership for the Bonneville County GOP on Thursday. Voting committee members met at Skidmore Construction in Ammon.
Diane Jensen, the BCRCC first vice-chairwoman, gave the committee’s rationale for transferring its money to state party control.
“We have been working as a central committee very hard for the last two years to raise these funds, and we know that we have a big fight against ranked-choice voting and open primaries coming up, and the state has a good plan to fight that,” Jensen said. “We wanted to give them the support that they needed.”
Twenty thousand dollars of the funds will be used to sponsor a delegate luncheon at the upcoming Republican State Convention in Coeur d’Alene from June 13 to 15. The remaining $35,786 is earmarked to the Idaho GOP for defeating the open primaries and ranked choice voting ballot measure.
Approval for the expenditure passed on a 29-22 vote.
“I think the vote tonight just kind of reiterated Bonneville County’s commitment to the Republican platform,” said Bonneville County Republican Communications Committee Co-Chairwoman Kelly Golden. “I think that’s kind of where we’re at with that — anybody that wants to align with the platform, we want to link arms with and run with.”
The division highlights the difference between the “platform conservative” and “mainstream conservative” labels that the two groups printed on campaign literature to differentiate themselves prior to the election.
Others said moving the funds was made “in bad faith” and was aimed at the incoming precinct committee officers and the coalition they represent.
“There will be a bunch of folks not happy that they emptied the account, and they own it. That was their choice,” Bonneville County Commissioner and Precinct 55 Committee Officer Jon Walker said. “They wanted to do their best to all but bankrupt the (local) Republican party. They left us $100. That’s benevolent of them — not enough to keep the lights on, by their own statement.”
But the new coalition of PCOs is committed to make the most of an undesirable financial position.
“I think it’s really going to do a good thing for us,” Colson said. “I think it’s going to bring our group closer together. … The behavior really speaks for itself, and I think it affirms the fact that voters made the right choice in the last election. They want competent Republicans in office. They want people that are going to be able to see the big picture and not just play these little political power games.
“We’re going to show them how we can be effective, with or without their help. I hope it’s with their help, but ultimately that’s going to be up to those 12 (non-coalition PCOs) that are going to come join us in this journey.”
‘No more purity panels’
Moving forward, the current leadership of the Bonneville County GOP and the new guard taking the reins Thursday both say that they are willing to work with each other but continue to present differing visions for the Republican party.
In a statement Golden provided Tuesday, she and fellow BCRCC Communications Co-Chairman Christopher Cook wrote, “We live in a political climate that seeks to divide and marginalize, but even with our differences, we are united under the common banner of the Idaho Republican platform. We look forward to joining with newly elected volunteers to advance the conservative principles of the party as we face the challenges of our time with uncompromising grace and fortitude.
”This election season has been filled with divisive tactics, and it is time to heal. This moment in Idaho and in our nation leaves no room for personal offense or petty infighting.”
Contos said that many of the newly elected PCOs will experience a learning curve.
“To try and form consensus and be effective and accomplish things by majority vote amongst a group of people who are passionate and involved in politics is a big challenge,” he said. “It’s hard work.”
Taggart emphasized that the new precinct committee officers plan to “change the flavor and the nature” of the local Republican Party.
“So the changeover is going to be that you’re going to see a Bonneville County Republican Party that is geared towards bringing people into the party, rather than driving them out,” Taggart said. “No more purity panels. No more, you know, enemies of the day. The focus is going to be on strengthening Republican policies, Republican principles and Republican officeholders in Bonneville County and trying to pull more people in — from young to old — whether they’re newcomers or have been here for a while.”
Colson emphasized that the new Bonneville GOP will sit down with elected officials, listen to and work with them.
“The Republican Party is a big tent. We want to invite people in,” said Sen. Kevin Cook, R-Idaho Falls.
