Idaho Primary: The Real Winners and Losers

With Idaho's primary season behind us, we can breathe a sigh of relief knowing our mailboxes are safe from the onslaught of mindless, endless propaganda flyers until October. The primary season, however, served as a stark reminder of the power of money in politics. It can buy you many things, but for some Idaho incumbents, it wasn't nearly enough to secure their seats. 

It's a perplexing question: why do people pour so much money, some in the six figures, into a part-time job that doesn't provide significant financial rewards and is fraught with difficulties? And who can fathom the appeal of radio, social, print, and television ads that reduce someone to a clown, jester, or some other caricature?     

Let's take a look at last night's big winners and losers. Speaker of the House Republican Representative Mike Moyle ran like he was running for the first time. He spent an enormous amount of time and money to retain his seat. The Speaker overcame two diverse factions that wanted him out of office.

The first faction believed that the representative allowed too many cultural issues to go to votes. The previous administration should have allowed bills out of committee. Speaker Moyle was attacked by the right flank, which challenged his conservatism. 

Ultimately, the race came down to in-state money supporting the Speaker and out-of-state money led by a group called Retire Career Politicians. They spent $76,000 on negative ads that Idahoans didn't buy. You can read more about this story here. 

Republican Senate Leader Chuck Winder wasn't so fortunate losing his race for reelection. The senator had been in the spotlight since stripping a few senators of their positions on certain committees. Several political experts believe the Idaho Senate will now match the House's conservative tilt. 

For Idaho voters, this means there will be more advocates for school choice, and school vouchers will gain momentum. The only question now is whether or not the stealth campaign to oust Republican Party Chair Dorothy Moon will succeed. Stay tuned, political true believers.