Column: Idaho Party Politics

Idaho Political Conventions Start Today

By Jill Kuraitis, 6-12-08

The Idaho Republican Party holds its state convention beginning today, Thursday June 12, at the Bonner County Fairgrounds in Sandpoint.

The Idaho Democratic Party convention is in Boise at the Doubletree Riverside Inn in Garden City, also starting today.

Friday at both conventions, delegates to their respective national conventions will be elected.

On Saturday, according to media reports, the Republicans will elect a party chair, and it will almost surely be more than the pro forma re-election of the current chair, Kirk Sullivan.  An ideological battle between the far-right wing, who want to close primaries, and the conservative wing, who want that issue to go away, has led to a campaign to elect a new chair.

The designated nominee is Norm Semanko, the executive director of a powerful lobby called the Idaho Water Users Association.  (When the legislature is in session, he can be seen there almost every day.) Semanko is also on the Eagle City Council.  He’s been a candidate for Congress and an aide to Sen. Larry Craig.

Semanko is a compromise because former legislator Rod Beck, a passionate voice for closing primaries, has some extreme views and an abrasive style which rubs even some Republicans the wrong way. Beck may not have had quite enough votes to oust Sullivan and withdrew in favor of Semanko, who is thought to have a better chance to win. And Beck wants to win big.

In a classic the-enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend tactic, Beck cleverly aligned supporters of presidential candidate Ron Paul with his closed-primary cause, making a real and recognized threat to Sullivan.  The Ron Paul people are sticking with Semanko, which could add up to enough votes to create a bad moment for Gov. Otter and the Sullivan wing.

Idaho Democrats have a convention schedule with few surprises and no anticipated controversy.  Chair Keith Roark was elected in January after former Congressman Richard Stallings resigned, and there is no sign of a challenge to Roark’s re-election.

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