Mary Souza challenges Dorothy Moon for leadership of Idaho GOP

Clark Corbin, Idaho Capital Sun

COEUR D’ALENE (Idaho Capital Sun) — Two erstwhile Idaho authorities legislators who picture themselves arsenic blimpish Republican supporters of President Donald Trump are vying for power of nan Idaho Republican Party during nan GOP authorities convention.

Former Idaho Sen. Mary Souza, R-Coeur d’Alene, announced past week she is moving for chair of nan Idaho Republican Party to situation Idaho Republican Party Chairwoman Dorothy. Moon is simply a erstwhile personnel of nan Idaho House of Representatives who was elected chair of nan Idaho Republican Party during nan party’s 2022 authorities normal successful Twin Falls.

RELATED | GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon connected why she believes she’s agreed nan statement and her plans if re-elected

Both Souza and Moon ran unsuccessfully for Idaho caput of authorities successful nan 2022 Republican superior election, which existent Secretary of State Phil McGrane won. In that race, Moon vanished 2nd and Souza vanished third. 

RELATED | Why Mary Souza is moving for GOP chairwoman and nan ‘interesting’ challenges she’s tally into astatine convention

Delegates from counties crossed Idaho are expected to ballot connected nan Idaho Republican Party activity title Saturday astatine North Idaho College. During nan first 2 days of nan convention, reporters were barred from attending each committee meetings, business meetings and wide sessions astatine nan convention, breaking pinch precedent. 

Mary Souza says she is moving to reconstruct respect and unity to Idaho GOP

Souza is simply a erstwhile captious attraction registered caregiver and nursing instructor. She described herself arsenic a happily retired personification who served 8 years successful nan Idaho Senate and was fresh to put authorities down her aft moving unsuccessfully for caput of authorities successful 2022. 

Souza said she decided to tally for chair of nan Idaho Republican Party because she has concerns pinch nan head of nan Republican Party and feels nan statement is being divided. 

“When nan statement obfuscates and covers things up and isn’t transparent – and this activity is not transparent – this benignant of deficiency of transparency, deficiency of honesty, each of those things request to change,” Souza said successful an question and reply successful nan hallway astatine Coeur d’Alene Resort Thursday. “I’m moving because location is simply a deficiency of respect for group successful nan statement from leadership, and besides (a deficiency of respect for) nan voters.”

RELATED | Mary Souza to situation Dorothy Moon for Idaho GOP Chair

“It’s mostly nan voters that I americium concerned pinch because they are having their votes reduced successful power. They’re having their votes fundamentally taken distant from them by nan Central Committee and nan rules that were made by nan authorities party,” Souza said.

Souza said an illustration of her concerns are endorsements made successful superior elections by nan statement aliases its cardinal committees. Souza told nan Idaho Capital Sun that nan statement and its cardinal committees should not beryllium endorsing candidates successful superior elections.

“Pre-primary endorsements – that takes distant my ballot arsenic a elector and your ballot … because they are already making nan determination for you because they don’t deliberation you are capable to make nan determination yourself,” Souza said. “Well that’s not nan measurement nan Republican Party treats its voters.”

Souza said she besides opposes a GOP norm that allows nan cardinal committee to donate to immoderate candidates successful a superior election, but doesn’t require them to donate to each Republican candidates successful a primary. 

“That’s not nan measurement we do things,” Souza said. “We don’t prime and take our favorites and past springiness them money that came to america done Republican activities for illustration nan Lincoln Days and immoderate that a batch of group attended. So we springiness nan voters nan choice, and we respect nan voters.”

“That’s why we don’t person unity is because truthful galore group person been disrespected and pushed distant by nan party, truthful now we person sewage each these factions and are you pinch this faction aliases that faction aliases this faction?” Souza added. “A coagulated governmental statement — when you divided it into factions — that opens nan doorway for immoderate extracurricular group that wants to travel successful and person their measurement pinch nan situation, and I deliberation we are vulnerable. It’s a vulnerable precedent to set.”

Dorothy Moon says she is simply a rule-follower and tireless worker for nan statement

Moon, R-Stanley, is simply a retired secondary acquisition coach and nationalist schoolhouse typical acquisition head who served 3 position successful nan Idaho House earlier moving unsuccessfully for caput of authorities successful 2022. 

Moon defeated erstwhile Idaho GOP president Tom Luna to go chairwoman of nan Idaho Republican Party.

RELATED | Dorothy Moon becomes caller chairwoman of Idaho Republican Party successful 2022

“My imagination has ever been clear – conscionable travel nan rules, grant nan platform,” Moon told nan Sun successful an question and reply Thursday extracurricular of nan Coeur d’Alene Resort. “That’s what I’ve ever espoused.”

Moon told nan Sun her imagination and activity ethic are 2 reasons Republicans should ballot for her to proceed to lead nan statement for different 2 years. 

“People person told maine they person ne'er seen anybody activity harder successful this position, and I judge that,” Moon said. “I activity astir apt 120 hours a week. I mean, I cognize past week I averaged astir 3 hours of slumber a nighttime getting things prepped for this, getting nan committees established and getting group assigned.”

“There is simply a batch of activity to it and group don’t recognize it, truthful erstwhile group want to propulsion successful their chapeau and tally for positions, they amended cognize what it involves,” Moon said. “Because it is not only that, but you are accountable to nan donors and nan money that they put in. And if they put it successful to conflict classed prime voting, it is going to beryllium utilized to conflict classed prime voting. If it’s put successful for Hispanic outreach, it is going to beryllium utilized for Hispanic outreach. And we’ve done that pinch a large philanthropist past year.”

“I person been very existent to my word,” Moon added. “I said that coming into nan party, we are going to perceive to nan grassroots. That’s each I really wanted, and to travel nan rules.”

“And I’m proud of nan truth that I deliberation group cognize I make nary bones astir it,” Moon continued. “Now possibly that is backmost to my coach background. I mean seriously. Being a teacher, you’ve sewage 30 kids successful there, you’re going to travel nan rules.” 

Idaho GOP normal continued to artifact reporters’ entree connected nan 2nd time of convention.

The ballot connected statement chairperson is expected to beryllium nan last bid of business during nan Idaho Republican Convention, which is playing retired secretly down closed doors astatine Coeur d’Alene Resort and North Idaho College. Reporters person been barred from attending each committee meetings Thursday and Friday and from attending Friday’s wide convention of nan convention. This is simply a departure from caller Idaho Republican State Conventions, wherever reporters were allowed to be and screen nan wide session. 

On Friday, nan Coalition for Women successful Journalism posted connected X, nan societal media tract formerly known arsenic Twitter, calling nan Idaho Republican Party’s determination to artifact journalists from attending nan convention’s business meetings “a clear infringement connected property freedom.”

“We telephone for contiguous reinstatement of property entree to guarantee transparency successful nan upcoming normal proceedings,” nan nonprofit statement posted. 

The Idaho Republican Party appeared to double down connected its efforts to artifact property entree Friday. On Friday morning, an equipped backstage information defender was stationed adjacent nan designated media area successful a area of nan hallway astatine Coeur d’Alene Resort. When reporters attempted to locomotion past an Idaho GOP motion located astir 10 feet from nan media area, nan defender told reporters they were not allowed to time off nan media area and needed to return to nan media area. 

The guard’s beingness appeared to beryllium caller connected Friday. Reporters pinch nan Idaho Capital Sun did not announcement immoderate equipped information guards enforcing restrictions to media entree Thursday during nan first time of nan convention. 

The normal is scheduled to reason Saturday. 

The Idaho Democratic Convention runs June 22 and June 23 successful Moscow.