ID-GOV 2022: Janice McGeachin In

[JMT]

I didn't see a previously created mega-thread for the 2022 Idaho Governor race, so I created one. Please feel free to merge this with another thread if I missed it.

Today, Lieutenant Governor Janice McGeachin announced she is running for Governor. This sets up a likely primary challenge against incumbent Governor Brad Little (who hasn't appeared to formally announce he's running again, but I'm assuming he will?)

https://twitter.com/JaniceMcGeachin/status/1395061700328443911?s=20

[user12345]

Their relationship has been quite rocky and she spoke out against his COVID-19 restrictions quite forcefully so not too shocking.

[Meatball Ron]

Seems like Kristi Noem 2.0. Bummer.

[Duke of York]

if Little runs for reelection she could very be the slight favorite. McGeachin signed on the Texas lawsuit to overturn the election, and is anti abortion and anti LGBT rights.  She is also opposed to the minimum wage.

[Meatball Ron]

She is also opposed to the minimum wage.

Like entirely?! I didn't even realize that was a position that existed outside fringe incel libertarian circles. Freakin dingbats.

Or do you just mean the mainstream GOP position, in that she's opposed to raising it?

[Suburbia]

McGeachin's political campaign advisor calls for the execution of police in America:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/she-wants-to-be-governor-her-crony-keeps-talking-about-killing-cops

[Mr. Smith]

Seems like Kristi Noem 2.0. Bummer.

So who's the Billie Sutton to at least make it close?

McGeachin's political campaign advisor calls for the execution of police in America:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/she-wants-to-be-governor-her-crony-keeps-talking-about-killing-cops

So much for the law and order right.

[💥💥 brandon bro (he/him/his)]

Seems like Kristi Noem 2.0. Bummer.

So who's the Billie Sutton to at least make it close?

Sadly unlike in SD there are no sitting D candidates from outside Boise (or Pocatello or Sun Valley) who can run on any sort of credible rural appeal.

Paulette was probably the best we were going to get!

[Secretary of State Liberal Hack]

Seems like Kristi Noem 2.0. Bummer.

So who's the Billie Sutton to at least make it close?

Sadly unlike in SD there are no sitting D candidates from outside Boise (or Pocatello or Sun Valley) who can run on any sort of credible rural appeal.

Paulette was probably the best we were going to get!

No random Liberal Business owner from a rural area with some delusions of Grandeur that the party can recruit ?

[ChelseaT]

Seems like Kristi Noem 2.0. Bummer.

So who's the Billie Sutton to at least make it close?

Sadly unlike in SD there are no sitting D candidates from outside Boise (or Pocatello or Sun Valley) who can run on any sort of credible rural appeal.

Paulette was probably the best we were going to get!

No random Liberal Business owner from a rural area with some delusions of Grandeur that the party can recruit ?

A liberal isn't going to make it close. Idaho dems do better with candidates who'd be Republicans pretty much anywhere else. I could see Dr. John Rusche the former state house minority leader making it somewhat close. He's popular in his home region, and really only lost because Trump was on the ballot.

[TrumpBritt24]

Her campaign merch oozes "born to shid, forced to wipe, brothers!"

[Meatball Ron]

Seems like Kristi Noem 2.0. Bummer.

So who's the Billie Sutton to at least make it close?

Sadly unlike in SD there are no sitting D candidates from outside Boise (or Pocatello or Sun Valley) who can run on any sort of credible rural appeal.

Paulette was probably the best we were going to get!

Yeah...also Idaho is redder than South Dakota, and 2022 isn't going to be as Dem-friendly as 2018, sooooo

Any idea why the gubernatorial race was relatively close (<15 points) in the red wave of 2014? Sabato even had the race as "Likely R" on Election Day so there must have been something going on to suggest it was slightly competitive? I know Otter had a tough primary but wondering if there's more to it than that.

[ChelseaT]

Seems like Kristi Noem 2.0. Bummer.

So who's the Billie Sutton to at least make it close?

Sadly unlike in SD there are no sitting D candidates from outside Boise (or Pocatello or Sun Valley) who can run on any sort of credible rural appeal.

Paulette was probably the best we were going to get!

Yeah...also Idaho is redder than South Dakota, and 2022 isn't going to be as Dem-friendly as 2018, sooooo

Any idea why the gubernatorial race was relatively close (<15 points) in the red wave of 2014? Sabato even had the race as "Likely R" on Election Day so there must have been something going on to suggest it was slightly competitive? I know Otter had a tough primary but wondering if there's more to it than that.

Balukoff is pretty conservative. Made a big deal about being a strong supporter of gun rights and voting for Romney. There’s also a certain element of the far right that hated otter because he wasn’t afraid to use the guard against neo nazi communes.

[BoiseBoy]

I really don't see McGeachin outdoing 2014 Fulcher in 2022. Otter won by 7.77%. I would guess Little wins by over 8 at least, unless things go REALLY south in Idaho and we reimpose COVID restrictions through the end of the year.

[Secretary of State Liberal Hack]

Seems like Kristi Noem 2.0. Bummer.

So who's the Billie Sutton to at least make it close?

Sadly unlike in SD there are no sitting D candidates from outside Boise (or Pocatello or Sun Valley) who can run on any sort of credible rural appeal.

Paulette was probably the best we were going to get!

Yeah...also Idaho is redder than South Dakota, and 2022 isn't going to be as Dem-friendly as 2018, sooooo

Any idea why the gubernatorial race was relatively close (<15 points) in the red wave of 2014? Sabato even had the race as "Likely R" on Election Day so there must have been something going on to suggest it was slightly competitive? I know Otter had a tough primary but wondering if there's more to it than that.

Balukoff is pretty conservative. Made a big deal about being a strong supporter of gun rights and voting for Romney. There’s also a certain element of the far right that hated otter because he wasn’t afraid to use the guard against neo nazi communes.

TIL:Neo Nazi Commumes exist apparently.

[BoiseBoy]

Yet another Republican has entered the primary race. Steve Bradshaw, a Bonner County Commissioner, announced today:

https://redoubtnews.com/2021/07/commissioner-bradshaw-announces-for-idaho-governor/

[Dr. MB]

Yet another Republican has entered the primary race. Steve Bradshaw, a Bonner County Commissioner, announced today:

https://redoubtnews.com/2021/07/commissioner-bradshaw-announces-for-idaho-governor/

Hard to see how Little loses this with such a divided opposition.

[BoiseBoy]

Yet another Republican has entered the primary race. Steve Bradshaw, a Bonner County Commissioner, announced today:

https://redoubtnews.com/2021/07/commissioner-bradshaw-announces-for-idaho-governor/

Hard to see how Little loses this with such a divided opposition.

Of course, Little has not announced yet, but I would be surprised if he didn't run again. He's been fundraising for a while and has taken in some big money.

[Secretary of State Liberal Hack]

Yet another Republican has entered the primary race. Steve Bradshaw, a Bonner County Commissioner, announced today:

https://redoubtnews.com/2021/07/commissioner-bradshaw-announces-for-idaho-governor/

Hard to see how Little loses this with such a divided opposition.

Of course, Little has not announced yet, but I would be surprised if he didn't run again. He's been fundraising for a while and has taken in some big money.

Is there any geographical divide in Idaho that his opponents can leverage in the primary ? like trying to paint him as the canidate of boise or something ?

[BoiseBoy]

Yet another Republican has entered the primary race. Steve Bradshaw, a Bonner County Commissioner, announced today:

https://redoubtnews.com/2021/07/commissioner-bradshaw-announces-for-idaho-governor/

Hard to see how Little loses this with such a divided opposition.

Of course, Little has not announced yet, but I would be surprised if he didn't run again. He's been fundraising for a while and has taken in some big money.

Is there any geographical divide in Idaho that his opponents can leverage in the primary ? like trying to paint him as the canidate of boise or something ?

I don't think that will happen. If it does, it won't stick. Little is very much more a rancher type. He's from Emmett.

[Secretary of State Liberal Hack]

Yet another Republican has entered the primary race. Steve Bradshaw, a Bonner County Commissioner, announced today:

https://redoubtnews.com/2021/07/commissioner-bradshaw-announces-for-idaho-governor/

Hard to see how Little loses this with such a divided opposition.

Of course, Little has not announced yet, but I would be surprised if he didn't run again. He's been fundraising for a while and has taken in some big money.

Is there any geographical divide in Idaho that his opponents can leverage in the primary ? like trying to paint him as the canidate of boise or something ?

I don't think that will happen. If it does, it won't stick. Little is very much more a rancher type. He's from Emmett.

I'm wondering if Resenment against the rapid population growth in Ada County is going to play a role in this primary ?. It might be allow a far-right Canidate attract some more moderate support by taking a populist postion on that issue against traditional republican orthordoxy.

[BoiseBoy]

Yet another Republican has entered the primary race. Steve Bradshaw, a Bonner County Commissioner, announced today:

https://redoubtnews.com/2021/07/commissioner-bradshaw-announces-for-idaho-governor/

Hard to see how Little loses this with such a divided opposition.

Of course, Little has not announced yet, but I would be surprised if he didn't run again. He's been fundraising for a while and has taken in some big money.

Is there any geographical divide in Idaho that his opponents can leverage in the primary ? like trying to paint him as the canidate of boise or something ?

I don't think that will happen. If it does, it won't stick. Little is very much more a rancher type. He's from Emmett.

I'm wondering if Resenment against the rapid population growth in Ada County is going to play a role in this primary ?. It might be allow a far-right Canidate attract some more moderate support by taking a populist postion on that issue against traditional republican orthordoxy.

It didn't help Wayne Richey in the Boise mayoral election in 2019. That was pretty much his entire platform and he only got 847 votes (out of over 53k).

[Secretary of State Liberal Hack]

Yet another Republican has entered the primary race. Steve Bradshaw, a Bonner County Commissioner, announced today:

https://redoubtnews.com/2021/07/commissioner-bradshaw-announces-for-idaho-governor/

Hard to see how Little loses this with such a divided opposition.

Of course, Little has not announced yet, but I would be surprised if he didn't run again. He's been fundraising for a while and has taken in some big money.

Is there any geographical divide in Idaho that his opponents can leverage in the primary ? like trying to paint him as the canidate of boise or something ?

I don't think that will happen. If it does, it won't stick. Little is very much more a rancher type. He's from Emmett.

I'm wondering if Resenment against the rapid population growth in Ada County is going to play a role in this primary ?. It might be allow a far-right Canidate attract some more moderate support by taking a populist postion on that issue against traditional republican orthordoxy.

It didn't help Wayne Richey in the Boise mayoral election in 2019. That was pretty much his entire platform and he only got 847 votes (out of over 53k).

Isn't boise proper pretty liberal and democratic with relatively few republican votes ? I'm thinking such a message would resonate more in the suburbs  ?

[Roll Roons]

Yet another Republican has entered the primary race. Steve Bradshaw, a Bonner County Commissioner, announced today:

https://redoubtnews.com/2021/07/commissioner-bradshaw-announces-for-idaho-governor/

Hard to see how Little loses this with such a divided opposition.

Of course, Little has not announced yet, but I would be surprised if he didn't run again. He's been fundraising for a while and has taken in some big money.

Is there any geographical divide in Idaho that his opponents can leverage in the primary ? like trying to paint him as the canidate of boise or something ?

I don't think that will happen. If it does, it won't stick. Little is very much more a rancher type. He's from Emmett.

I'm wondering if Resenment against the rapid population growth in Ada County is going to play a role in this primary ?. It might be allow a far-right Canidate attract some more moderate support by taking a populist postion on that issue against traditional republican orthordoxy.

It didn't help Wayne Richey in the Boise mayoral election in 2019. That was pretty much his entire platform and he only got 847 votes (out of over 53k).

Isn't boise proper pretty liberal and democratic with relatively few republican votes ? I'm thinking such a message would resonate more in the suburbs  ?

Yeah, Boise itself is liberal. The suburbs are still fairly conservative, although I feel like that's slowly changing with population growth and general trends.

[BoiseBoy]

Yet another Republican has entered the primary race. Steve Bradshaw, a Bonner County Commissioner, announced today:

https://redoubtnews.com/2021/07/commissioner-bradshaw-announces-for-idaho-governor/

Hard to see how Little loses this with such a divided opposition.

Of course, Little has not announced yet, but I would be surprised if he didn't run again. He's been fundraising for a while and has taken in some big money.

Is there any geographical divide in Idaho that his opponents can leverage in the primary ? like trying to paint him as the canidate of boise or something ?

I don't think that will happen. If it does, it won't stick. Little is very much more a rancher type. He's from Emmett.

I'm wondering if Resenment against the rapid population growth in Ada County is going to play a role in this primary ?. It might be allow a far-right Canidate attract some more moderate support by taking a populist postion on that issue against traditional republican orthordoxy.

It didn't help Wayne Richey in the Boise mayoral election in 2019. That was pretty much his entire platform and he only got 847 votes (out of over 53k).

Isn't boise proper pretty liberal and democratic with relatively few republican votes ? I'm thinking such a message would resonate more in the suburbs  ?

Yeah, Boise itself is liberal. The suburbs are still fairly conservative, although I feel like that's slowly changing with population growth and general trends.

Exactly. Growth/housing/property taxes are major issues here. Right now, most of the focus from Little's challengers is on COVID restrictions and vaccine/mask mandates.