The Idaho Republican Party (IDGOP) is the Idaho state affiliate of the United States Republican Party, headquartered in Boise. It is currently the dominant party in the state, controlling both of Idaho's U.S. House seats, both U.S. Senate seats, the governorship, and has supermajorities in both houses of the state legislature.

History

By the time of the 1889 Constitutional Convention, the Republican Party had become a prominent Party in Idaho, and made up the majority of the representatives at the Constitutional Convention for statehood. Republicans and Democrats had equal influence in Idaho until the 1960s when the Republican Party emerged as the dominant political Party. The Republican Party has held the governorship since 1995, both US Senate seats since 1981, and both US House seats since 2010. As of 2022, Idaho has the second largest percentage of Republicans in a state legislature. Republicans control all constitutional offices in the state and maintain supermajorities in the House and Senate. The party had been reported to have a growing faction of far-right political activists, with a concentration in Koontenai County. In 2021, the Koontenai County Republican Central Committee endorsed Dave Reilly, a political activist from Pennsylvania who attended the 2017 Unite the Right rally and has gained notoriety for antisemitic public statements, for candidacy in a Post Falls school board election. The KCRCC has also made public statements in support of Austrian neo-nazi activist Martin Sellner and the anti-communist John Birch Society. Outside of Koonetai County, within the Idaho Legislature, Rep. Chad Christensen identifies himself as being a member of both the far-right militia Oath Keepers and the John Birch Society.

Governing body

The executive committee consists of a first and second vice chair, secretary, treasurer, finance chair, region chairs from each of Idaho's ten regions, and the presidents of the affiliated clubs; Young Republicans, College Republicans, and Republican Women. Members of the executive committee who are not Region Chairs are elected at the State Convention, held bi-annually.

Meetings

Meetings of both the State Central Committee and the State Executive Committee are usually held every six months, including those held in proximity to State Conventions. The party convened in July 2022 to consider a resolution declaring that Joe Biden had not been legitimately elected president of the United States.

Idaho Freedom Caucus

The Idaho Freedom Caucus is a caucus within the Idaho Legislature, associated with the State Freedom Caucus Network and the Freedom Caucus The original Idaho Freedom Caucus was founded by Rep. Mike Kingsley and Rep. Bryan Zollinger in 2017. That effort stalled in 2017 when conservatives failed to find consensus on a path forward but was picked up again in 2022. The Idaho Freedom Caucus hired Scott Herndon as its executive director on July 17, 2024. Prior to the 2024 legislative session, three members of the Idaho Freedom Caucus were rebuked by the Senate president pro tempore Chuck Winder for their criticisms of other legislators online.

Regions

Regions of the IDGOP are groups of Idaho Counties defined by Article III, Section 1 of the State Rules.

Current Republican officeholders

Members of Congress

U.S. Senate

U.S. House of Representatives

Constitutional Offices

State legislators

Idaho Senate

Republicans currently hold 28 out of 35 seats in the Idaho Senate.

Idaho House of Representatives

Republicans currently hold 58 out of 70 seats in the Idaho House of Representatives.

Legislative leadership

Senate

House

Chairs of IDGOP

Election results

Presidential

Gubernatorial