Local GOP the spending king

COEUR d’ALENE — In the months leading up to the May 17 primary election, the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee significantly outspent its counterparts in Idaho’s largest counties, according to campaign finance data obtained by The Press from the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office.

Big spending yielded big results. Local candidates backed by the KCRCC won their primaries — usually by wide margins - according to the final, unofficial election results.

The KCRCC spent $243,341 between Jan. 1 and May 17.

KCRCC Chair Brent Regan told The Press via email that the KCRCC has not attempted to estimate how much it spent per vote.

“It is impossible to calculate the cost per vote as we do not know the number of votes influenced by our committee’s activities,” he said.

Republican voters in Kootenai County cast 32,066 ballots in the May primary election, according to unofficial county election data.

Two of the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee's biggest single expenses during that period appeared to be associated with the KCRCC’s 2022 Lincoln Day fundraising dinner.

The party spent $48,842 on food and event costs at The Coeur d’Alene Resort, and paid $20,000 to political commentator Dinesh D’Souza, keynote speaker at the event.

GOP central committees in Idaho’s most populated counties spent significantly less than the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee in the months leading up to the May primary.

The Bonneville County Republican Central Committee was the second biggest spender among Idaho’s four largest counties, shelling out $102,312 between Jan. 1 and May 17.

The Idaho Republican Party rebuked the Bonneville GOP committee for donating to candidates, in violation of the committee’s own bylaws.

Days before the primary election, the state GOP successfully sued the Bonneville Central Committee over sample ballots said to be “intentionally designed to deceive voters” into thinking the candidates had been endorsed by the state party.

None of the candidates endorsed by the Bonneville County Republican Central Committee won contested races in District 32 or 34. One of the county party’s preferred candidates won in District 33 and another won in District 35.

In statewide races, just two candidates endorsed by the BCRCC won: Labrador for attorney general and Mike Crapo for U.S. Senate.

The Ada County Republican Central Committee, a county that includes Boise, the state’s most populous city and capital, spent just $31,135 between Jan. 1 and May 17, mostly on operating and event expenses. The county GOP did not formally endorse candidates in the Republican primary election.

With a population of about 470,000, Ada County is almost three times the size of Kootenai County.

In Canyon County, which has almost 250,000, the Republican central committee spent just $1,567 between January and May. That includes a $1,000 donation to the Hope House in Marsing, Idaho.