For as long as I can remember, people have said this is the most important election of our lifetime. Maybe it's true. Maybe it's been true for a while. It does seem as if every year the importance of politics becomes greater.
With crushing inflation, brewing international wars, civil liberties under attack, and runaway government promoting misguided values, the situation is becoming more dire. Viewpoints about basic concepts of freedom and society are diverging. Many Idahoans feel this, and several have moved here from other states to escape bad policy and government growth.
We can no longer assume that all members of our society share our common values. There is a battle for the heart and soul of our community, but this is where we can effect an actual change.
Kudos to Bonneville County! With the candidate filing deadline recently behind us, there were a record number of candidates seeking the Republican Party nomination. Twenty-Four people applied to be state legislators, seven applied for the two open county commissioner seats, seven more are running for congress, and several others applied for other local races. A whopping 95 applicants have volunteered to serve as local precinct officers (PCOs) in the Bonneville County Republican Party organization.
While many of our neighboring county GOP Committees struggle to even fill seats, Bonneville citizens will have multiple choices on their ballot for choosing a precinct officer to actively promote the Republican values in our Party Platform. There will be opportunities to meet and speak with these state and local candidates in the coming weeks. To stay informed on these, and other dates, follow the Bonneville County Republican Party Facebook, Instagram, and X pages, or sign up on the website.
Interest in politics has been growing. Citizens can follow along as legislation is considered, debated, and voted on. Regular updates appear on many news outlets, and there are multiple metrics in our state now where the voting records of our representatives are scored and graded according to different priorities, platforms, and criteria. Many of these links are found on the Bill Tracker page of our website.
This activity shows that citizens are paying attention, becoming active, and are involved in determining their own destiny through self-government. The Idaho GOP Platform states that: “The Idaho Republican Party believes that government works best when its citizens become actively involved.
The Party encourages all citizens to engage in healthy debate on all issues that will increase citizen control of government. We can and we must choose our own destiny. The responsibility has never been bigger, but with great responsibility comes great rewards. The reward for us if we participate, and create sustainable outcomes, is that our children and our children's children will live in a community and society which gives them the blessings of freedom and prosperity.
That's why Idahoans, more than ever, are waking up, paying attention to politics, and getting involved in their local Republican Party. For more information about how you can get involved locally, visit BonnevilleGOP.com.
Beverly Kingsford
Executive Assistance, Bonneville GOP