SANDPOINT — Sandpoint will be the GOP capital of Idaho this June when more than 1,000 Republicans travel to the city for the 2008 Idaho Republican party state convention.

The event, which begins on June 12 at the Bonner County fair grounds, will host many of the state’s top Republicans, including Gov. C.L “Butch” Otter and Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho.

Nearly 300 county delegates, 300 more alternates, their spouses and an assortment of party officials will gather with the goal of selecting Idaho’s 32 delegates and 32 alternates for the party’s national convention in Minneapolis, Minn., in September.

Eighty percent of the delegates will automatically be designated in proportion to the results of Idaho’s May 27 presidential primary vote, with the final 20 percent — save three spots held for party officials — chosen by district representatives, said Verna Brady, chair of the Bonner County Republican Committee.

Brady said that although Sandpoint has never hosted a GOP convention, she expects the event to be a success for Idaho Republicans as well as local businesses.

“We’re always energized in an election year,” Brady said. “Republicans now have something to get involved with.”

With no formal dinners planned during the long weekend, the event could also be a boon for the local economy as visitors eat and shop downtown, said Brady.

The convention is open to the public for a nominal charge, said Brady, but tickets are limited.

For information about how to volunteer for the convention, contact Brady at (208) 263-6307, and for information about reserving tickets to the event, contact the GOP state headquarters at (208) 343-6405.