COEUR d’ALENE — Idaho’s future will be decided in the May 19 Republican primary election and it’s the responsibility of all Idaho voters to make their voices heard. 

That was the message shared by five of Idaho’s constitutional officers Thursday night at The Coeur d'Alene Resort, where hundreds gathered for a celebration of America’s 250th birthday, presented by the North Idaho Republicans. 

Idaho Gov. Brad Little was one of several speakers who pointed to North Idaho College’s return to good standing, secured after a slate of candidates endorsed by NIR swept three seats on the board of trustees, as an example of what can be achieved when voters engage. 

“You’ve done it before and you can do it again,” Little told the crowd. 

More than 62% of Idaho voters are Republicans, said Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane. That means Republican voters will decide who leads the state. 

“Most people, whether it’s here in Coeur d’Alene or in the surrounding area or down in Boise, are going to choose to show up in November,” McGrane said. “But the decisions will already have been made.” 

In Kootenai County, all but one of the candidates running in contested county-level races are Republicans. With the exception of the race for assessor, in which a single independent candidate has filed, whoever succeeds in the May 19 primary will run uncontested in November.  

It’s incumbent on voters, McGrane said, to encourage their friends, family and neighbors to participate in the primary election. 

“If we’re going to honor what the Founding Fathers set up for us, it means showing up and voting,” McGrane said. 

McGrane emphasized that every vote matters. In 2020, he said, a race for Ada County Highway District commissioner came down to two votes out of 40,000 ballots cast. 

“What was remarkable was 10,000 people who showed up to vote that day skipped that race,” McGrane said. “They voted for president. But they didn’t make it down the ballot to vote for highway district.” 

Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke noted that generations of Americans, from the nation’s founders to the settlers who carved out what would become Idaho, sacrificed for and dreamed of the lives that Americans live today. 

“We are harvesting a crop that we did not plant here,” he said. “We’re the benefactors of those who came before. Their sacrifices have made a great place to live. Now it’s on us.” 

The Founding Fathers used the conditional tense when discussing the future of this country, Bedke said — if, not when. 

“It was never a done deal,” he said. “It was never for sure. And it isn’t now, either.” 

Bedke said he was heartened to see hundreds of community members gathered for the event, even as he tasked them with encouraging others to exercise their right to vote when those votes carry the most weight. 

“The action is on May 19 in the state of Idaho because Republicans have been successful here,” he said. “The primaries will determine the future of your state ... There is no excuse to not vote because the margins are so tight and what we have at stake is so valuable.” 

    Lt. Governor Scott Bedke spoke Thursday night at The Resort.
  

    Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane spoke to community members Thursday night at The Resort.
  

   Hundreds gathered Thursday night at The Resort for a celebration of America’s 250th birthday, presented by the North Idaho Republicans.