Dorothy Moon reelected as chair of the Idaho Republican Party

By Clark Corbin
Idaho Capital Sun

Idaho Republican Party Chair Dorothy Moon was reelected to a second two-year term, as party members met at North Idaho College during the final day of the 2024 Republican State Convention on June 15.

Party Secretary Maria Nate announced that Moon, who lives outside of Stanley, defeated challenger Mary Souza. Souza, of Coeur d’Alene, is a former member of the Idaho Senate who announced her campaign for party chairperson the week before the convention. 

The leadership election brought to a close the most secretive Idaho Republican State Convention in at least a decade. Reporters were not allowed to attend any committee meetings, business meetings or attend the convention’s general session during the afternoon of June 14 and morning of June 15. This is a departure from recent Idaho GOP state conventions, when reporters were allowed to attend and cover the general sessions, which is where delegates vote on the party platform, rules and resolutions. 

Idaho GOP Party Chairperson Dorothy Moon announces the results of the Republican Presidential Caucus in Boise on March 2, 2024. Photo by Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun.

All of those votes this year happened behind closed doors.

A Republican official led four reporters into the convention’s general session at about 1:30 p.m. on June 15, shortly before Moon was nominated for a second term as party chair. Moon received a loud standing ovation from many of the hundreds of GOP delegates, alternates and guests at the general session, who chanted, “Dorothy! Dorothy! Dorothy!” after Moon delivered a short speech. 

Moon won by a vote of 376 to 228, Nate announced.

In other leadership races, Nate announced that Mark Fuller of Bonneville County was elected first vice chair of the Idaho Republican Party, defeating Wayne Hurst of Cassia County by 382 votes to Hurst’s 223.

Other Idaho GOP leadership race outcomes include:

• Second vice chair: 403 votes for Viki Purdy, 186 votes for Billy Knopp

• Secretary: 387 votes for Maria Nate, 212 votes for Charlene Matheson

• Treasurer: 412 votes for Steve Bender, 187 votes for Brian Garrett

• National committeeman: 390 votes for Bryan Smith, 200 votes for Tom Luna

• National committeewoman: 396 votes for Vicki Keen, 191 votes for Shelley Blanchard

Moon says her emphasis is to honor the state GOP platform

Moon was first elected chair of the Idaho Republican Party in 2022, defeating former Idaho GOP Chair Tom Luna. Moon will continue to lead the party for the next two years.

In an interview with the Idaho Capital Sun on June 13, Moon described herself as a hard-worker and rule-follower, which she said are two traits that help her succeed in leading the party. Moon told the Sun she works about 120 hours a week and has been averaging three hours of sleep recently as she prepared for the GOP convention. 

“People have told me they have never seen anybody work harder in this position, and I believe that,” Moon told the Sun.

“My vision has always been clear — just follow the rules, honor the platform,” Moon added. “That’s what I’ve always espoused.”

Delegates from counties across Idaho voted in the leadership races, which were conducted by written ballots, Nate said.

The leadership election was the final item on the agenda for the secretive, three-day convention. Reporters were blocked from attending all GOP Committee meetings on June 13 and June 14, and blocked from attending the convention’s general session during the afternoon of June 14, which took place at North Idaho College — a publicly funded institution of higher education in which the Idaho GOP rented space. 

Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea issued a written statement shortly after Moon’s reelection. 

“Today’s reelection of Dorothy Moon further entrenched the extremists who have taken over the Idaho Republican Party,” Necochea wrote. “If my grandmother — a Reagan Republican born and raised in Idaho — were alive today, she would not believe what has become of the party. While the Idaho GOP becomes unrecognizable to traditional Republicans, I invite voters of all political stripes to get to know their local Democratic candidates.”

This story was produced by Boise-based nonprofit news outlet the Idaho Capital Sun, which is part of the States Newsroom nationwide reporting project. For more information, visit idahocapitalsun.com.