Last primary election saw a big change in 2024 for Bonneville Republicans; what will 2026 bring?
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IDAHO FALLS — Do you know who your precinct committee officer is? With over 80 candidates looking to represent you in the Bonneville County Republican Central Committee, its current and former chairmen are asking you to know who the candidates are before going to the polls.
Current BCRCC Mike Colson spoke with EastIdahoNews.com about the importance of these positions in determining the direction the local GOP will take in the coming years.
What is a precinct committee officer?
Aside from representing the various neighborhoods in Bonneville County, Colson said that precinct committee officers determine who they will nominate in cases of political retirements or when publicly elected individuals step down from their positions.
This was the case this year when former Rep. Wendy Horman stepped down to accept a position within the Trump Administration, and the BCRCC nominated Erin Bingham to take her place.
Once nominated, Gov. Brad Little accepted the nomination and appointed her to fill Horman’s position.
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This is also the case for county positions, as the BCRCC nominated Chris Poulter to fill the position left by former Bonneville County Clerk Penny Manning. Bonneville Coroner Shante Sanchez was nominated and later appointed after receiving the central committee’s endorsement.
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The other tasks involve helping elect local and state Republican party leaders, voting on party policies and rules and listening to constituents.
“There are some statutory responsibilities that those precinct committee officers have to carry out,” Colson said. “This is truly a direct democratic process where the people get to choose the representatives.”
Repairing Relationships
Since 2024, Colson said the BCRCC has made strides to repair relationships fractured by the “old guard,” those who lost their elections in 2024. This includes former BCRCC Chairman and former Precinct Committee Officer Nick Contos.
Colson said there was a major shift in the local party in 2024, after the previous leadership damaged relationships with local legislators by advocating for “tribunals” or “purity tests.”
EastIdahoNews.com previously reported on the 2024 elections, in which more moderate Republican candidates endorsed by the Empower Bonneville Voters Coalition, a political action committee, won 38 of 50 precinct committee officer positions within the BCRCC. Many who lost their positions were endorsed by Integrity in Government PAC, which backed further right-wing Republican candidates.
EastIdahoNews.com previously reported that Colson is the organizer of the Empower Bonneville Voters Coalition.
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Many of the issues that caused this schism stemmed from incidents in 2023 and 2024 in which the legislative district committees sent letters to Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen, former Rep. Wendy Horman, and District 32 Sen. Kevin Cook to better align with the Republican Party.
This later devolved into Cook and Horman receiving “guidance” and Mickelsen being “censured,” and later losing the support of the BCRCC.
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“We don’t support those tribunals. That’s the job of the voters to make those decisions, not just a few people to say who’s Republican enough,” Colson said. “The Empower Bonneville Voters Coalition trusts the voters to make those decisions.”
Colson said that precinct committee officers are vital for alleviating constituents’ concerns and that they can now work much more effectively with local legislators. With this primary election, he claims efforts are being made to bring back the “old guard” and return to those old processes.
“We believe more in dialogue, rather than trying to impose our will and threaten them to vote a certain way,” Colson said.
Issues with Colson’s narrative
Contos spoke with EastIdahoNews.com about the issues Colson discussed regarding how the committee used to be run.
“My belief has always been that the Republican party should have an open door policy, and Mike Colson should know that,” Contos said. “It’s unfortunate when groups are planning behind the scenes to have their clique assume control of the organization.”
He said that when it comes to elections, specifically those determining precinct committee officers, it should be up to the voters to decide, not the chairman.
Discussing election materials from the Empower Bonneville Voters Coalition, there are lists of specific candidates for voters to choose from on Tuesday. Some of those precincts show no candidate and are listed as “NONE.” Contos believes this was done because the candidates running in those precincts didn’t fit the coalition’s ideals.
“It’s inappropriate that the current chairman would be in control of a committee that’s openly trying to support one specific clique,” Contos said. “I believe that the Republican Party comes from the grassroots up, and it should be based on principles first.”
Looking at the coalition’s finances, another issue Contos has is that the group has been accepting donations from various out-of-county individuals.
According to the Idaho Sunshine Report, the only in-county donation was $1,000 from Rep. Erin Bingham.
Other donations include Former Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna, Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane, Idaho Controller Brandon Woolf and Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield. These donations were made during 2026.
Overall, for those who want to truly know their candidate, Contos said constituents should look inside their own neighborhoods, as these candidates are their neighbors seeking to serve their community.
“We shouldn’t be excluding people,” Contos said. “If it were not for the volunteers that make up a Republican Party organization from the ground up, there would be no platform for candidates or voters to affiliate with.”
To learn more about who is running for precinct committee officer positions in your neighborhood, visit VoteIdaho.gov.
After the primary, the BCRCC will hold a reorganization meeting at 7 p.m. on May 28 at the Bonneville County Fairgrounds to elect party leadership. For more information, visit www.bonnevillegop.com.