Divided GOP elects a new chairman

Two months after a fractious convention that left the party without a platform and a clear leader, Idaho Republicans elected a new chairman Saturday.

The choice is Steve Yates, an Idaho Falls businessman and former aide to former Vice President Dick Cheney. Yates was elected Saturday at a surprisingly low-key gathering in Boise; Kimberlee Kruesi of the Associated Press has the rundown.

One no-show at the meeting was former GOP chairman Barry Peterson, who had claimed he still held the position since Republicans had not elected a successor at the state convention in June in Moscow. Peterson and a group of other Republicans sued in an attempt to block Saturday’s meeting and election; the case was thrown out in a Twin Falls court last week.

Yates ran unsuccessfully for Legislature in May, losing to Idaho Falls GOP Rep. Jeff Thompson by 108 votes over more than 4,750 votes cast.

Kevin Richert

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevinRichert. He can be reached at [email protected]

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