The Idaho Republican Party stands at a crossroads. The contrast between Governor Brad Little and Party Chair Dorothy Moon reveals how two people with the same political label can represent vastly different visions for Idaho.
Governor Brad Little doesn’t chase headlines or pick fights for sport—he governs. In 2022, he won a tough primary with nearly 53% of the vote against an Idaho Freedom-backed challenger and six others, then took more than 60% in the general election. His mandate came from Idaho voters.
Dorothy Moon’s authority came differently. Chosen by a few hundred delegates, she was re-elected behind closed doors in 2024, 376 to 228. Little earned his legitimacy at the ballot box; Moon got hers from a convention room. The difference shows.
Under Little, Idaho has become the least-regulated state in the nation. He’s balanced budgets, cut red tape, and delivered the largest tax-relief package in state history—hallmarks of practical conservative leadership. Moon, meanwhile, has turned the state GOP into a machine more focused on control than coalition. Her leadership prizes confrontation over collaboration, branding only her faction as “true Republicans” and using party rules to punish dissent.
A recent statement she shared through the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee illustrates the divide. Moon accused some Republicans of “intentionally and deceptively using the Republican brand to deceive voters,” even suggesting that using the term “Republican” without her blessing violates “intellectual-property law.” She claimed the KCRCC is the only “official” Republican organization, dismissing groups like North Idaho Republicans as “a cynical attempt to fool voters.”
Instead of embracing debate, Moon seems to want to trademark the word Republican—as though loyalty to Idaho’s GOP were a brand to be owned rather than a principle to be lived.
Governor Little’s approach has been the opposite. He’s strengthened education and workforce training, fulfilling Idaho’s constitutional duty to maintain a “general, uniform and thorough system of public, free common schools.” He’s expanded career-technical programs and partnered with industry to ensure a skilled workforce that supports Idaho’s economy.
Moon’s Idaho GOP, on the other hand, amended its platform to call for ending funding for higher education entirely—contradicting both the state constitution and the 2024 Republican National Committee platform. Where Little builds opportunity, Moon dismantles it. Little deregulates the economy; Moon regulates Republicans.
The governor’s vision is pragmatic and future-focused: keep Idaho growing responsibly, protect local control, and focus on results. Moon’s vision is driven by ideological litmus tests and purity politics. Ronald Reagan once reminded his party that “the person who agrees with you 80% of the time is a friend and an ally, not a 20% traitor.” That inclusive spirit built coalitions, not walls—something today’s Idaho GOP would do well to remember.
In her posts, Moon warns voters not to be “fooled” by Republicans outside her faction, insisting only her committee represents the “real” party. But the Republican brand doesn’t belong to a committee; it belongs to Idaho’s Republicans. No one can trademark a movement born in a Wisconsin schoolhouse dedicated to freedom. Calling lifelong conservatives “deceptive” for disagreeing dishonors that legacy.
Governor Little doesn’t need to label, shout, or exclude to lead. He simply does the work—balancing budgets, cutting taxes, defending parental rights, and protecting Idaho’s way of life. Moon may hold a party title, but Little holds the trust of the people.
The future of Idaho’s Republican leadership should be decided at the ballot box, not in back rooms. Moon’s faction can issue proclamations about who is “real” or “official,” but Governor Little’s record shows what real leadership looks like: measured, transparent, and grounded in service.
If Idaho wants more leaders like Brad Little and fewer like Dorothy Moon, voters must show up, vote their conscience, and refuse to let the loudest faction define what it means to be Republican.
In Idaho, the power still belongs to the people—but only if they use it.
About the Author
Becky Funk is a former Chair of the Legislative District 4 Republican Committee (Cd’A), community volunteer, and has called Idaho “home” for 21 years.
We don't need either one of them. No more people who follow Trump's ideology. Or IFF
Well said, Becky! This whole “elected by representation” argument is being bunk.