Idaho Falls, Idaho (KIFI)- Roughly three-quarters of American cities hold non-partisan city council and mayoral elections, or, where candidates do not provide a political party affiliation beside their names on the ballot. But in Idaho, that could soon change.
Idaho Republican Party Chairwoman Dorothy Moon says it is time to put an “R” or “D” by candidates’ names, and ending nonpartisan municipal elections will be a topic in the 2026 Legislative Session.
Are Idaho’s City Council Races Already Partisan?
Chairwoman Moon argues that local races are already partisan in practice, despite the current format, asserting that numerous conservative groups are already vetting and rating local candidates based on their perceived Republican alignment.
“I think it’s obvious that they are partisan, even though they’re called nonpartisan,” said Moon. “We have a lot of groups, even within the Republican Party central committees, who do rating and vetting on different candidates. And I think it’s important if we’re already rating and putting information out for the ‘Conservatives Ofs’ groups or Magic Valley Liberty Alliance or Stand Up for Idaho, all of these different groups are already rating and identifying folks as either being Republican or Democrat.”
According to Moon, State Representative Chris Bruce from District 23 A plans on sponsoring a bill in the upcoming session that calls for partisan elections for local offices. The issue is also scheduled for discussion at the GOP Winter Meeting on January 9th and 10th, 2025.
Democrats Argue Nonpartisan Races Force Focus on Local Issues
On the other side of the political aisle, Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Nocochea defends the nonpartisan system, arguing it forces candidates to focus on local issues and solutions rather than relying on party affiliation.
“I think what was so great about the nonpartisan elections we saw in Idaho last week is that candidates focused on the issues,” she said. “They had to explain to voters what they were going to do, what solutions they proposed, and they couldn’t just use a shortcut of, ‘I’m with this party. Vote for me.’ And that was true for candidates who, you know, when it comes to voting for partisan elections, they vote Democrat or Republican.”
