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Resistance to the Republican Central Committee begins at home

by EVAN KOCH/Guest Opinion
| April 23, 2022 1:00 AM

Unfortunately, the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee has a 10-year history of sliding away from conservativism and into immorality.

Most recently the KCRCC was caught encouraging its supporters to lie cheat and steal. They were drafted to re-register as fake Democrats, run for precinct captain positions, seize control of the Democratic Central Committee, divert its funds to conservatives and postpone or cancel all future meetings.

This cynical scheme followed their steadfast support for David Reilly, a confirmed white supremacist and misogynist, running for a seat on the Post Falls School Board.

Reilly is among the fake precinct captain candidates now on the May 17 Democratic ballot. A complete list of these phonies can be seen at kootenaidemocrats.org under the drop-down button “Avoid the DINOS on your May 17th Ballot.”

But now, after 10 long years, the KCRCC is witnessing some blowback.

A group calling itself the North Idaho Republicans wants to reclaim their party from the immoral KCRCC leadership.

This group says that under Brent Regan, KCRCC has become a “non-Republican cult, a network with many unholy affiliates.”

The North Idaho Republicans say the KCRCC does not represent them. They are tired of the angry mob-like disrespect that Regan Republicans show toward them, and which they also show toward our community at large.

Sen. Mary Souza too is unhappy with Regan’s central committee. She was not anointed by its vetting machine in her effort to become the next Idaho Secretary of State. So, in an op-ed Souza called the KCRCC unfair and dishonest, a “Politburo.”

On the campaign trail, Souza has been trying to convince voters that Idaho elections, which are as clean as a whistle, need to be made fairer and more honest. Campaigning against the KCRCC and for secretary of state, Mary Souza has her work cut out for her to say the least.

We have finally reached a point where conservatives object to Regan’s KCRCC. But it took Regan 10 years to build his little empire. (And he had his Idaho Freedom Foundation’s help). Regan’s personally vetted cronies now dominate North Idaho College, the county school boards and the sheriff’s department. On deck is Regan’s endorsed slate of extremists for county commissioner in the May 17 primary election.

No one should expect Regan to give it all up without a fight.

If Sen. Souza and the North Idaho Republicans really want to reclaim the KCGOP, perhaps they should run for precinct captain positions on the KCRCC.

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Evan Koch is chair of the Kootenai County Democratic Central Committee.