OPINION: Democrats competing everywhere in 2024

Last week an R friend texted me very pessimistically that “No matter how you stack it there is no way anyone other than a R will win any seat in KC.”

My friends, watch us. 

Peeling back the curtain on Democratic momentum might prompt my friend to abandon such a depressing political message.  

The attendance and passion at last month’s Democracy Dinner in Coeur d’Alene can still be felt in Kootenai County. Volunteers have been emerging from all corners of the county. 

The same passion and high attendance was on full display at this past weekend’s 30th Annual Frank & Bethine Church Gala in Boise. The sold-out event was filled with record-setting engagement. 

The outlook among Democrats is far more optimistic than it has been in years.

At the Idaho Democratic Party’s most recent business meeting we re-elected Chair Lauren Necochea (D-Ada County). This endorses her strong and consistent leadership of our state party.

We cemented party unity by approving a resolution from the Idaho Young Democrats calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. This complex and emotional measure was debated at length. 

Idaho Democrats are a shining example of how to hold strongly diverse views, and still reach consensus. Our conversation on the Israel/Palestine conflict was just one example of our strength through diversity. 

Of course Hamas must go, of course killing civilians is abhorrent. Of course Israel deserves to be secure and hostages must be returned. Of course the Palestinians deserve a state of their own. And of course Russia, Iran and Netanyahu caused this war to help defeat Joe Biden. 

All the more reason for us to resolve that the violence must stop. We will link the full resolution on our website. 

The rest of the weekend was devoted to Idaho-centric issues. 

They included caucus training — an experience that left me with much more respect for our County Elections Office staff than ever.

Unlike our R colleagues, Democrats will do everything possible to make the May 23 Democratic Presidential Caucus a success by assuring that every Democratic or Unaffiliated Kootenai County resident can participate and can have confidence in the security of the outcome. We are happy to extend absentee options for voting, and the Coeur d'Alene Press and other credentialed journalists are welcome to observe. 

The weekend also included candidate training. This year we recruited candidates in every legislative district. This marks a huge step forward. Our candidates expect and deserve the very best support we can provide.

The Frank & Bethine Church Gala was capped off with a huge banquet celebrating Democratic Party values. We heard from Boise Mayor Lauren McLean, House Democratic leader Ilana Rubel and physician Dr. Loren Colson. Our keynote speaker was Senator John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania). We raised somewhere around $300,000 from the auction alone.

Attendance and fundraising outpaced “any event we have held in decades” said one of our staffers.

There was more for us to celebrate at the Frank & Bethine Church Gala. In 2023, the Democratic Party won 73% of the races we participated in. We established (or re-established) a local Democratic Party presence in every corner of the state, including all 44 counties and all 35 legislative districts.

The Democratic Party now has field fellows working on college campuses across the state to register voters and man phone banks. 

This year the Democratic Party will run a candidate in every legislative district in Idaho. We have not done that in almost 30 years.

In Kootenai County, Democrats Dale Broadsword, Stephen Bruno, Adam Chapman, Tom Hearn, Kristy Reed Johnson, Paula Marano, Loree Peery and Brian Seguin will all be on the ballot.

And so here is how I responded to the pessimistic text from my R friend.

Democrats “Gotta start somewhere.” Democrats “Gotta give voters a choice.”

Democrats “Gotta make the MAGA candidates campaign and spend their money.”

Democrats “Are not all doom and gloom.”

We all have kids who will one day want to know what we did to stop the MAGA march toward fascism. 

We must hold on to the hope that by working together we can turn the tide and build a more perfect union. 

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Evan Koch is chairman of Kootenai County Democrats.