MY TURN: KCRCC's secretive machine
The Kootenai County Republican Central Committee (KCRCC) delivers to voters recommended Republican ballot cards. Many voters take this card to the polls, and trust that the KCRCC is supporting their values because of the Republican brand on the card, yet many others are learning that they can’t trust a committee to think for them.
The KCRCC is the local Republican party made up of precinct committeeman elected by each precinct in Kootenai County during the May Republican Primary election. Only voters affiliated with the Republican party can vote to elect members of the KCRCC. General election voters do not elect the KCRCC.
At the last primary, many Republican voters rejected the party leadership and elected new precinct committeemen, of which I am one. So, I am now able to witness the process for how this recommended ballot card gets created, however, I am admonished not to expose the reasons why they recommend a particular candidate.
Let me explain.
Behind closed doors, the KCRCC has implemented a “rating and vetting” process to select recommended candidates. The KCRCC leadership appoints a 12-member Rating and Vetting Committee to gather information and discuss the candidates. The Rating and Vetting Committee reports to the full KCRCC, a body of approximately 80 people. The full KCRCC holds an executive session and makes a decision on which candidates get the KCRCC recommendation.
I do not know how much of the information obtained by the Rating and Vetting Committee was reported to the full KCRCC. Rating and Vetting Committee members sign Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs). Although these NDAs may protect the sensitive information the committee gathers, NDAs at their core limit the public’s access to information by preventing committee members from freely revealing the details they learn behind closed doors.
Additionally, the rules of the KCRCC prohibit the disclosure of what happens during the executive session of the full KCRCC. The chairman of the KCRCC, Brent Regan, said that committeemen may be subject to discipline or punishment if any information is revealed to the public from the executive session. A committeeman was recently publicly criticized at a KCRCC meeting for having written an opinion piece in the Coeur d’Alene Press that supposedly revealed some executive session information. The prohibition on transparency leaves some voters and candidates feeling distanced from the ballot recommendation process and inadequately represented by their precinct committeemen.
Many candidates seek approval from the party elite. Some capable candidates don’t get an early nod of approval, and some of them voluntarily withdraw before the full process is carried out. This is how the party establishment inserts themselves between the voter and their elected representatives. When power is concentrated in the hands of a few, accountability suffers and the doors open to corruption, misconduct or incompetence.
Moreover, the outsized influence of party leadership has led to a dangerous consolidation of power. The KCRCC’s secretive procedures bring to mind old-time machine politics, where party bosses pull the strings. The parallels to Chicago or Tammany Hall serve as stark historical warnings about the risks of entrenched political machines.
The dysfunction at North Idaho College is a prime example of the results. KCRCC recommended trustees, while undoubtedly chosen with the intent of preserving conservative values, have demonstrated unacceptable temperament. They made poor decisions during contentious board meetings that put college accreditation at risk. Poor governance threatens not only the educational opportunities for students but also the economic growth of the broader community. The KCRCC’s recommendations prioritized well-connected insiders, rather than competent leaders of sound judgment.
Last year, the KCRCC’s recommended ballot opposed the Coeur d'Alene school levy, endangering essential funding for programs and maintenance, and drawing significant backlash from parents. The levy’s defeat would have harmed local school children, and the committee’s stance revealed a significant disconnect from the priorities of families. The community demands ongoing support for education, and it increasingly distrusts KCRCC recommendations that hobble the future of our children. No doubt influenced by the presence of many newly elected precinct committeemen, this year’s KCRCC did not oppose the fiscally conservative school levies, this time.
Yet, the KCRCC recommendation process is inconsistent with core Republican values such as transparency and competition. It has undermined effective representation and led to poorly vetted, knee-jerk reactions. The ongoing crisis at North Idaho College is a clear reminder of the real-world consequences of machine politics. As we strive to build a healthier, more accountable community, voters are growing increasingly skeptical of the KCRCC’s recommendations.
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Dan Sheckler serves on the KCRCC as a Republican precinct committeeman. The opinions expressed above are his own, and not the views of the KCRCC.