Mary Souza speaks at her campaign launch for Idaho GOP Chairwoman on June 6. | Courtesy Zoom broadcast.

COEUR D’ALENE — Mary Souza, a former two-term state senator and critical care nurse from Coeur d’Alene, unveiled her bid for Idaho GOP chairwoman at an event in northern Idaho Thursday.

She will be running against current Idaho GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon. The election will be decided by 634 Idaho GOP delegates from each county on June 15 at the state convention, also held in Coeur d’Alene.

Souza said that extremism has taken over the Idaho Republican Party.

“We didn’t see it coming. It snuck up on us — with the extreme views that came into our party, unbeknownst to some of us — and we never thought it would take off,” she said. “But you get enough people that will be brought over to their, this way of thinking, and you will get a cult. That’s kind of what it’s becoming.”

During the news conference, Souza repeatedly referred to legislators and the political climate in Bonneville County.

She mentioned the Republican platform enforcement hearings in which Sens. Kevin Cook, Dave Lent, Reps. Stephanie Mickelsen, Wendy Horman and Barbara Ehardt were accused of not voting in line with the party platform.

“Those people on the Central Committee did not elect these legislators. They were elected by the people in their precincts in their districts, and that’s what we need to respect,” Souza said.

She also cited voters’ preferences in the recent May 21 primary in which the composition of the Bonneville County GOP Central Committee “flipped.”

She said she “opposes tribunals.” She would also support holding elections rather than caucuses to select political candidates and nominees.

Souza said collaboration is the best way to approach governance.

As an example, Souza highlighted her work with Ehardt, a former NCAA Division 1 women’s basketball coach, co-sponsoring the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act.

“We listened to each other, and that was the issue,” Souza said. “I learned from her. She learned from me. We respected each other. … We didn’t vote the same way all the time.”

The act requires student athletes to compete on teams that correspond with their biological sex.

“Idaho was the first state to put this protection into law, while dozens of states followed suit thereafter,” she said.

Souza has previously served as Vice-Chairwoman of the Health and Welfare and Commerce committees.

She described herself as a leader that respects everyone with their diverse views and opinions.

“What we need is leadership that respects all of us,” she said. “We talked about the big tent. We talked about why we need to allow other people to have their views, and they don’t have to be exactly the same as ours. We talked about that, but that’s not what we have right now.”

According to a news release, she has “advocated for parental choice options in education while balancing the need for public schools.“

“I am running to restore unity within our party and to reaffirm our dedication to the conservative values that have long defined the Republican spirit,” Souza said in the release. “Our party stands at a crossroads, and it is essential that we come together to support the robust agenda set forth by President Donald Trump, to secure our southern border, and to protect Idaho from the scourge of drugs like marijuana and fentanyl. The future of our state and our nation depends on our ability to stand united against the threats that challenge our way of life.

“Together, we can achieve great things for Idaho. It’s time to come together, as one unified Republican Party, and secure a brighter future for our state.”

Watch Souza’s announcement in the video player above.