Dorothy Moon was re-elected as Idaho GOP Chair by a vote of 376-228 at the Idaho Republican State Convention on Saturday.

After serving three terms in the Idaho Legislature as State Representative for District 8, Moon was elected to serve as the chairwoman of the Idaho Republican Party in July of 2022.

This year, Moon was being challenged by Mary Souza of Coeur d’Alene, a former member of the Idaho State Senate who announced her campaign a week before the convention.

Mary Souza challenges Idaho Republican Party Chairwoman Dorothy Moon ahead of convention in Coeur d’Alene.

Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea released the following statement in response to Moon’s re-election: “Today’s re-election of Dorothy Moon further entrenched the extremists who have taken over the Idaho Republican Party. If my grandmother — a Reagan Republican born and raised in Idaho — were alive today, she would not believe what has become of the party. While the Idaho GOP becomes unrecognizable to traditional Republicans, I invite voters of all political stripes to get to know their local Democratic candidates.”

“If you want to stop the school closures and cuts to educational services, your best bet is voting for Idaho Democrats,” Necochea continued. “If you want to protect Launch scholarships, which build our future workforce, your best bet is voting for Idaho Democrats. If you want to protect your local libraries from drowning in frivolous lawsuits, your best bet is voting for Idaho Democrats. And if you want to see our reproductive freedoms restored, you must vote for Idaho Democrats this November.”

COEUR D’ALENE (Idaho Capital Sun) — Idaho Republican Party Chairwoman Dorothy Moon was reelected to a second two-year term at North Idaho College during the final day of the 2024 Republican State Convention. 

On Saturday, the Idaho Republican Party Secretary Maria Nate announced that Moon, who lives outside of Stanley, defeated challenger Mary Souza. Souza, of Coeur d’Alene, is a former member of the Idaho Senate who announced her campaign for party chairperson last week. 

RELATED | WATCH: Dorothy Moon on why she believes she’s united the party and her plans if reelected

The leadership election brought to a close the most secretive Idaho Republican State Convention in at least a decade. Reporters were not allowed to attend any committee meetings, business meetings or attend the convention’s general session on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. This is a departure from recent Idaho GOP state conventions, when reporters were allowed to attend and cover the general sessions, which is where delegates vote on the party platform, rules and resolutions. All of those votes happened behind closed doors.

A Republican official led four reporters into the convention’s general session at about 1:30 p.m. Pacific time Saturday, shortly before Moon was nominated for a second term as party chairwoman. Moon received a loud standing ovation from many of the hundreds of GOP delegates, alternates and guests at the general session. Many of them chanted “Dorothy! Dorothy! Dorothy!” after Moon delivered a short speech. 

Moon won by a vote of 376 to 228, Nate announced.

In other leadership races, Nate announced that Mark Fuller of Bonneville County was elected first vice chair of the Idaho Republican Party, defeating Wayne Hurst of Cassia County.

Moon says her emphasis is to honor the state GOP platform

Moon was first elected chairwoman of the Idaho Republican Party in 2022, defeating former Idaho GOP Chairman Tom Luna. Moon will continue to lead the party for the next two years.

In an interview with the Idaho Capital Sun on Thursday, Moon described herself as a hard-worker and rule-follower, which she said are two traits that help her succeed in leading the party. Moon told the Sun she works about 120 hours a week and has been averaging three hours of sleep recently as she prepared for the GOP convention. 

“People have told me they have never seen anybody work harder in this position, and I believe that,” Moon told the Sun on Thursday.

“My vision has always been clear – just follow the rules, honor the platform,” Moon added. “That’s what I’ve always espoused.”

Delegates from counties across Idaho voted in the leadership races, which were conducted by written ballots, Nate said. Nate announced the vote at about 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

The leadership election was the final item on the agenda for the secretive, three-day convention that played out behind closed doors. Reporters were blocked from attending all GOP Committee meetings Thursday and Friday and blocked from attending the convention’s general session on Friday afternoon at North Idaho College, a publicly funded institution of higher education that the Idaho GOP rented space at. 

This year’s restrictions on media access were a departure from previous Idaho Republican state conventions, where reporters were allowed to attend and cover the general sessions.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)-An Idaho Falls man has been arrested for aggravated battery, ensuing chaos in an Idaho Falls neighborhood, and causing a SWAT response from the Idaho Falls Police Department.

The suspect is identified as 47-year-old, James Schumacher.

He was arrested for slapping a person on the face and making a threatening statement. He then damaged a second person’s vehicle causing $3,000 in damages.

Schumacher then hit a third person in the face with a rusty metal serrated edged gardening tool.

A fourth person came outside of their residence when they heard the commotion armed with a paintball gun loaded with pepperballs.

Schumacher swung a sign at the fourth person, who then shot and hit Schumacher with a pepperball with no effect. Schumacher went back to his property and threw rocks at the other people.

At that point, Officers began arriving on scene. Officers told Mr. Schumacher, who was standing on his porch, he was under arrest and gave commands for him to come to the officers. Schumacher retreated inside his residence and barricaded himself inside. Officers made several attempts to speak to Schumacher by calling his phone and using a PA system without any response from Schumacher.

Schumacher, an Idaho Falls resident, was arrested for Felony aggravated battery, felony aggravated assault, felony malicious in injury to property, and misdemeanor resisting and obstructing.

He was also cited for misdemeanor battery, misdemeanor attempted battery, and misdemeanor disturbing the peace.

He is currently booked into the Bonneville County Jail.

(This information is from an Idaho Falls Police Department press release. The original author is Public Information Officer Jessica Clements)