OPINION: One of Idaho’s most dramatic primary face-offs is the Distric…

Last Tuesday’s election in Virginia over adopting a redistricted — gerrymandered — congressional district map was, whatever else, dramatic. As the vote trickled in over a couple of hours, it stayed close almost always, and while the “no” side narrowly led most of the time, the “yes” side eventually prevailed.

Idaho doesn’t have a lot of election nights like that anymore, but the primary election about a month from now does have some unpredictability about it, and some races that could be close in the Republican primary, where most of the action will be.

A bunch of contests have emerged, pitting two clear sides against each other: mainstream candidates against the harder-edged contenders aligned with the state party structure. Both have scored wins in recent years. In 2024, the state party side seemed to get the better of it. This year, especially in the Magic Valley, we’ll see if a pushback attempt succeeds.

One of those contests stands out for the stark choices involved and the unmistakability of whatever the voters decide. That is the race for the Idaho Senate in District 6, which includes Moscow, part of Lewiston and rural areas around them.

It’s a district that in theory might have been designed for something resembling moderation, but has not turned out to be. Moscow is nearly central, but its university community is offset by a large religious group development. The district’s senator is third-term Republican Dan Foreman, of Moscow. His challenger is Lori McCann, of Lewiston, a Republican House member appointed in 2021 and elected twice since.