When I relocated from Seattle to North Idaho two decades ago, I was 29 years old and searching for a place to start a family and be successful. At the time, Idaho was a Republican stronghold, but that started to shift in the 70s when population growth due to immigration began to modify the dynamics. I began my journalistic career in Boise in the early 70s and for several years covered the Idaho legislature for the Idaho Statesman and later for Idaho Public Television. It's easy to assume that rapid migration to Idaho would tend to moderate their politics, but Jeffrey Lyons, a political scientist at Boise State University, said the figures don't back up this speculation. He told KTVB in Boise last fall that Idaho is second only to Texas in the places favored by its citizens who leave a blue state, usually California, to settle in a red state. My family and I will vote to keep Idaho in the red and protect its ideals.
We understand that the political landscape has changed over time, but we are devoted to preserving the values that make Idaho such an amazing place to live.
