Idaho Republicans have concluded months of political infighting over who should control the party and have elected Steve Yates to be the new leader of the state's GOP.
The state's central committee, which serves as the party's governing body, met Saturday in Boise to elect new party officers. The party has been without leadership ever since the state's chaotic GOP convention adjourned without electing any officers or passing any new platforms.
Yates is an Idaho Falls businessman and former aide to former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney. Yates moved to Idaho from Maryland three years ago.
Yates was voted in by a secret ballot. He ran against Mike Duff of Blackfoot and Doug Pickett of Oakley.
Yates says he knows he’s taking over the party at a volatile time, and thinks it may be a good thing he’s new to the state.
"I have not been in Idaho long enough to have enemies," he says. "So, we will learn quickly what kind of person I am and how I try and deal with people."