With just a few weeks until Election Day, it’s officially political ad season. Ad spending on Proposition 1 has blown up over the past month – each side spending hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to sway votes.
Idahoans for Open Primaries sponsors Prop 1, which would get rid of partisan primaries and introduce ranked choice voting for general elections.
According to campaign finance reports, the group spent more than $350,000 on advertising, brochures, yard signs and other swag since Sept. 11.
That includes an ad that began airing this week featuring Marv Hagedorn, a former Idaho state representative and senator who served for more than 10 years as a Republican.
“As a U.S. Navy veteran, I fought for our freedom and our right to vote. But today, independent voters can’t vote in the elections I fought to protect,” Hagedorn said in the ad.
He’s referring to the closed GOP primary, which only registered Republicans can vote in. Those primary contests historically represent the majority of contested elections and often result in the ultimate winner of the seat.
Current House Speaker Mike Moyle (R-Star) is one of the primary opponents of the initiative. His PAC, Idaho Rising, has spent $240,000 on ads so far – and he’s starred in at least one himself.
“This is not good for Idaho,” said Moyle. “This is not an Idaho issue. It’s one being forced upon you and if it does pass, it will not help Idaho. It will make Idaho worse.”
A handful of other groups, including one backed by Idaho’s richest man, Frank Vandersloot, have also spent tens of thousands of dollars opposing Prop 1.
As of Thursday, Idahoans for Open Primaries has raised more than $3 million, according to state records – two thirds of it from out of state.
Copyright 2024 Boise State Public Radio
