Twin Falls County, Idaho has been heavily impacted by national politics in recent years. In the last presidential election, 25.7% of voters cast their ballots for the Democratic Party, 70.9% for the Republican Party, and the remaining 3.4% for Independents. Currently, Brad Little, a 68-year-old rancher and longtime Republican politician from Emmett, is running for his second term as governor of Idaho. Little previously served as Lieutenant Governor for 10 years and, like his father David, also served in the Idaho Senate.
As governor, he has the power to appoint people to various positions, commissions, and positions, from the Idaho State Board of Education to the Idaho Fisheries Commission, through county committees and legislative seats that remain vacant between elections. The proposed amendment to the Idaho Constitution known as Senate Joint Resolution 102 (SJR 102) appears on the ballot for the November general elections and would give the Idaho Legislature the authority to reconvene without the governor's approval if at least a 60% majority of both houses of the Idaho Legislature vote to hold a special session. This could have a significant impact on how politics are conducted in Twin Falls County. The governor delivers an annual speech and report to the Idaho Legislature, called the State of the State Address, submits an annual budget request to legislators and is the only person who has the authority to convene a special session of the Idaho Legislature.
Under the Idaho Constitution, he is responsible for ensuring that “laws are faithfully executed” and has the power to veto bills passed by the Idaho Legislature. The upcoming election will be an important one for Twin Falls County as it will determine whether Brad Little will be re-elected as governor or if one of his unconventional rivals will take his place. It will also decide whether SJR 102 will pass or not. Twin Falls County remains overwhelmingly Republican with 70.9% of voters casting their ballots for this party in the last presidential election.
The outcome of this election will be a major factor in determining how national politics continue to shape Twin Falls County's political landscape.
