On Tuesday, May 19, Magic Valley Republican voters will decide whether to reelect our four Magic Valley incumbents (Zuiderveld, Hostetler, Leavitt and Kohl) or replace them with new ‘conservative’ challengers.
Folks, the primary election is THE election NOT to miss because it’s when voters pick who represents their party in the November general election. Your vote on Tuesday, May 19 has THE most impact.
To best answer who genuinely has the interests of Magic Valley voters at heart, we bypassed the piles of off-putting and misleading direct-mail cramming your mailbox and jamming your social media feeds and went directly to who, or what, is funding their campaigns. In other words, we just followed the money.
Brent Reinke is challenging Sen. Glenneda Zuiderveld (Dist 24)
Alexandra Caval is challenging Rep. Clint Hostetler (Dist 24)
Casey Sewensen is challenging Sen. Josh Kohl (Dist 25)
Cherie Vollmer is challenging Rep. David Leavitt (Dist 25)
When both incumbents and challengers are claiming to be conservatives, how can you tell them apart?
One need look no further than the Idaho Sunshine Report of campaign contributions.
Corporate/PAC Contributions – $1000
- Idaho Land Fund – Vollmer
- Idaho Wheat and Barley PAC – Vollmer, Reinke
- PAC for Public Lands – Vollmer, Caval
- Idaho Potato Industry PAC, Inc. – Vollmer, Caval, Reinke
- Idaho State AFL-CIO State PAC – Vollmer, Reinke
- Idaho Farm Bureau Federation Political Action Committee – Vollmer, Caval, Reinke
- Healthcare Business Ventures Inc – Caval
- Idaho Hospital Association PAC – Caval, Reinke
- Healthcare Matters PAC – Caval, Reinke
- Idaho Dairy Industry PAC INC – Swensen
- SRSGA INC – Swensen
- Idaho Prosperity Fund – Swensen
- Valley Food Service, Inc – Swensen, Caval
- Title Fact – Swensen
- Leading Idaho PAC – Caval, Reinke
- Idaho Consumer-Owned Utilities Association PAC – Reinke
- Idahos Future PAC – Reinke
- Professional Firefighters of Idaho Political Action Committee – Reinke
- Healthcare Business Ventures Inc – Reinke
TOTAL: $19,000
And for the record, NONE of these big dog donors reside in the Magic Valley.
It’s an open secret that politicians answer first to their biggest donors that fuel their campaigns. So, it begs the question, what are these 19 big-buck outsider donors expecting from these challengers in return for their investment?
Keep in mind, these are just the $1000 contributions that helped fund some of the worst direct-mail lies we’ve ever seen against our incumbents. There are many more special interest donations under $1000 listed at Idaho Sunshine Report than space would allow here.
To put their $19,000 in perspective, below are the $1000 contributions made to our conservative incumbents.
- Idaho Chooses Life – Zuiderveld
- Idaho Summit PAC – Hostetler, Kohl
- MVLA PAC, Inc – Hostetler, Kohl
- SMC Properties LLC – Hostetler, Leavitt
- Idaho House Republican Caucus – Hostetler, Leavitt
- Galaxeagle LLC – Hostetler
- Happy Hippo LLC – Leavitt
- Smith, Driscoll & Associates, PLLC – Leavitt
- Senate Republican PAC of Idaho – Kohl
TOTAL: $9,000
Notice that of the nine, only five are corporate. The vast majority of donations come from private citizens in the Magic Valley. FYI: Smith Driscoll & Associates is owned by conservative Idahoan Bryan Smith, who has run for office and has served on the board of Idaho Freedom Foundation.
The Choice
As with the 2024 primary election, in which our fabulous four conservative challengers beat incumbent RINOS, and by wide margins, this year’s primary election is once again a David vs Goliath story of grassroots vs corporate-sponsored candidates.
Okay Magic Valley. Let’s do again what we did in 2024. Let’s send the corporate interests packing on election day, this time by reelecting these proven conservative grassroot incumbents.
Magic Valley voters are NOT for sale.
Sen. Zuiderveld Rep. Hostetler
