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Idaho Extremism

The names running Idaho's far right.

Every dossier is one person — who they are, who's paying them, what they've been up to, and where they fit in the network. New ones drop as each case gets locked in.

Portrait of Branden Durst
Statewide (IDGOP First Vice Chair race)· Operative
Branden Durst
2026 Idaho GOP First Vice Chair Candidate · Idaho Family Policy Center Senior Policy Fellow · Former WBCSD Superintendent

Resigned the Idaho Senate as a Democrat in 2013. Court-issued protection order during his 2022 Superintendent run. Recalled at West Bonner in 90 days. Now wants to run the Idaho GOP.

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Portrait of Chris Trakel
Senate District 11 (Caldwell / Canyon County)· Candidate
Chris Trakel
2026 Republican Primary Challenger · Idaho Senate District 11 · Former Senator

Caldwell R who used a state senator’s microphone to threaten a volunteer school board with litigation. Network spent $7,770 on the 2026 rematch — lost to Camille Blaylock again, 59-41.

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Portrait of David Reilly
Post Falls · Kootenai County· Operative
David Reilly
Backlash Podcast Host · Idaho Tribune Operator · Former IFF Communications Contractor

Charlottesville. Identity Evropa. Sines v. Kessler. IFF hired him anyway. "Nick Fuentes is right about the Jews" on his podcast; Holocaust-minimization posts on his X.

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Portrait of Ryan Spoon
Ada County · Boise· Operative
Ryan Spoon
Ada County GOP Vice Chair · Former Idaho Freedom PAC Head · IFF-Network Operative

California transplant. Idaho voters declined to elevate him three times. Called ICE on a Republican legislator's farm. Helped elect a Democrat over the GOP nominee. Now Ada County GOP Vice Chair.

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Portrait of Brent Regan
Coeur d'Alene · Kootenai County· Operative
Brent Regan
KCRCC Chair · IFF Board Chair · IDGOP Rules Committee Chair

Triple chair: Kootenai County GOP, IFF board, IDGOP Rules Committee. The body that scores legislators, the body that endorses challengers, and the body that writes the rules — one chairman.

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Portrait of Bryan Smith
Idaho Falls (LD 32)· Operative
Bryan Smith
IFF Vice Chair · Idaho GOP National Committeeman

Three failed primaries. Idaho Supreme Court ordered him to pay $127K for suing a woman over a $460 ER bill. Then he authored the petition that forced his RNC predecessor to resign — and took the seat.

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Portrait of Chad Christensen
Idaho House D32B (former) · D35A (2026 candidacy)· Operative
Chad Christensen
Former Idaho House D32B (R) · 2026 D35A candidate · IFF 98.6% Lifetime

98.6% IFF Freedom Index lifetime. Oath Keepers per AP. Defamation suit against a Republican strategist collapsed at summary judgment. Network spent $81,624 — lost 2026 primary to Mike Veile 56-44.

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Portrait of Christy Zito
Senate D8 · former House D23 (2016-2020) · former Senate D23 (2020-2022)· Gang of 8
Christy Zito
Idaho State Senator · District 8 · I2AA / Honor Idaho Political Director

Won the D8 R primary with 43.4% in a 3-way race. I2AA Political Director in Pruett’s network — five Pruett surfaces promote her. Network money in: $58,789.

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Portrait of Cliff Maloney
National (funds Idaho)· Operative
Cliff Maloney
CEO, Citizens Alliance of America · Owner, Mobilize the Message LLC

CAA paid him $195K in 2024. VA delegate Nick Freitas drew $161K. CAA PAC 2026 donor profile: over 72% from a Pennsylvania gaming-machine maker. Fired from YAL Jan 2021.

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Portrait of Clinton Hostetler
House D24A · Twin Falls· Gang of 8
Clinton Hostetler
Idaho House Representative · District 24A · Twin Falls

First bill: $250M private-school voucher scheme. Voted to ask SCOTUS to overturn same-sex marriage. Chemtrails activist. Two $881 tax liens recorded against him in 2025 while sitting in office.

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Portrait of David Leavitt
House D25B · Twin Falls· Gang of 8
David Leavitt
Idaho House Representative · District 25 Seat B · Twin Falls

Magic Valley Miracle Four. 2024 freshman. Voted against HB 445 water in his irrigated-ag district. Network spent $84,820 on him — lost 2026 primary to Cherie Vollmer 55-45.

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Portrait of David Worley
Senate D28· Candidate
David Worley
Idaho State Senate Candidate · District 28

Lost the 2026 D28 R primary to incumbent Jim Guthrie, 53-47. Relieved of Idaho National Guard command. Sued claiming Christian persecution; federal court dismissed. Network money in: $149,428.

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Portrait of Doyle Beck
Idaho Falls· Operative
Doyle Beck
IFF Board Member · Citizens Alliance Donor · Bonneville County Operator

IFF board member. Citizens Alliance personal donor. Lost a $1M Idaho Supreme Court judgment in 2012 (Printcraft). 2016 AG settlement on a hidden PAC contribution. Covertly recorded Idaho's GOP chair.

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Portrait of Dustin Hurst
Idaho· Operative
Dustin Hurst
IFPAC Treasurer · Honor Idaho Registered Agent · PUP Senior Director of Development

An Idaho judge granted a three-year civil stalking injunction against him in late 2023 after a hearing. He still moves the money for Idaho Freedom PAC.

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Portrait of Faye Thompson
House D8B · McCall / Valley County· Gang of 8
Faye Thompson
Idaho House Representative · District 8B · McCall

First-term R who beat sitting Majority Leader Megan Blanksma in 2024 by 221 votes. 94.7% IFF 2026 index. Zito’s D8 House counterpart. $51,846 in — lost 2026 to Brian Beckley 59-41.

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Portrait of Glenneda Zuiderveld
Idaho Senate · District 24 (Camas / Gooding / Twin Falls)· Gang of 8
Glenneda Zuiderveld
Idaho State Senator · District 24

$127K in unpaid taxes 2006-2013. Six federal and state tax liens. Voted the fiscal-restraint script anyway. Network spent $109,194 to keep her — lost 2026 D26 primary to Brent Reinke 60-40.

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Portrait of Greg Pruett
Rigby, Idaho· Operative
Greg Pruett
Idaho Dispatch · ISAA / Honor Idaho · Keep Idaho Free · Propaganda Network Operator

Operates six Idaho-focused content surfaces under one identity. Admitted under oath to publishing an article under his own name that someone else wrote. Admitted under oath to lying in proceedings.

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Portrait of John Heida
Canyon County, Idaho· Operative
John Heida
Stop Idaho RINOs PAC · Liberty Idaho PAC · Canyon County GOP

His PAC fabricated a Playboy cover with the face of a sitting Republican legislator who chaired the House Education Committee. Distributed it at primary scale. She lost.

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Portrait of Joshua Kohl
Senate D25 · Twin Falls· Gang of 8
Joshua Kohl
Idaho State Senator · District 25 · Twin Falls

Lost the 2026 D25 R primary to Casey Swensen, 58-42. Magic Valley Miracle Four freshman who beat 3-term Linda Wright Hartgen in 2024. Network money in: $103,655.

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Portrait of Karey Hanks
House D31 · Eastern Idaho· Candidate
Karey Hanks
Idaho House Candidate · District 31 · Eastern Idaho

Lost the 2026 D31 Seat B R primary to Rod Furniss, 58-42. Founding member of the Idaho Freedom Caucus. Backed by Citizens Alliance of Idaho. Network money in: $72,362.

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Portrait of Kent Marmon
House D11A · Caldwell· Gang of 8
Kent Marmon
Idaho House Representative · District 11A · Caldwell

Lost 4 elections (2010, 2012, 2014, 2022). Won in 2024 vs incumbent Yamamoto, 3x more money raised. Now scores 94.8% on IFF's 2026 loyalty index. Playbook in action.

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Portrait of Lucas Cayler
House D11B · Caldwell· Gang of 8
Lucas Cayler
Idaho House Representative · District 11B · Caldwell

Caldwell Republican, 97.5% IFF 2026 loyalty index. Marmon’s paired D11 partner. Network spent $86,439 — lost the 2026 primary to Debbie Geyer 53-47.

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Portrait of Maria Nate
Idaho · National Network· Operative
Maria Nate
Idaho Director, State Freedom Caucus Network

Per InvestigateWest's reporting on a leaked tape, Nate transmitted YAL's $1.1M Idaho funding threat to a sitting senator. 16 Idaho legislators walked away the next day. She kept her job.

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Portrait of Mark Fitzpatrick
Statewide· Governor Candidate
Mark Fitzpatrick
Candidate for Idaho Governor

Eagle saloon owner running for Governor. His 2025 Hetero Awesome Fest platformed Reilly's "no black people" remark about Boise and a speaker calling Idaho's Jewish population "far too high."

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Portrait of Ron Nate
Rexburg (former Idaho House D34)· Operative
Ron Nate
President, Idaho Freedom Foundation

Twice unseated by his own party — by 159 votes in 2018, 36 votes in 2022. Now IFF's face. Authored the byline that pre-installed the anti-Guthrie attack 22 months before Worley filed.

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Portrait of Scott Herndon
Senate D1 · North Idaho· Freedom Caucus Leader
Scott Herndon
Former Idaho State Senator · District 1 · Returning IFC Chair Candidate · 2026 R primary

Won D1 primary 54-46 vs Jim Woodward. Called a teenage incest-rape victim’s required pregnancy “an opportunity.” Lost 2024 by 613 votes. Network money in: $184,338.

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