Idaho GOP to Bundy: Get lost

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The state's Republican Party is welcoming all GOP candidates to the 2022 primary races.

Well, almost all.

On Friday, Idaho GOP Chairman Tom Luna released a blistering statement about the anticipated candidacy of Ammon Bundy for governor.

Bundy was arrested twice in two hours in April on misdemeanor trespassing charges at the Statehouse in Boise. Last August, he was barred from the Capitol grounds for one year and prohibited from coming to the public areas of the building.

On May 21, Bundy filed paperwork with the Secretary of State's office to collect donations in a quest for Idaho governor.

"Last month, I reaffirmed the Idaho Republican Party’s stance in the upcoming 2022 primary elections, Luna said in a statement. "We will be fair and uniformed for all registered Republicans running for office, and we will keep that commitment.

However, Luna said it had recently come to party officials' attention that Ammon Bundy intended to declare his candidacy in the Republican primary for the governor of Idaho. That news, he added, warranted a response.

"First, Mr. Bundy is currently not registered to vote in Idaho, and he is not even registered as a Republican," Luna said. "Furthermore, we do not support his antics or his chaotic political theater. That is not the Idaho Republican Party, and we will not turn a blind eye to his behaviors.

"To be clear, I was elected chairman of the Idaho Republican Party to unite all Republicans to share and celebrate conservative values and preserve our traditional way of life. Conversely, Ammon Bundy wishes to divide our party, openly supports defunding the police, and has known alliances with the radical factions of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

"Republicans are the party of law and order, and Ammon Bundy is not suited to call himself an Idaho Republican, let alone run for Governor of our great state."