Commentary

The national election results present us with real hope. A functioning Republican Congress should serve as a wall against further erosion of American values under this president. There is even reason to hope that we can begin pushing back President Obama’s deadly agenda, particularly as it relates to his obsessive assault on religious liberty.

One would hope to see the Congress present legislation to the White House which codifies the Hobby Lobby rulings. And there is real hope that we might see the beginning of the end to ObamaCare. The president’s nominees to the federal bench ought to receive rather rough treatment as well; perhaps we can avoid some of his more radical nominations.

At the state level, we are pleased to report that our endorsed statewide candidates won election, turning back one of the most radical pro-abortion Democrat tickets in memory. Particularly gratifying is the victory of Lawerence Denney and Ron Crane. As we noted earlier – Mr. Crane’s opponent is a Board Member of Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest. It was horrible to contemplate that such a person could gain a constitutional office in the great State of Idaho.

Most of our endorsed candidates for the Legislature won as well – though there were some losses which are hard to accept. Reps. Cindy Agidius (Moscow) lost. It was a blessing to have her in the Legislature, particularly because her district has normally sent us some of the most rabid abortion advocates in Idaho.

Our good friend Rep. Thyra Stevenson (Lewiston) is behind by just 26 votes – and we are hoping to hear that a recount will be conducted quickly. It would be a real shame to lose her. Perhaps the Lord will yet give us a miracle here.

Speaking of the Legislature, we spent much of the night worrying about Rep. Lynn Luker in Boise’s District 15. He was behind most of the night, but the Lord was merciful as he eventually prevailed by some 416 votes.

Results from Ada County were quite anomalous. As the nation and Idaho overwhelmingly chose a more conservative path, voters in Ada County were voting Democratic. Most of the statewide Republican ticket lost in Ada, some by considerable margins. This dynamic no doubt explains why the Luker election was so dramatic.

The superior Democrat turn-out machine in Ada County did cost us an important race: Republican Mike Chilton was defeated by a Democrat in the Coroner’s race. We have come to see the coroner office as an important one for the pro-Life movement – particularly in the era of ObamaCare. It is a real shame that Chilton lost this contest as he is one of the most solid candidates we’ve supported over the years.