National Liberal Groups Distraught About Prop 1’s Massive Defeat

Two national liberal organizations are expressing their frustration that Idaho crushed Proposition 1 by nearly 40%.

Prop 1 was meant to be a turning point in Idaho for liberals. It would have implemented a California-style jungle primary by putting all candidates, regardless of party affiliation, onto one ballot. The top four vote receivers then move on to the general election, where Ranked Choice Voting determines the winner.

Idahoans overwhelmingly rejected the measure despite nearly $5 million being spent to promote the false narrative that Prop 1 would have “restored open primaries.”

Two groups that helped push the measure were nationwide groups that have been pushing liberal issues across the country for years: Babe Vote and Unite America.

Babe Vote is a youth-focused organization that mobilizes liberal youth voters, such as college students. It is active in local, state, and federal races and issues and has previously been active in other races and issues in Idaho.

On X, Babe Vote posted the following:

“With Open Primaries & Ranked Choice Voting, Alaska elected legislators formed a coalition that focuses on the priorities of voters, rather than divisive issues. Idaho could have done this, too. But…politics. #idpol“

The post by Babe Vote references Alaska, which has a system similar to what Prop 1 would have done. Alaska appears to be on its way to repealing RCV, but its election results won’t be finalized until November 20.

Idaho’s conservatives warned that Prop 1 would have begun turning Idaho more liberal. Prop 1 proponents said that was not true. Yet, the Babe Vote referenced a post on X that said Alaska had flipped its statehouse.

Andrew Timothy Gray is a liberal statehouse representative in Alaska who celebrated the statehouse flipping power. He posted on X,

“Great news! The Alaska State House has flipped. We now have a pro-education, pro-worker majority in charge, and I’m in it! The bipartisan coalition in the AK Senate held strong. Both bodies are ready to collaborate. Thank you, Alaska. Expect good things”

This is the post that Babe Vote shared. Conservatives rejected Prop 1 because they knew its real goal was to turn Idaho more liberal. Alaska is a red state that has shifted since they implemented RCV, and that’s what liberals wanted with Prop 1.

The other national group that tried to push Prop 1 was Unite America. Unite America tried to push RCV in multiple states and failed miserably. They were only successful in Washington, D.C.; no surprise there.

Unite America failed to pass RCV in liberal states like Colorado and Oregon.

Unite America spent millions in Idaho. They outspent the opposition by a considerable margin, which is not uncommon with liberal candidates/issues versus conservative candidates/issues.

Here is what Unite America said about their failure in Idaho:

“Groups associated with the far-right of the Idaho GOP used over-the-top rhetoric and imagery to paint an absurd picture of how Proposition 1, Idaho’s open primary initiative, would affect the state.”

It’s interesting that Unite America wants to talk about the “over-the-top rhetoric” of the groups opposing Prop 1 but doesn’t want to talk about the flat-out lies told by supporters of Prop 1. Primarily the massive lie that it would “restore open primaries” in Idaho. Or what the about the over-the-top rhetoric and lie that Independent voters were blocked from voting in Idaho’s elections?

An interesting side note to this story is that Amos Rothstein is part of Unite America and serves as a “Campaigns Advisor” for the organization. Rothstein was the former Executive Director of the Idaho Republican Party when Tom Luna was the Chairman of the IDGOP and a Communication Director for the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry.

Now, Rothstein is part of a nationwide liberal attempt to destroy elections as we know them and help liberals gain power? For someone who was the Executive Director of the Idaho GOP, it’s an interesting development.

With Prop 1’s failure, Idahoans can expect another battle in 2026, which will also bring in national groups. An abortion initiative is coming from Democrats, and the issue has been successful in other red states.

Conservatives would be wise to begin organizing and preparing now for the battle to protect life in 2026 rather than wait until then.

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Tags: Alaska, Amos Rothstein, Babe Vote, Prop 1, Proposition 1, Ranked Choice Voting, Tom Luna, Unite America

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