Sauter seems aligned with Idaho's Democrats

In the debate about Representative Sauter’s failure to accurately represent the Republicans of North Idaho, we seem to have forgotten that he was unable to garner support from even 40% of LD1 Republican voters in last year’s May primary. The only reason he was able to win the seat is that he drew substantial support from Democrats who had been urged to register as Republicans for the primary by front groups like North Idaho Voter Services (please see their March 10, 2022, email suggesting just that) and there were four other primary candidates splitting the vote.

Given that, and the fact that Sauter was never even tangentially involved in the grassroots organization of the Republican Party here in Bonner County, it should come as no surprise that he doesn’t actually represent Republicans or vote in sympathy with the Republican platform. The debate only continues because the 3,000-odd Democrats in Bonner County and their allies desperately need to convince the 20,000-odd registered Republicans in Bonner County that Mark Sauter is a Republican, knowing that he can’t win re-election if he runs as the Democrat with whose values his voting record actually aligns.

Though Sauter was able to fake his way into the Republican nomination the first time around because he didn’t have a record, it won’t be so easy this time around now that he’s established one of voting with the Democrats on issues the actual Republicans of Bonner County care deeply about.

ANITQ AURIT

Sandpoint