Jim Jones claims to speak for reasonable Republicans. In his recent Post Register column, he cheers primary results as a win for moderates over “far-right” conservatives. But his real message is clear. He is boosting Todd Achilles, the so-called independent running for U.S. Senate.
This is not moderation. It is a betrayal of Idaho conservatives.
Todd Achilles is a far-left ideologue. He was one of the most liberal Democrats in the Idaho state legislature. He pushed hard for ranked choice voting and a jungle primary that he tried to sell as a simple “open primary.” These ideas weaken Republican majorities and help the left.
Achilles left the Democratic Party to run as an independent. This is a common trick for candidates with a radical record who cannot win in deep-red Idaho. He talks like national progressives, attacking wealth, billionaires, and traditional conservative positions.
Voting for Todd Achilles is conservative suicide. It tells Democrats and leftists that Idaho is now in play. If Achilles wins or even comes close, it sends a loud signal that our state is vulnerable and ready for the taking. It empowers the left to flood Idaho with money and organizers in future elections.
Jim Jones knows this history. Yet he calls Achilles a “regular guy,” a veteran, and a businessman who can “work with both sides.” Jones ignores Achilles’ real record.
Jones himself is badly out of touch. The man acts like he still runs Idaho politics from his retirement chair. He spends his time attacking solid conservatives. Good folks like Raul Labrador who fights in court for Idaho families, traditional values, and against federal overreach, Jones writes columns tearing all of them down. This is the same Jones who mocks “America First” and Kootenai County Republicans.
He lives in an elite bubble. He pushes ideas popular in Boise liberal circles but rejected by everyday Idahoans in farming towns, mining communities, and rural counties. His endorsement of Achilles shows how disconnected he has become from the conservative Idaho that built this state’s success.
Idaho does not need rebranded Democrats or deceptive electoral schemes. We built our strength by standing firm on conservative principles.
Self-respecting Republicans see through this game. Todd Achilles is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Jim Jones is helping him dress up. Idaho conservatives must reject both in November and keep our state on the right path.