5.7.2026 - INTERVIEW: Secretary of State Phil McGrane, Idaho Primaries, Campaign Cash

Send us Fan MailThis morning felt like a full-on smorgasbord: we kicked around the national headlines (including cautious optimism about an Iran deal and Marco Rubio heading to Rome to meet with Pope Leo), but the center of gravity was Idaho politics with the primary just days away. We dug into what’s shaping up to be a high-stakes, faction-defining Republican primary season—especially in races like Julianne Young vs. Ben Ferman and Jim Guthrie vs. David Worley. Neal laid out why five constitutional officers jointly endorsing Senator Jim Guthrie is so unusual, and why it reads like institutional anxiety about that race—especially with longstanding frustration over bills getting “drawered” and lawmakers resorting to “radiator capping” to keep legislation alive.Secretary of State Phil McGrane joined us to talk election readiness, turnout trends, campaign finance transparency, and crossover voting. He defended endorsing incumbents (including Guthrie) while still emphasizing election integrity and “radical transparency,” and he noted that money this cycle seems more concentrated in a handful of hot races rather than spread statewide. We also opened up a listener flash poll—district by district—where texts and calls reinforced just how engaged (and opinionated) voters are right now. And because we all needed a breather from politics, Scott and Todd from Advanced Window Products stopped by with a one-day offer: $3,000 off when you buy 10 windows, plus talk on Idaho-specific window design, warranties, financing, and even built-in pet doors.### Highlights- Neal’s read on the five-constitutional-officer endorsement of Jim Guthrie: unusual, and a sign the race may be tighter than people think  - Phil McGrane on election operations, campaign finance transparency upgrades, and why big money is clustering in key districts  - Listener “flash poll” snapshot: who’s voting for whom across multiple eastern Idaho districts  - Advanced Window Products’ one-day $3,000-off promotion and why climate/altitude matters for window construction in Idaho  Let’s talk advertising. When you want to advertise on the radio, you call the station, right? But what about Facebook, Instagram, Hulu, Disney+, Peacock, and other streaming platforms?You could try clicking around, reading books, or taking online courses to figure it out—or you can let us handle it. At Sandhill Media Group, we’re your local experts in both radio and digital marketing.Visit SandhillMediaGroup.com today.<a href="https://www.sandhillmediagrou