McGrane takes Secretary of State GOP nominee place in close race

By Ruth Brown, Idaho Reports

In a tight race, Phil McGrane led the primary for the open Idaho Secretary of State’s seat on Tuesday night to be the GOP candidate.

Ada County Clerk Phil McGrane took 43.05% of the Republican vote, with 113,894 votes.

Rep. Dorothy Moon, of Stanley, trailed closely behind taking 41.44% of the vote, earning 109,637 votes.

Sen. Mary Souza, of Coeur d’Alene, took 15.52% of the vote, earning 41,057 votes.

The seat for Secretary of State opened up when its current holder, Lawerence Denney, chose not to run again.

McGrane will face Democrat Shawn Keenan in the November general election.

Ruth Brown | Producer

Ruth Brown grew up in South Dakota and her first job out of college was covering the South Dakota Legislature. She’s since moved on to Idaho lawmakers. Brown spent 10 years working in print journalism, including newspapers such as the Idaho Statesman and Idaho Press, where she’s covered everything from the correctional system to health care issues. She joined Idaho Reports in 2021 and looks forward to telling stories about how state policy can impact the lives of regular Idahoans.