“Rated & Vetted” was never a grassroots standard. It was a political branding scheme — invented by Kootenai County Republican Central Committee Chairman, Brent Regan, and sold as a seal of approval for candidates loyal to his inner circle.

Nothing has done more to divide Republicans in Kootenai County — just as Regan designed.

For years, voters were told the label meant “quality.” But the 2025 fall races show the truth — the same pattern, the same players, and the same inclination to pass off major red flags as quality.

Hayden: KCRCC parliamentarian and Hayden City Council candidate Luke Sommer — arrested in 2021 after a drunken altercation in which his brother told police he was “too drunk to drive” and “should know better” — is once again on the ballot. In a separate federal court matter unrelated to that case, family members described Sommer as “controlling,”“manipulative,” and “volatile.” Read more here.

NIR endorses incumbent Ed DePriest and former Green Beret Dave Erickson for Hayden City Council.

Post Falls: Mayoral candidate Randy Westlund promotes a religious fundamentalist vision of government that contradicts the 19th Amendment and the principles of our Constitutional Republic.

NIR endorses incumbent Mayor Ron Jacobson

Coeur d’Alene: Mayoral candidate Debbie Loffman surrendered her California real-estate license after findings of “dishonest dealing” — yet the KCRCC endorsed her anyway.

NIR endorses Dan Gookin For Mayor

It’s a pattern — and the public is paying the price. There’s no greater example than the lost millions and national embarrassment at North Idaho College, driven by “Rated & Vetted” trustees who followed Regan’s orders instead of the law.See The Full Slate of Candidates We Endorse HERE

Because This Isn't New, here's what "Rated & Vetted" has meant in practice:Two endorsed legislators with tax-evasion convictions — one even stole timber from public land to build his house and never repaid taxpayers. One went to prison and one still serves in our Legislature.A legislator who wrote a letter of support for a convicted rapist - after the guilty verdict.A lawmaker with two DUI convictions.

Sean Alex Barron, a former KCRCC officer and Rated & Vetted state-senate candidate entered an Alford plea to lesser charges after being charged with rape and child-abuse (the same man once declared in a campaign speech: “What would you kill for?”).

A school-board trustee was arrested on Easter weekend after admitting to smoking cocaine and driving under the influence — one of two DUI’s she pled guilty to this year.

‍A water-board candidate was caught visiting multiple massage parlors during a major sex trafficking investigation – according to the police report, he told police he believed an employee was potentially underage but kept going back.

A sheriff currently facing multiple civil lawsuits for abuse of power.

While serving as treasurer of the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee (KCRCC), a sitting Idaho legislator was fined twice for signing two checks—one from the KCRCC and one from the Idaho Freedom Caucus—to benefit her own campaign.

The Idaho Secretary of State ruled that this violated the state’s rules on independent expenditures, issuing a $1,000 fine for each check written to herself.

‍A library-board candidate was publicly opposed by his own son and daughter-in-law, who detailed years of emotional abuse.A former school-board candidate with documented ties to the Charlottesville rally — once backed by the KCRCC as a “quality” pick — now attacks local churches and community leaders in livestreams about “Zionism” and “Jewish control,” yet is still defended by Brent Regan as a ‘misunderstood’ conservative.

A legislator who attended the Malheur standoff, where armed militia members occupied public land, similar to Antifa taking over a government building.

A current appointed KCRCC executive committee member, Hari Heath, who once lived under a fake identity as a federal fugitive for over a decade, now publishes The People’s Pen, a controversial conspiracy-laced newspaper that has received over $200,000 in KCRCC funding. Heath actually resides in Benewah county — and he serves on that Republican central committee, too.

This isn’t a coincidence. It’s a political machine — and it’s been running unchecked for years. It’s not about finding quality candidates. It’s about demanding obedience in exchange for support.

‍Real Republicans earn trust;
Brent Regan’s machine demands obedience.
Obedience isn’t integrity.

Like it or not, these are the facts. Actions speak louder than words. North Idaho Republicans urges voters to verify the vetting before trusting the KCRCC brand. You can find our endorsements on our website.