Jonathan Parker and Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID)
Republicans have elected a former Tea Party congressman to lead a troubled state party after the previous chair’s stalking scandal.
By a narrow, 2-vote margin, the Idaho Republican Party on Saturday elected former Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID) to chair the organization, the Post Register reports.
The preceding elected chairman, Jonathan Parker, stepped down in February, citing his commitment to his wife.
In May, Parker was arrested on a felony charge of first-degree stalking of his wife and is facing five years in prison.
The criminal complaint alleges Parker of “repeatedly hiding in bushes, masturbating, disguising himself with a wig.”
“Labrador was elected to Congress in 2010 and became one of the most high-profile members of the House Freedom Caucus, and he is popular among the Idaho Republican Party’s further-right wing,” the newspaper reminded. “He didn’t seek another term in 2018, instead running for governor and losing the GOP primary to now-Gov. Brad Little.”
Labrador’s passionate support for President Donald Trump may […]