On January 26, the Idaho House passed HB 13. It eliminates an election law that discriminates against incumbents, relative to the time limit for switching parties. Current law says incumbents can’t file to run for re-election if they changed parties during the previous five days. But all other primary candidates may get on the ballot even if they did switch parties during the previous five days.

A federal court enjoined the law last year, in Teton County Republican Central Committee v Hansen, 1:16cv-160. The incumbent sheriff of Teton County, Tony Liford, had switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party on the very day he filed to run for re-election in the 2016 Republican primary, but election officials had kept him off the Republican primary ballot because of his recent party switch. The Republican Party had then filed a lawsuit to overturn the restriction, and the judge restored Liford to the Republican primary ballot. He went on to win the Republican nomination and also he won the general election.