Bryan Smith was elected as the Idaho GOP national committeeman at a special meeting of the Republican State Central Committee on Saturday in Boise.

“I look forward to serving Idaho and the Idaho Republican Party as we continue working to save our nation and our state,” Smith said in a statement on his website.

Smith has served as Idaho GOP Region 7 chairman from 2014-2016 and the Idaho GOP 2nd vice chairman from 2018-2020 and is experienced in GOP fundraising, the party said in a release. Since 2022, he has served as the Bonneville County state committeeman.

In a July 21 interview with the Post Register, Idaho GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon explained the process for selecting a new national committeeman.

“People will be nominated and seconded. There will be a nominating speech and a second speech from people who support different candidates,” Moon said.

The voting Saturday was conducted by secret ballot on paper ballots by members of the state central committee, Moon said.

According to an IDGOP news release, Smith’s nomination was made by Nina Beesley, chairwoman of Legislative District 3. Dale Mortimer, state committeeman from Jefferson County, seconded the nomination.

The race was uncontested, and “Smith won the seat by acclamation,” the release said. He will serve through the next state GOP convention in 2024.

“I want to offer my heartfelt appreciation to everyone who supported me, to our state chairwoman, Dorothy Moon, and to Nina Beasley and Dale Mortimer for their outstanding nominating speeches,” Smith said in his statement.

According to state party bylaws (Article 1, Section 10), “such appointee shall serve until a successor is duly chosen at the next presidential year Republican State Convention.”

Smith will travel to Milwaukee to participate in his first RNC meeting later this month.

“I am excited to announce that Bryan will be joining Idaho’s delegation at the RNC summer meeting in August, and working with our team as we prepare for the 2024 Idaho Republican Presidential Caucus and 2024 RNC Convention in Milwaukee,” Moon said in the release. “Bryan brings years of dedicated service to our party.”

The Post Register reached out to Smith for comment, but he was unavailable by press time.

Smith’s election fills a vacancy following the resignation of Damond Watkins as Idaho GOP national committeeman on June 24 at the Idaho GOP summer meeting in Challis.

Watkins has said that the resignation was made “under duress.”

However, in a July 14 letter, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, RNC General Counsel Michael Whatley and RNC Chief Counsel Matthew Raymer said, “From the RNC’s standpoint, your written resignation to your state party chair is dispositive, and you are no longer the NCM as of its effective date.”

Smith authored the August 2022 petition that called for a special meeting of the Idaho GOP State Central Committee to investigate Watkins. The petition asked the committee to “determine whether Idaho’s National Committeeman’s position is vacant, or alternatively, whether Idaho’s National Committeeman shall be removed from office.”

Smith originally ran against Watkins for the national committeeman position at the GOP state convention in 2020, and lost by one vote, Watkins told the Post Register previously.

If the RNC approves his credentials, Smith will be one of three Idaho representatives to the Republican National Committee. Moon and Idaho GOP National Committeewoman Cindy Siddoway also represent the state party on the RNC.