In a significant development on Tuesday, residents in Crook County, Oregon, made a resounding statement by giving their approval to the “Greater Idaho” measure, effectively signaling their support for the county to initiate efforts to secede from Oregon and become a part of Idaho.
The movement for parts of eastern Oregon to secede and join Idaho is gaining steam following an election this week. So far, 13 counties have voted in support of the idea. Voters in Idaho have yet to weigh in on the measure.
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With 53% of voters backing the measure, Crook County now stands as the 13th county in eastern Oregon to endorse this movement for secession.
Responding to the outcome, Greater Idaho Executive Director Matt McCaw expressed, “The voters of eastern Oregon have spoken loudly and clearly about their desire to see border talks move forward. With this latest result in Crook County, there’s no excuse left for the Legislature and Governor to continue to ignore the people’s wishes.”
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The push for secession stems from the desire of conservative residents in eastern Oregon to disassociate themselves from their liberal counterparts in the western part of the state, seeking to align with Idaho instead.
This movement has been fueled by stark ideological disparities concerning crime and social policies, creating a notable schism between the urban centers and rural areas and serving as a catalyst for the momentum toward secession.
If the secession efforts are successful, the border of Oregon would undergo a westward shift by 200 miles, as highlighted by the measure.
Emphasizing the rationale behind the movement, its official website stated, “The Oregon/Idaho line was established 163 years ago and is now outdated. It makes no sense in its current location because it doesn’t match the location of the cultural divide in Oregon.”
You can read the full statement from Greater Idaho [7] below:
Crook County Becomes 13th E. Oregon County to Pass Greater Idaho Measure
Prineville – On Tuesday, voters in Crook County passed measure 7-86, which asked voters if they support negotiations to move the Oregon/Idaho border to include Crook County in Idaho. The measure is passing with 53% of the vote (https://results.oregonvotes.gov/ResultsSW.aspx?type=CTYALL&cty=12&map=CTY), and makes Crook County the 13th county in eastern Oregon to pass a Greater Idaho measure. Calls for action from leaders of the movement were swift, with Executive Director Matt McCaw issuing the following statement:
“The voters of eastern Oregon have spoken loudly and clearly about their desire to see border talks move forward. With this latest result in Crook County, there’s no excuse left for the Legislature and Governor to continue to ignore the people’s wishes. We call on the Governor, Speaker of the House, and Senate President to sit down with us and discuss next steps towards changing governance for eastern Oregonians, as well as for the legislature to begin holding hearings on what a potential border change will look like.”
President of the movement, Mike McCarter agreed. “For the last three years we’ve been going directly to voters and asking them what they want for their state government. What they’re telling us through these votes is that they want their leaders to move the border. In our system, the people are the ones in charge, and it’s time for the leaders representing them to follow through,” he said.
The group also pointed out that they expected that results would have been even higher if not for an extensive “no” vote campaign funded by Portland groups. Last year in the Wallowa County vote, Portland groups outspent Greater Idaho over 4-1. The movement suspects the same was true this year, though it is impossible to know since the group funding the “no” effort has not reported their spending to the state, though they are required to by law.
The Greater Idaho movement seeks to move the border between Oregon and Idaho to include 14 full eastern Oregon counties and 3 partial ones. In addition to the 13 counties who have passed Greater Idaho measures, in 2023 the Idaho House passed a memorial inviting the Oregon Legislature to begin border talks.
Supporters of the movement believe that moving the border would benefit both sides of the state, and allow for better representation and governance for people moving forward. For more information and uncopyrighted photos for media use, visit greateridaho.org.