A newly elected North Idaho state senator has filed a formal complaint against Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane’s campaign, accusing it of campaign finance violations tied to endorsement mailers sent before last month’s Republican primary. The complaint has been referred to Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador, whose office confirmed an active investigation is underway.

Scott Herndon, who defeated incumbent Sen. Jim Woodward in the May 19 primary, filed the complaint the following day. The dispute centers on mailers McGrane’s campaign sent out before the primary featuring McGrane alongside endorsements of Woodward and Rep. Mark Sauter, among others. McGrane endorsed a total of 26 incumbent legislators in the effort.

Herndon’s central argument is that the mailers should have cost at least $1,000 per endorsed candidate. Under Idaho campaign finance law, any expenditure at or above that threshold requires a 48-hour disclosure report. McGrane’s campaign reported the endorsement portions as in-kind donations valued at approximately $750 per endorsed candidate in his May campaign finance report. That report is scheduled to become publicly available June 10.

Herndon contends the $750 figure understates the actual cost per candidate and that the proper threshold was crossed, triggering reporting obligations that McGrane’s campaign did not meet before election day.

“In my opinion, he’s got to be completely impartial on the elections, regardless of the outcome,” Herndon said.

The criticism carries particular weight given McGrane’s role as the state’s top elections official. Herndon’s position is that the secretary of state should not be endorsing legislative candidates in contested primary races at all, let alone in a way that potentially skirts disclosure rules.

McGrane has pushed back on that framing. He described his endorsements as consistent with his role as a partisan elected official and noted that the plan to refer any complaint to the attorney general was already in place before the primary took place.

“I’m a partisan elected official. I’m a proud Republican,” McGrane said.

McGrane’s campaign spent just over $16,000 total on the pre-primary mailer effort. He faced no Republican primary challenger himself and is set to face Democrat Shawn Keenan in the November general election.

The referral to Labrador’s office shifts the legal question to whether the in-kind valuation McGrane’s campaign used was accurate and whether any required pre-election disclosures were improperly delayed or omitted. The attorney general’s office has confirmed the matter is being actively investigated.

The dispute comes as Idaho’s post-primary review process is also drawing attention. Eight Idaho counties were recently selected for post-primary election audits, part of the state’s standard procedures for verifying results. With the November ballot now set, including seven statewide offices, McGrane’s conduct during the primary season is likely to remain a point of contention heading into the general election cycle.

Herndon’s win over Woodward means the complaint was filed by a candidate who ultimately succeeded at the ballot box despite the mailers. Whether that outcome affects the legal or political weight of the complaint remains to be seen as Labrador’s office proceeds with its review.