Boise State University political science Professor Corey Cook, dean of BSU’s School of Public Service, is at the GOP national convention in Cleveland today, the sixth national convention of either party he’s attended as part of his studies and observations of American politics. In an article in the Idaho Statesman today, Cook notes that Idaho was one of just six states – the others are Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Utah and Wisconsin – in which both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, the two parties’ presumptive nominees, were overwhelmingly defeated in the state’s primary or caucus.

“How effectively the nominees can heal the wounds of the divisive nominating process and consolidate the party’s support will be of utmost importance in November,” Cook writes. “Should either candidate fail to win over their fellow partisans, turnout in November will suffer precipitously.”

There’s no suspense about heavily GOP Idaho’s likely election outcome for president in November, he notes. “Should a large number of Republicans … decide to skip the general election, Trump would still carry Idaho. But the impact down the ballot – particularly in state legislative contests – could be significant.”

Cook’s full Statesman article is online here.