Pence holds private fundraiser today in Boise; Kaine did same Aug. 18 in Sun Valley…

Mike Pence, the governor of Indiana and vice-presidential nominee on the GOP ticket with Donald Trump, will speak at a Boise fundraiser this afternoon, but the only ones allowed in will be those paying for $1,000 for tickets, $5,000 per couple for both a photo and the reception, and sponsors. Interestingly, Pence’s Democratic counterpart, Tim Kaine, the vice-presidential nominee on the Democratic ticket with Hillary Clinton, just held a similar Idaho fundraiser of his own, on Aug. 18 at a private home in Ketchum with similar ticket prices, according to the Idaho Mountain Express, with similar bans on the press and public.

Layne Bangerter, state campaign director for the Trump campaign in Idaho, said the Idaho organization had only a week’s notice to scramble to put together this afternoon’s downtown Boise event. “It’s going to be well-attended, and there’s plenty of excitement around the campaign,” he said. “Idaho’s support has attracted attention from national levels.”

Bangerter said while he’d love to see the GOP candidates do public rallies and events in Idaho, Idaho supporters understand that the state is a given for Republican presidential tickets, while other states aren’t. “We here want them focusing in battleground states,” he said. “We understand that as far as financial resources, personnel resources, surrogates, everything, we are telling them we are good in Idaho. Of course we’d love to have them here, but we are for winning this thing, and that’s what it’s going to take is to have them in battleground states.”

According to an invitation obtained by the Idaho Statesman, this afternoon’s 4:30 p.m. reception is hosted by Bangerter; Gov. Butch Otter, who with wife Lori is honorary co-chair of the Idaho Trump campaign; Pat Sullivan; Skip Smyser; and Damond Watkins. Co-hosts, according to the invitation, commit to give or raise $25,000.

The Idaho Mountain Express in Ketchum reported that Kaine’s Sun Valley fundraiser cost $1,000 to $2,700 per person for lunch, or $5,000 per person for lunch and a photograph, while an opportunity to host the event cost $33,400.