The Sun Mountain Conference was the founding gathering of what became The Sun Mountain Group, a community of conservative political activists many of whom over time exerted a significant influence on policy in the State of Washington from 1968 through the mid-‘90s.

In early 1968, a group of “young” conservatives convened a conference at the Sun Mountain Lodge overlooking the Methow River and the little town of Winthrop, WA; the purpose of that conference  was to introduce and develop a networking community among the state’s conservative Republicans and other groups with a common interest in limited government. 

The objective was to craft a broad strategy for expanding and intensifying conservative influence across the state which, as it turned out created a community for recruitment of presentable, balanced conservative candidates for public office. 

Over the next 25 years, members of the Sun Mountain Group went on to achieve elective office as Legislators, Attorney General, Judges, Supreme Court Justice, County Commissioners, Chairs of County and State Republican Central Committees, and to found a variety of conservative organizations. Individually, they became organizers of scores of conferences and conventions, connected with national organizations and prominent leaders and helped to mature Washington’s donor class.

The Republican Legislative majorities, and Republican dominance of Washington’s congressional delegation by 1994, were significantly influenced by the networked core of the Sun Mountain Group.

The objective of this Conference is to identify the leaders of existing organizations, rising young leadership stars, and social media influencers who are capable of exerting a generational impact on the political direction of Washington for the next 25 years. 

This is not a campaign school; it is not a fund raiser; there will be no recruitment efforts. The Sun Mountain Group exists only as a conservative community activist effort to restore conservative principals to state and local government.