Democracy in Action P2020

IDAHO

4 Electoral Votes

Population
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Idaho Secretary of State)

Total Resident Population, July 1, 2019 est.	1,787,065
Total Registration, Nov. 2020	1,082,417 >

Idaho has: 44 counties.
Five largest counties: Ada, Canyon, Kootenai, Bonneville, Bannock.

Government
Governor: Brad Little (R) elected 2018.
State Legislature: Idaho Legislature House: 70 seats Senate: 35 seats
Local: Counties, Cities NACO
U.S. House: 2R,0D - 1, R.LFulcher (R) | 2. M.Simpson (R).
U.S. Senate: James E. Risch (R) seeking re-election in 2020; Michael Crapo (R) re-elected in 2016.

2020 U.S. Senate: Sen. Jim Risch (R), first elected in 2008, won a third term. He defeated the 2018 gubernatorial nominee Paulette Jordan (D) by 538,446 votes (62.6%) to 285,864 (33.2%), 25,329 (2.9%) for Natalie Fleming (I), and 10,188 (1.2%) for Ray Writz (C).
U.S. House: Both Members were re-elected. Rep. Russ Fulcher(R ) defeated Rudy Soto (D) and Joe Evans (L). Rep. Mike Simpson (R) defeated Aaron Swisher (D) and a couple of perennial candidates.
State Legislature: All 35 Senate seats were up and all 70 House seats were up. The balance in the Senate stayed at 28R,7D and the House went from 56R,14D to 58R,12D.
Ballot Measures: Voters approved by a wide margin Proposed Constitutional Amendment HJR4 to permanently set the number of state senators at 35.

Idaho Home Page
Secretary of State

ID Democratic Party
ID Republican Party
Libertarian Party of ID
ID Green Party
Constitution Party of ID

Idaho State Journal
Idaho Statesman
Media (Newsp.)
TV, Radio

Politics1-ID
Ballotpedia-ID

The Gem State

General Election -- Tuesday, November 3, 2020

Last day to pre-register: Oct. 9.
Last day to request and absentee ballot: Oct. 23.
Last day for early voting: Oct. 30.

Registered voters at cutoff: 995,087
Election Day registrants: 87,330

Voting options [PDF]

Official Results >
Biden/Harris (Dem.)	287,021	(33.07)
Blankenship/Mohr (Con.)	1,886	(0.22)
De La Fuente//Richardson (Ind.)	1,491	(0.17)
Jorgensen/Cohen (Lib.)	16,404	(1.89)
Pierce/Ballard (Ind.)	2,808	(0.32)
+Trump/Pence (Rep.)	554,119	(63.84)
West/Tidball (Ind.)	3,632	(0.42)
write-ins (17)	653	(0.08)
Total........868,014

Total ballots cast: 878,527.

Ballot Access [PDF]

Overview: The last time the Democratic presidential ticket carried Idaho was in 1964. Idaho remained solidly in the Republican column as Trump amassed a plurality of 267,068 votes (30.77 percentage points), carrying 41 counties to three for Biden (Blaine, Latah, and Teton). The campaigns largely bypassed Idaho; the highest profile event was a Trump Victory fundraising reception and dinner on Sept. 15 in Stanley headlined by Don Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle. Trump supporters organized rallies and there was an active volunteer effort for Biden (+).
[IDSOS] BALLOT [PDF]

[State Primary: May 19 > June 2, 2020]

Presidential Primary -- March 10, 2020

Democrats
Biden 53,151 (48.92%), Sanders 46,114 (42.44%)... Total 108,649. details

25 Delegates: 13 District, 4 At-Large, 3 PLEO, 5 Unpledged.

Republicans
Trump 112,373 (94.46%), Weld 2,486 (2.09%), Walsh 2,341 (1.97%), Matern 647 (0.54%), De La Fuente 637 (0.54%), Ely 474 (0.40%). Total: 118,958.

In the Constitution Party primary (+), 906 votes were tallied; top finishers were Blankenship 27.59% and Tittle 21.52%.

General Election Winners in Idaho, 1992-2016

1992	1996	2000	2004	2008	2012	2016
Bush 42.03%	Dole 52.18%	Bush 67.17%	Bush 68.39%	McCain 61.53%	Romney 64.63%	Trump 59.26%

and the details...

General Election -- Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Voting Eligible Population*: 1,167,200.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 59.1%.

Total Registration at Cutoff: 805,074
Election Day registrants: 131,455
Total Registration: 936,529

Early voting.
Calendar

Official Results >
Castle/Bradley (Ind.)	4,403	(0.64)
Clinton/Kaine (Dem.)	189,765	(27.49)
Copeland/Myers (Con.)	2,356	(0.34)
De La Fuente/Steinberg (Ind.)	1,373	(0.20)
Johnson/Weld (Lib.)	28,331	(3.81)
McMullin/Johnson (Ind.)	46,476	(6.73)
Stein/Baraka (Ind.)	8,496	(1.23)
+Trump/Pence (Rep.)	409,055	(59.26)
Total........690,255

Total ballots cast: 710,545

Overview: The last time the Democratic presidential ticket carried Idaho was in 1964. That did not change. The Trump ticket amassed a plurality of 219,290 votes (31.77 percentage points), carrying 42 counties to two for Clinton (Blaine and Latah). Clinton's 27.5% of the vote was the worst showing by a Democratic presidential nominee in the state since Mondale in 1984. Independent candidate Evan McMullin's 6.7% of the vote was his second strongest showing after Utah.
There were a handful of visits. Sen. Tim Kaine headlined a fundraising lunch at private home in Sun Valley on Aug. 18. Gov. Mike Pence visited on Sept. 1 for a fundraising reception at the Zions Bank Building in Boise. Donald Trump Jr. visited on Sept. 22 for a fundraiser at the Jackson Jet Center at Boise Airport, followed by a stop in Idaho Falls for a private meeting Melaleuca headquarters with CEO Frank VanderSloot and company leaders. Idaho's significant Mormon population attracted the attention of Evan McMullin, and he made a couple of visits. McMullin spoke to supporters at the Boy Scouts of America offices in Idaho Falls on the evening Oct. 14, and at Rexburg Tabernacle in Rexburg on the morning of Oct. 15 (both events were initially scheduled for smaller venues). On Oct. 20 he rallied at Boise High School auditorium in Boise.
Clinton | Trump
BALLOT [PDF]

General Election -- Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Voting Eligible Population*: 1,094,490.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 60.9%.

Total Registration: 895,834.

164,197 (24.6%) of the 666,290 ballots cast were absentee.

Official Results >
Anderson/Rodriguez (Ind.)	2,499	(0.38)
Goode/Clymer (Con.)	2,222	(0.34)
Johnson/Gray (Lib.)	9,453	(1.45)
Obama/Biden (Dem.)	212,787	(32.62)
+Romney/Ryan (Rep).	420,911	(64.53)
Stein/Honkala (Grn.)	4,402	(0.67)
Total........652,274

Total ballots cast: 666,290.
74.38% of 895,834 registered voters.

2012 Overview
The Romney/Ryan ticket gained a solid plurality of 208,124 votes (31.91 percentage points), carrying 42 counties to two for Obama (Blaine and Latah). There were a few visits. Mitt Romney did a fundraiser in Sun Valley on Aug. 3 and Ann Romney did a fundraiser in Meridian (suburb west of Boise) on Sept. 27. The Libertarian candidates made three visits to Boise: Gary Johnson did a meet and greet on Aug. 6 and a rally on Oct. 29, and Jim Gray spoke at the H.O.P.E. Fest on Sept. 30.
Obama | (Romney)
BALLOT [PDF]

General Election -- Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Voting Eligible Population*: 1,034,402.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 63.3%.

Total Registration: 861,869.

Official Results >
Baldwin/Castle (Const.)	4,747	(0.72)
Barr/Root (Lib.)	3,658	(0.56)
+McCain/Palin (Rep.)	403,012	(61.53)
Nader/Gonazalez (Indep.)	7,175	(1.10)
Obama/Biden (Dem.)	236,440	(36.10)
Total........655,032

Total ballots cast: 667,506.
77.5% of 861,869 registered voters.

2008 Overview
The McCain-Palin ticket easily won Idaho's four electoral votes, gaining a plurality of 166,572 votes (25.43 percentage points). McCain carried 41 counties to three for Obama (Blaine, Latah and Teton). Of note, Sarah Palin was born in Sandpoint, ID, although she moved with her parents to Alaska at age 3 months.
Obama/Allies | McCain/Allies | Nader

General Election -- Tuesday, November 2, 2004

Voting Eligible Population*: 946,160.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 63.2%.

Total Registration: 798,015.

Official Results
Badnarik/Campagna (Lib.)	3,844	(0.64)
+Bush/Cheney (Rep.)	409,235	(68.39)
Kerry/Edwards (Dem.)	181,098	(30.26)
Peroutka/Baldwin (Const.)	3,084	(0.52)
Nader/Camejo (w/in)	1,115	(0.19)
Total........598,376

612,786 ballots cast, an increase of 18.6% over 2000.

2004 Overview
As in 2000, the Bush-Cheney ticket secured a huge plurality of 228,137 votes (38.13 percentage points). In 33 of 44 counties Bush gained 70 percent of the vote or more. Kerry, who has a vacation home in Ketchum, did win in Blaine County; he also came relatively close (50-48) in Latah County in northern Idaho.
General Election Details

General Election -- Tuesday, November 7, 2000

Voting Eligible Population*: 877,406.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 57.2%.

Total Registration: 728,085.

Official Results
Browne/Olivier (Lib.)	3,488	(0.70)
Buchanan/Foster (Ref.)	7,615	(1.52)
+Bush/Cheney (Rep.)	336,937	(67.17)
Gore/Lieberman (Dem.)	138,637	(27.64)
Hagelin/Goldhaber (NLP)	1,177	(0.23)
Phillips/Frazier (Const.)	1,469	(0.29)
Ralph Nader (w/in)	12,292	(2.45)
Total........501,615

Ballots cast / Total number of registered voters
516,647 / 728,085 = 70.96%

2000 Overview
No surprises as the Bush-Cheney ticket trounced Gore-Lieberman with a plurality of 198,300 votes (39.53 percentage points). Bush carried every county except Blaine. (County Commissioner Len Harlig explains: "Blaine County is the anomaly in the State. [It] has the highest per capita income in the State. It is home to the world-famous Sun Valley ski resort..."). The state did get one brief visit by principals during the fall campaign; on Sept. 18 Dick and Lynne Cheney participated in an airport welcome rally/RNC Victory 2000 event during a refueling stop in Idaho Falls, before heading to Seattle. Former First Lady Barbara Bush and DNC National Chair Joe Andrew also visited.

1992 and 1996 General Elections

1992

Bush (Rep.)...........202,645	(42.03)
Clinton (Dem.).......137,013	(28.42)
Perot (Ind.) ...........130,395	(27.04)
Gritz (Ind.)...............10,281	(2.13)
Others(2+w/ins).........1,808	(0.37)
Total........482,142

1996

Dole (Rep.)..........256,595	(52.18)
Clinton (Dem.)......165,443	(33.64)
Perot (Ref.)............62,518	(12.71)
Others (3+w/ins)......7,163	(1.45)
Total........491,719

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