1994 Idaho gubernatorial election
The 1994 Idaho gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1994 to select the governor of the U.S. state of Idaho. Cecil D. Andrus, the Democratic incumbent, chose not to seek reelection after a total of 14 years in office. Former state senator and Republican Party chair Phil Batt engineered a come-from-behind victory to defeat Democratic Attorney General Larry Echo Hawk. Batt's victory put the Idaho governorship in Republican hands for the first time since 1970.
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 County Results Batt: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Echo Hawk: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Republican Primary
Lieutenant Governor of Idaho Butch Otter was considered a likely candidate for Governor but decided to run for re-election after being arrested for drink driving in August 1992. Otter went on to be elected Governor in 2006, though he publicly admitted that the incident could have ended his political career.[1][2]
Candidates
- Phil Batt, former Lieutenant Governor of Idaho
- Larry Eastland
- Chuck Winder, naval aviator
- Doug Dorn
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Phil Batt | 57,066 | 48.00 | |
| Republican | Larry Eastland | 38,664 | 32.52 | |
| Republican | Chuck Winder | 16,063 | 13.51 | |
| Republican | Doug Dorn | 7,098 | 5.97 | |
| Total votes | 118,891 | 100.00 | ||
Democratic Primary
Candidates
- Larry Echo Hawk, Attorney General of Idaho
- Ron Beitelspacher, Idaho State Senator
- David W. Sheperd
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Larry Echo Hawk | 42,661 | 73.81 | |
| Democratic | Ron Beitelspacher | 12,377 | 21.41 | |
| Democratic | David W. Sheperd | 2,759 | 4.77 | |
| Total votes | 57,797 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Campaign
Although at first many thought Echo Hawk would win the election and become the first Native American governor in the United States, Batt prevailed with an aggressive campaign and with the help of a Republican tide that was especially powerful in Idaho in 1994.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Phil Batt | 216,123 | 52.29 | +20.49 | |
| Democratic | Larry Echo Hawk | 181,363 | 43.88 | -24.33 | |
| Independent | Ronald D. Rankin | 15,793 | 3.82 | ||
| Write-ins | 67 | 0.02 | |||
| Majority | 34,760 | 8.41 | -28.00 | ||
| Turnout | 419,330 | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | ||||
See also
- Governor of Idaho
- List of Governors of Idaho
- Idaho gubernatorial elections
References
| Elections in Idaho |
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- Kenyon, Quane (April 20, 1993). "Butch Otter fined, loses license". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. p. B3.
- "A second chance for Lieutenant Governor". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. (Idaho-Washington). March 11, 1993. p. 10A.
- http://www.sos.idaho.gov/elect/abstract/94prgov.htm
- http://www.sos.idaho.gov/elect/abstract/94prgov.htm
- http://www.sos.idaho.gov/elect/abstract/94gngov.htm