IDAHO 4 Electoral Votes
Population 
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Idaho Secretary of State)
Total Population, July 1, 2008 est. 1,523,816
Total Registration, Nov. 2008     861,869 includes 116,242 Election Day registrants
Idaho has: 44 counties.
Five largest counties: Ada, Canyon, Kootenai, Bonneville, Bannock.

Government
Governor: C.L. "Butch" Otter (R) elected. Nov. 2006.
State Legislature: Idaho Legislature   House: 70 seats  Senate: 35 seats
Local: Counties and Cities... NACO Counties
U.S. House: 2R - 1. B.Sali (R) | 2. M.Simpson (R).
U.S. Senate: Larry Craig (R) not seeking re-election in 2008; Michael Crapo (R)  re-elected in 2004. 
2008 update   
U.S. Senate:  Former Gov. Jim Risch (R) defeated former U.S. Rep. Larry LaRocco (D) in the race to succeed Sen. Larry Craig (R) by 57.7% to 34.1% with the remaining 8.2% going to three other candidates. 
U.S. House:  Democrats picked up a House seat as Walt Minnick (D), former president and
CEO of TJ International, defeated controversial Rep. Bill Sali (R) in the 1st CD (western third of Idaho from Canada to Nevada) by 50.6% to 49.4% (plurality of 4,211 votes). 
    > Democrats pick up one U.S. House seat.  MORE

The Gem State

Idaho Home Page
Secretary of State

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

Idaho State Journal
Media (Newsp.)
TV, Radio

Politics1-ID
 

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


[Primary Election May 27, 2008]
Democrats: Caucuses -- Tuesday, February 5, 2008 
Republicans: Presidential Preference Primary -- Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Presidential Preference Primary (Secretary of State) Democrats do not use the results of the May primary in their delegate selection process.  Qualification for the ballot is by one of two means; either the Secretary of State determines that the person's candidacy "is generally advocated or recognized in national news media" and makes announcement by March 28, 2007, or a candidate may file a declaration of candidacy accompanied by $1,000 filing fee.
Democrats
23 Delegates (18 Pledged and 5 Unpledged) and 4 Alternates.
0.57% of the 4,049 Delegate Votes.

Obama
 

CD1

CD2
 
Hillary Clinton
1,785
18%
1,870
16%
John Edwards
44
0%
93
1%
+Barack Obama
7,721
79%
9,159
80%
Uncommitted
238
2%
314
3%
Total
9,799

11,425

Total participation of 21,224 is more than four times that of 2004.

Republicans
32 Delegates: 3 RNC; 23 at-large; 6 by CD (3 x 2) and 29 alternates. 
1.34% of the 2,380 Delegates.

At-large and CD delegate allocation and election:
80% of delegates: proportional from primary, 5% threshold, bound; candidates submit slate of proposed delegates and state convention selects from slates.
20% of delegates: selected at state convention, not bound.

John McCain
87,460
69.65%
Ron Paul
29,785
23.72%
None of the Names
8,325
6.63%
Total 125,570

former:
Huckabee  |  Romney


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
[State Primary Election: May 25, 2004]
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

2004 page >>
2000 page >>

Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action.