Idaho General Election Live Updates

Republicans will continue their multi-decade dominance over statewide races in Idaho.

Incumbent Gov. Brad Little will have a second term in office. House Speaker Scott Bedke will be Idaho's next lieutenant governor, beating out Democrat Terri Pickens Manweiler.

The race for attorney general saw the most competition, though former Congressman Raúl Labrador still easily beat Tom Arkoosh.

Idaho’s next superintendent of public instruction will be Debbie Critchfield over Terry Gilbert.

Ada County Clerk Phil McGrane will replace the retiring Lawerence Denney. And Republicans Julie Ellsworth and Brandon Woolf also comfortably beat their challengers for state treasurer and controller respectively.

Democrats in Idaho haven’t won a statewide election since 2002.

Election results are still coming in from across Idaho and George Prentice will have the latest information on Morning Edition starting at 5 a.m.

You can listen on-air and on our website.

Ketchum voters supported passing a $14 million revenue bond for improvements to the Ketchum-Sun Valley wastewater treatment plant by a large margin, with more than 85% in favor.

The city said this investment in the $37 million project will be felt in increases for monthly sewer ratepayers and not property tax increases. City leaders also said dedicating money toward updates to the aging plant now would help avoid more costly hikes later on, and would help the plant stay in compliance with water quality regulations.

On the other hand, a $4.8 million revenue bond in Hagerman appears to have been defeated by one vote. Hagerman, located in Gooding County, proposed the measure to fund infrastructure for increasing its water supply.

The city said during peak demand windows, it faces insufficient water pressure, potentially putting firefighting efforts at risk. The city also needed the bond to pass to unlock a $4 million American Rescue Plan Act grant for the project.

Kyle Green

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AP

Shortly after polls closed in the Pacific Time Zone, the Associated Press called Idaho’s governor’s race for incumbent Brad Little.

Little largely ignored his two main opponents, Independent and anti-government activist Ammon Bundy and Democratic Party candidate Stephen Heidt. Heidt was nearly a phantom on the campaign trail, raising only $9,500 the entire race.

Little cruised to victory in May’s primary over the current Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin.

He refused to debate any of his opponents this year, saying his record speaks for itself.

Far-right activists and lawmakers sought to make this race a referendum on Little’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

The retirement of Senate Minority Leader Michelle Stennett (D-Ketchum) has left an open Idaho Senate seat in a newly-shaped district.

The new District 26 post-redistricting includes Blaine, Lincoln and Jerome counties. Through the last legislative session, three Democrats represented the district in the statehouse, making it an important one for the party statewide.

In fact, a Democrat has held a Senate seat in the district encompassing the Wood River Valley (its shape has changed a few times) for more than 40 years.

Now former fire captain from Hailey, Ron Taylor, a Democrat, is facing off against two-term Representative Laurie Lickley of Jerome, a Republican.

Rep. Ned Burns (D-Bellevue) is running against Republican Mike Pohanka from Jerome for one House seat. Jack Nelsen, a Republican from Jerome, is up against Karma Metzler Fitzgerald, a Democrat from Shoshone, for the other.

After tonight, Idaho will unequivocally see an even more conservative legislature, with Democrats fighting to retain the handful of seats they currently hold.

May’s primary election fully decided 38% of all Idaho legislative races, which saw dozens of retirements, ousted incumbents and merged districts due to new electoral maps drawn because of the recent census.

In all, 44 out of 105 seats in the House and Senate will be filled by brand new lawmakers, or legislators who ran for a different position.

The Senate in particular is poised for a significant rightward tilt – potentially jettisoning its reputation as a moderating force in Idaho politics.

Democrats hold just 20% of legislative seats here and that total seems to be in jeopardy.

Redistricting added much more conservative counties to traditional Democratic districts, like in Blaine and Latah counties.

The chances a Republican will lose one of Idaho’s seven constitutional offices is a longshot. Democrats haven’t won statewide in Idaho since 2002.

Congressional Republicans here also have the past decade of landslide victories on their side. Walt Minnick was the last Democrat Idahoans sent to D.C. in 2008 – just for one term.

Polls have officially closed in the majority of Idaho. Those who were in line to vote prior to 8 p.m. will be able to cast their ballot.

Ada County Elections says results will start coming in around 9 p.m. Unofficial results will also be posted to the Idaho Secretary of State election results website as well no earlier than 9 p.m.

Nearing 5 p.m., Ada County Elections reports 85,950 people have visited the polls, a 49% turnout.

Canyon County is expecting long voting lines until the polls close tonight, despite a campaign encouraging absentee and early voting. A Canyon County representative said by noon, 11,000 people had cast their vote in-person.

Julie Luchetta

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Boise State Public Radio

The county has 112,359 registered voters and received roughly 21,000 absentee and early voting ballots. Decker said that's a much higher turnout than in the primaries.

Decker says the busiest time at the polls are between 5 and 8 p.m. when people leave work.

At around 1:30 p.m., Ada County Elections reported it has seen a 38% voter turnout. The Elections Office also reminded people with absentee ballots to return them to Ada County Elections headquarters or an Ada County Elections ballot drop box by 8 p.m.

73,781 absentee ballots were issued in Ada County and 64,094 of those have been returned through November 8, an 86.9% return rate.