Former Gov. John Victor Evans Sr., one of Idaho's last Mormon Democrats to achieve statewide political success, has died. He was 89.
Summers Funeral Home confirmed he died Tuesday morning at his home in Boise.
Evans was born Jan. 18, 1925, in Malad City. He is the grandson of the founder of the Idaho-based D.L. Evans Bank.
Evans was elected Idaho lieutenant governor in 1974, a position he held for the next three years. In 1977, he was elevated to the chief executive job when then-Gov. Cecil D. Andrus was named U.S. Interior secretary under President Jimmy Carter.
A year later, Evans became the first member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be elected Idaho governor, a post which he won again in 1982.
Gov. Andrus and his wife Carol said in a statement they're deeply saddened by the passing of Gov. Evans and offer their condolences to the Evans family.
"John was a good friend, a loyal and talented lieutenant governor to me, a fine and dedicated public official at both the local and the state level and, above all, a genuinely fine man," Andrus wrote. "He'll be remembered as a strong and capable governor who fought hard to maintain a strong economy and first class educational opportunities for Idahoans."