© 2024 Boise State Public Radio
NPR in Idaho
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Boise State Public Radio would not be here without your support. Donate Today
The Road To Red: How One Political Party Came To Dominate Idaho
The Republican Party has dominated Idaho politics for most of its history. In fact, it's one of the reddest states in the country. But it hasn't always been that way.Twenty years ago, Idaho had a Democratic governor. More recently, Idaho had a Democrat in Congress. Today, Republicans hold each of Idaho's top statewide elected offices, and a wide majority in the Legislature.So, how did Republicans get to be so firmly in control of Idaho politics today? We examine the events and issues that led to one-party control of Idaho.

Wyoming, Utah, Idaho Most Republican States In The Country

Boise State Public Radio News
Published February 5, 2015 at 2:55 PM MST
Gallup
This map from Gallup shows the upper west-central part of the country is GOP dominated.

Idaho is the third-most Republican state in the nation, according to a new Gallup survey.

Gallup finds Idaho has a 25.2 percent Republican advantage, only Wyoming and Utah lean more toward the red.

Gallup came to its conclusion by interviewing more than 177,000 Americans during 2014. The results show the upper west-central part of the country is heavily Republican.

States ranked by Republican advantage:

  1. Wyoming: 35.5
  2. Utah: 33.1
  3. Idaho: 25.2
  4. South Dakota: 18.4
  5. Montana: 17.7
  6. Alabama: 14.1
  7. Kansas: 12.3
  8. Tennessee: 11.3
  9. North Dakota: 11.1
  10. Nebraska: 10.9
"There has been more variation in the Republican top 10 over time, with 17 different states appearing at least once since 2008. Wyoming and Utah have been the two most Republican states each year, with Idaho placing third in all but two years. In addition to those states, Kansas and Nebraska have ranked in the top 10 every year. Montana, Alabama, North Dakota and Alaska have been in the top 10 all but one year." - Gallup

Idaho has been a Republican-dominated state for the last 20 years, although one of Idaho's longest-serving governors was a Democrat.

Find Emilie Ritter Saunders on Twitter @emiliersaunders

Copyright 2015 Boise State Public Radio
Tags
Politics & Government RepublicansIdaho Republican PartyPolitics

You make stories like this possible.

The biggest portion of Boise State Public Radio's funding comes from readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

Your donation today helps make our local reporting free for our entire community.

Donate