1998 Idaho gubernatorial election
The 1998 Idaho gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998 to elect the Governor of Idaho. Phil Batt, the Republican incumbent, chose not to run for a second term. The Republican nominee, United States Senator Dirk Kempthorne, handily defeated the Democratic nominee, former Idaho Supreme Court justice Robert C. Huntley, to keep the seat in GOP hands.
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 County results Kempthorne: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Huntley: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Republican primary
Candidates
- Dirk Kempthorne, U.S. Senator
- David W. Sheperd, perennial candidate
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dirk Kempthorne | 111,658 | 87.24 | |
| Republican | David W. Sheperd | 16,332 | 12.76 | |
| Total votes | 127,990 | 100.00 | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Jack Wayne Chappell
- Robert C. Huntley, former Idaho Supreme Court Justice, former Idaho State Representative, former Pocatello city councilman
- Donald McMurrian
- William Tarnasky
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robert C. Huntley | 14,638 | 54.27 | |
| Democratic | William Tarnasky | 4,769 | 17.68 | |
| Democratic | Jack Wayne Chappell | 4,666 | 17.30 | |
| Democratic | Donald McMurrian | 2,900 | 10.75 | |
| Total votes | 26,973 | 100.00 | ||
General election
| Elections in Idaho |
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Given the lack of a high-profile candidate on the Democratic side, throughout the campaign many considered Kempthorne's election a foregone conclusion. Indeed, Huntley's performance was well below that of the 1994 Democratic nominee Larry EchoHawk. In addition, Peter Rickards, a podiatrist and anti-nuclear waste advocate from Twin Falls, siphoned off progressive votes that would have otherwise gone to the Democratic candidate.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dirk Kempthorne | 258,095 | 67.70 | +15.41 | |
| Democratic | Robert C. Huntley | 110,815 | 29.07 | -14.81 | |
| Independent | Peter Rickards | 12,338 | 3.24 | ||
| Majority | 147,280 | 38.63 | +30.22 | ||
| Turnout | 381,248 | ||||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
References
External links
| Preceded by 1994 |
Idaho gubernatorial elections | Succeeded by 2002 |