1998 Idaho gubernatorial election
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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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November 3, 1998
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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
- 70–80%
- 80–90%
- 90–100%
| 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
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 50–60%
- 30–40%
| 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
Debate
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Republican | Democratic | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
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| Dirk Kempthorne | Robert C. Huntley | Peter Rickards | |||||
| 1 | Oct. 22, 1998 | Idaho Press Club Idaho Public Television League of Women Voters of Idaho |
Joan Cartan-Hansen | PBS | P | P | P |
Polling
Results
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, won over some progressive votes that may 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 | ||||
See also
Notes
- Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear