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County results Evans: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Larsen: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Elections in Idaho |
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The 1978 Idaho gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 7, and incumbent Democrat John Evans defeated Republican nominee Allan Larsen with 58.75% of the vote. [1] [2] [3] It was the third consecutive win for the Democrats (1970, 1974, 1978), but the only significant victory for the party in Idaho in 1978. [3]
Primary elections were held on Tuesday, August 8, 1978. [4] [5] [6]
Evans ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. [5] [6] [7] Elected lieutenant governor in 1974, he succeeded Cecil Andrus in January 1977, [8] [9] who left to become U.S. Secretary of the Interior in the new Carter Administration. [10]
Entering the primary, Vern Ravenscroft and Butch Otter were the apparent front runners, [11] [12] but were upset by Larsen. [5] [7]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Allan Larsen | 33,778 | 28.73 | |
Republican | Vern Ravenscroft | 32,455 | 27.61 | |
Republican | Butch Otter | 30,523 | 25.97 | |
Republican | Larry Jackson | 13,510 | 11.49 | |
Republican | James Crowe | 4,447 | 3.78 | |
Republican | Jay S. Amyx | 2,842 | 2.42 | |
Total votes | 117,555 | 100.00 |
The election was notable as it was the first time Idaho elected a governor from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Both major candidates were members, [19] and through 2023, Evans remains the only Mormon to be elected governor in the state.
Major party candidates
Other candidates
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | John Evans (incumbent) | 169,540 | 58.75% | ||
Republican | Allan Larsen | 114,149 | 39.56% | ||
American | Wayne Loveless | 4,877 | 1.69% | ||
Majority | 55,391 | ||||
Turnout | 288,566 | ||||
Democratic hold | Swing |
Clement Leroy "Butch" Otter is an American businessman and politician who served as the 32nd governor of Idaho from 2007 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected in 2006, and reelected in 2010 and 2014. Otter served as lieutenant governor from 1987 to 2001 and in U.S. Congress from the first district from 2001 to 2007.
John Victor Evans Sr. was an American politician from Idaho. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the state's 27th governor and was in office for 10 years, from 1977 to 1987.
Cecil Dale Andrus was an American politician who served as 26th and 28th governor of Idaho, for a total of fourteen years. A Democrat, he also served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior from 1977 to 1981 during the Carter Administration. Andrus lost his first gubernatorial election in 1966 but won four and his fourteen years as governor is the most in state history.
Donald William Samuelson was an American Republican politician who served as the 25th governor of Idaho, from 1967 to 1971. He is the state's most recent incumbent governor to lose a re-election bid (1970).
Lawrence Curtis Jackson was an American right-handed professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, and Philadelphia Phillies from 1955 to 1968. In 1964, Jackson led the National League (NL) with 24 wins, and was runner-up in the Cy Young Award voting; he also led the NL in innings pitched and shutouts, once each.
Allan Franklin Larsen was an American Republican politician from Eastern Idaho who served as a member of both chambers of the Idaho Legislature. He was the Republican nominee in the 1978 Idaho gubernatorial election.
David Henry Leroy is an American lawyer and politician from Idaho. He is a past lieutenant governor and attorney general of Idaho. He was the state's 36th lieutenant governor between 1983 and 1987, the final four years of the administration of Governor John V. Evans.
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The 1982 Idaho gubernatorial election was held on November 2. Incumbent Democrat John V. Evans narrowly defeated Republican nominee Phil Batt with 50.64% of the vote, the fourth of six consecutive wins for the Democratic party.
The 1974 Idaho gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 5. Incumbent Democrat Cecil Andrus soundly defeated Republican nominee Jack Murphy, the lieutenant governor, with 70.92% of the vote.
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The 1966 Idaho gubernatorial election was held on November 8. Republican nominee Don Samuelson defeated Democratic nominee Cecil Andrus with 41.4% of the vote in a four-way race.
The 1950 Idaho gubernatorial election was held on November 7 to elect the next governor of Idaho, alongside elections to the United States Senate, elections to the U.S. House, and other state and local elections.