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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.
The Idaho Supreme Court is the state supreme court of Idaho and is composed of the chief justice and four associate justices.
The 1994 Idaho gubernatorial election was held on November 8 to select the governor of the U.S. state of Idaho. Democratic incumbent Cecil Andrus chose not to seek reelection after a total of fourteen years in office. Former state senator and Republican Party chair Phil Batt rallied to defeat Democratic attorney general Larry Echo Hawk; the victory was the first by a Republican in 28 years.
The 1990 Idaho gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1990, to elect the Governor of the state of Idaho. Cecil Andrus, the Democratic incumbent, ran for an unprecedented fourth term. Roger Fairchild, a former state senate majority leader from Fruitland, won the Republican nomination in May, but was easily defeated in November by the popular Andrus.
William J. Murphy was a Democratic politician from Idaho. He served as the state's 34th lieutenant governor from 1977 to 1979, during the administration of Governor John V. Evans.
Jay S. Amyx served two terms as mayor of Boise, Idaho, United States, from 1966 to 1974.
The 2010 Idaho gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010, to elect the Governor of Idaho. Incumbent Republican Governor Butch Otter won re-election, defeating his Democratic opponent Keith G. Allred.
The 1986 Idaho gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1986 to elect the governor of the state of Idaho. Cecil Andrus, a former Democratic governor, was elected defeating the Republican Lieutenant Governor David Leroy.
The 1974 United States Senate election in Idaho took place on Tuesday, November 5. Democratic incumbent Frank Church was re-elected to a fourth term in office, defeating Republican Bob Smith.
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.
The 1970 Idaho gubernatorial election took place on November 3 to elect the governor of Idaho, concurrently with other scheduled governor races, as well as Idaho's two congress members in the House of Representatives and a number of statewide offices. Incumbent Republican governor Don Samuelson sought re-election to a second consecutive term as governor. Although he faced a primary challenger, former state senator Dick Smith, he received more than 58 percent of the primary vote, and thus secured the party's re-nomination.
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.
