Tuesday saw former Idaho state representative Paulette Jordan pull off an upset win in the Democratic gubernatorial primary over the party’s 2014 nominee, Boise businessman and longtime school board member A.J. Balukoff.
Jordan received 58.5 percent of the vote to Balukoff’s 40 percent, and in doing so, becomes the first woman to be a major party’s nominee for governor of Idaho. If she were to win in November she’d become the first Native American governor elected in the nation.
Jordan faces former Lieutenant Governor Brad Little, who won the Republican primary with 37.3 percent of the vote over Raul Labrador at 32.4 percent, and Tommy Ahlquist at 26.6 percent.
In the race for Idaho’s 1st Congressional District, former state senator Russ Fulcher prevailed on the GOP ticket, with more than 43 percent. He outdistanced David Leroy at 16 percent, Luke Malek 14 percent, Christy Perry 11 percent, and Michael Snyder just under 10 percent. Fulcher next faces Democrat Cristina McNeil, who garnered nearly 70 percent of the primary vote to easily turn away James Vandermass and Michael Smith, who split the remaining ballots.
Janice McGeachen came out on top of a five-way Republican race for lieutenant governor, grabbing 28.8 percent of the vote. Steve Yates followed at 27.3 percent, Marv Hagedorn and Bob Nonini each had 15 percent, and Kelly Packer just under 14 percent. McGeachin advances to November against Democrat Kristin Collum, who took more than 88 percent of the primary vote over Jim Fabe. (Spokesman-Review, Idaho Statesman)
