Governor
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| C.L. “Butch” Otter (R) | 266,992 | 59.18% |
| Keith Allred (D) | 147,863 | 32.77% |
| Jana M. Kemp (I) | 26,601 | 5.90% |
| Ted Dunlap (L) | 5,864 | 1.30% |
| Pro-Life (I) | 3,841 | 0.85% |
* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.
The Candidates
C.L. "Butch" Otter
- Party:
- Republican
- City:
- Star, Idaho
- Occupation:
- Idaho governor
Incumbent governor, multimillionaire rancher, retired from J.R. Simplot Corp. Otter was first elected to the Idaho Legislature in 1972. He served 14 years as the state’s lieutenant governor, and three terms in Congress before being elected governor in 2006. He won his second term in 2010 with 59 percent of the vote. A rodeo enthusiast, Otter this year was named to the Idaho Rodeo Hall of Fame.
Complete Coverage
Lawmakers begin tough sessions
BOISE – Idaho Gov. Butch Otter worked some budget magic to trim the state’s shortfall for the coming year down to manageable size and avoid calling for any tax increases. Lawmakers, however, were skeptical of the plan unveiled Monday as the Idaho Legislature opened, because it relies on modest economic growth in the remainder of this year and into next year – and lawmakers aren’t convinced it’ll happen.
Otter says frugality to become state norm
BOISE – Idaho Gov. Butch Otter pledged Friday to turn the emergency measures the state has taken to cope with a huge economic downturn into “standard operating practices” for his administration, as he started his second four-year term leading the state. Otter’s inaugural address, given amid hoopla, booming cannons and an A-10 jet flyover on the state Capitol steps, lauded accomplishments from resolving a long dispute over field burning to establishing a broadband network to link Idaho high schools. But, he said, “Americans have a renewed appreciation for fiscal caution and the virtue of frugality, in government and in their personal lives.”