2018 Idaho gubernatorial election

The 2018 Idaho gubernatorial election took place on November 6 to elect the next governor of Idaho. Incumbent Republican Governor Butch Otter chose not to run for a fourth term, and the state's primaries were held on May 15.

Former state representative Paulette Jordan was the Democratic Party's nominee. She was the first Democratic nominee from Northern Idaho since Cecil Andrus, who was first elected governor in 1970.

Jordan lost to incumbent lieutenant governor Brad Little by 21.6 percentage points, for a seventh consecutive Republican victory.

A record 605,131 votes were cast for governor in 2018, a 37.6% increase over the previous election in 2014 (439,830 votes). The previous high was 452,535 votes in 2010.

Republican primary
Incumbent governor Butch Otter chose not to run for reelection for a fourth term in office.

Declared

 * Tommy Ahlquist, businessman and former emergency physician
 * Harley Brown, perennial candidate
 * Dalton Cannady
 * Raúl Labrador, U.S. Representative from the 1st district
 * Brad Little, Lieutenant Governor of Idaho
 * Lisa Marie, perennial candidate
 * Steve Pankey, Constitution nominee for governor in 2014 and future convicted murderer

Withdrew

 * Troy Minton, activist (running as a Democrat)
 * Russ Fulcher, former state senator and candidate for governor in 2014 (running for ID-01 )

Declined

 * Butch Otter, incumbent governor
 * Lori Otter, First Lady of Idaho
 * Lawrence Wasden, Idaho Attorney General (running for reelection)

Campaign
Lieutenant Governor Brad Little indicated in June 2016 that he would run for Governor, a decision described as "early" by the Idaho Statesman. Little was characterized as a politician favored by members of the party establishment, including Otter and U.S. Senator Jim Risch.

Representative Raúl Labrador chose to forgo reelection in the 1st district in favor of a gubernatorial candidacy. Labrador, a founding member of the Freedom Caucus, was considered the most conservative candidate in the primary. As a candidate, Labrador suggested that he would be open to overruling Medicaid expansion in the event the state's 2018 ballot measure on the issue passed.

Physician and Boise-area property developer Tommy Ahlquist, a first time candidate, touted his non-political background and pledged to cut regulations to encourage growth. Ahlquist notably received the support of 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

Polling
*–Denotes candidates who did not enter the race.

Results
Little ultimately won the primary with 37.3% of the vote, with Labrador taking 32.6% and Ahlquist taking 26.2%. Little's campaign performed best in Boise metropolitan area and agrarian communities in the southwestern part of the state. Labrador performed best in areas in the 1st congressional district, located in the northern part of the state. Ahlquist, a Mormon, saw a better performance in eastern counties, which has a notable Latter Day Saint (LDS) presence. [[File:Idaho gubernatorial Republican primary, 2018.svg|200px|thumb|Results by county: Little

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{{legend|#ffccd0|30–40%}} Labrador

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{{legend|#ffccaa|30–40%}} Ahlquist

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Declared

 * A.J. Balukoff, businessman, member of the Boise School District board of trustees and nominee for governor in 2014
 * Paulette Jordan, former state representative
 * Peter Dill, organic farmer and business attorney

Declined

 * Michelle Stennett, Minority Leader of the Idaho Senate

Results
[[File:Idaho gubernatorial Democratic primary, 2018.svg|175px|thumb|Results by county: Jordan

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{{legend|#a5b0ff|40–50%}} Jordan/Balukoff tie

{{legend|#d2b1d9|40–50%}} Balukoff

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Declared

 * Adam Phillips
 * Michael Richardson
 * John Thomas Wiechec

Predictions

 * Notes

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

 * Bannock (largest municipality: Pocatello)