Republican Janice McGeachin wins Idaho’s lt. gov. race over Kristin Collum

Republican candidate Janice McGeachin made history Tuesday night by becoming the first female lieutenant governor of the Gem State.

As of Wednesday morning with 960 of 960 Idaho precincts counted, her Democratic opponent, Kristin Collum, had 40.3 percent of the vote to McGeachin’s 59.7 percent. McGeachin garnered 356,082 votes to Collum’s 240,292.

The lieutenant governor serves both as president of the Senate and as the person prepared to take over at a moment’s notice if something should happen to the governor. The lieutenant governor also steps in if the sitting governor is out of state.

McGeachin will be second-in-command to Republican Brad Little, the incumbent lieutenant governor who beat Democrat Paulette Jordan in the race to be Idaho’s next governor.

McGeachin said throughout the campaign that she is Idaho’s true conservative candidate, while Collum vowed to negotiate with people in both political parties.

McGeachin is a small business owner in Idaho Falls. Collum is an Army veteran and works in the tech industry.

Idaho Secretary of State

Republican Secretary of State Lawerence Denney won Tuesday’s election to retain his seat against Democratic challenger Jill Humble. First-term incumbent Denney won with 62.5 percent of the vote with all Idaho precincts reporting.

Idaho Attorney General

Republican Attorney General Lawrence Wasden defeated Democratic challenger Bruce Bistline. Wasden garnered 65 percent of the vote with all precincts reporting. Wasden is in his fourth term as attorney general and is Idaho’s longest-serving attorney general.

This story was originally published November 6, 2018 at 10:53 PM.