Idaho Gov. Brad Little wins Republican nomination against Janice McGeachin
Idaho Gov. Brad Little has earned a second GOP nomination at the helm of one of the nation’s most conservative states, The Associated Press projected early into Tuesday ballot counts.
Little told the Idaho Statesman his primary victory reflects a successful first term and a strong campaign. He’s now calling on the GOP to unify after a bitter primary.
“I’m not the candidate for a certain segment. I’m not the governor for a certain segment,” he said. “I want all the people of Idaho to have confidence in the decisions that I make.”
With all 44 Idaho counties reporting results, Little won the GOP primary with 52.8% of the votes.
Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, his most high-profile opponent, secured 32.3% and trailed Little by more than 57,000 votes. Ed Humphreys, a financial adviser from Eagle, received the third-most votes, with 11%.
McGeachin, backed by an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, hoped to play spoiler, as she became the second Idaho lieutenant governor since 1932 to challenge a sitting governor.
McGeachin did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. In a statement posted on social media, McGeachin said “America First is more than any one candidate,” and that conservatives “still have time to fight.”
“The change Idahoans are looking for will continue to grow, and we will continue to take the fight to the establishment,” McGeachin said. “Be proud of the work that was done, as that work has only started.”
In his victory speech Tuesday night, Little focused on criticisms of Democrats and President Joe Biden. He appeared to address voters who didn’t cast their ballots for him, and said election night always leaves some feeling “dissatisfied.”
“We need to keep our eye on the prize, on the bigger picture, to make sure that Republican ideals of capitalism, limited government, family freedom continue to dominate for many years to come,” Little told a crowd at the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Boise. “The rest of the country is watching.”
Little is a rancher from Emmett who rose through the ranks of Idaho politics, from state senator, to lieutenant governor, to governor. He touts slashing regulations, boosting education funding and cutting taxes among his first-term accomplishments. But the majority of his tenure has been marked by the coronavirus pandemic.
That’s been the main point of attack for McGeachin and her allies, who criticized Little for closing businesses and limiting gatherings while choosing not to regulate private businesses’ vaccine and mask mandates.
On the Democratic side, only one candidate appeared on the ballot: Stephen Heidt, a grant manager from Marsing. Sandpoint Mayor Shelby Rognstad ran as a write-in candidate along with David Reilly, a conservative from North Idaho who hoped to invade the Democratic Party and move it right. Heidt got 80.2% of the vote.
Two Libertarians, John Dionne Jr. and Paul Sand, are running for their party’s nomination. Sand won at 60.2%.
Governors serve four-year terms.
This story was originally published May 17, 2022 at 8:00 PM.
