Initial analysis of last night’s primary shows very some mixed results. Hot races in the unsettled territory between West Boise and Oregon, or at least from Boise to Caldwell, ended up all over the map. Moyle drew out his rural base in north Boise Valley but Boise businessman Chuck Winder also landed the Senate seat there. In Meridian proper, McKague held on, but west of there, in Wilder country, former bureaucrat Takasugi managed to defeat the red-baiting rhetoric of Otter appointee Bowers. A run-down of key races across the state follows, based on our earlier primary thoughts.
- Hart votes no, voters say yes. Rep. Phil Hart: “I vote no a lot, but I think my district appreciates that. Sometimes legislation isn’t ready. You can have a good idea, but the bill isn’t ready.” Hart beats Rawls with 70 percent in N. Kootenai. Greene in the CDA Press. Also, Jorgenson garners some 61 percent.
- Takasugi, recovering from cancer, pulled out 500 more votes than Otter-appointee Curtis Bowers in Caldwell. Pat Tagasuki, former ag director, gets 57 percent in conservative Canyon County district… voice of relative moderation. To face Democrat Mike Warwick, who has at least 613 friends, in November.
- Beebe-Bauer hand it to Thayn. Near split vote in District 11 was close all night. Incumbent Steve Thayn, who has perfectly honed the family values message, ended up on top this morning with 38 percent. In neighboring District 9, wise-use veteran Judy Boyle unseated Otter-appointee Diana Thomas in a fairly close contest.
- Closer in to Boise, Chuck Winder pulled off a 10 point spread on incumbent Stan Bastian in a crowded 4-way. We interviewed Winder late Tuesday night for Boise State Radio and he criticized Bastian’s leadership in the Legislature and said that he did not regret entering the Senate race rather than taking on Moyle, with whom is at odds on transit issues facing the Boise Valley. Carpenter-Pundit Kulczyk, who said he was not really running, managed 247 votes.
- The only Legislative Democrat primary in the state, for Moyle’s seat in District 14, fizzled out early on. Moyle will face Michelle Waddell (991 friends) in November. Moyle easily warded off a write in effort and said he enjoyed the battle. Glida Bothwell opted to mount a write-in challenge for Raul Labrador’s seat and will appear on the ballot in November.
- Former Rep. Julie Ellsworth will get a shot at Brandon Durst in District 18 in November. Ellsworth, who was beaten by King when 18 went all Dem in the last elections, wants to take back the district for the Micron employees. First time candidate Gail Hartnett, who had some serious assistance on her race, did not overcome the Ellsworth name recognition.
- Snodgrass out in Meridian. Rep. Mark Snodgrass took on Sen. Shirley McKague, putting his political career, or at least his legislative career, at risk. He could not pull off the votes. McKague, who went to the Senate on another Otter appointment, won 53 percent to 47 percent in a bell-weather district.
- In The Home, Tim Corder pulled off a decisive victory against blogger Clayton Cramer, who was backed by Idaho’s captains of industry. Cramer “surprised” and Californicated.
- Tom Loertscher pulls big win in far-East Idaho.Loertscher gets 44 percent in far-spread East Idaho district. Lots of driving for votes. Davidson in the Post-Register. And Erik Simpson beat Ann Rydalch in 32, 59-41.
- Bonus races: District 21 turned into a very interesting contest with a triumvirate of challengers nearly unseating the entire District 21 delegation. Rep. John Vander Woude lost to Rich Jarvis by some 60 votes. Rep. Bayer and Sen. Fulcher squeaked by in their races, nearly losing to Jarvis’s buddies.
