Amid national blue wave, Idaho Democrats gain six legislative seats — flipping competitive districts

Correction: This story was corrected at 1:50 p.m. Wednesday to reflect that Democrats picked up one state Senate seat, and five state House seats.

As the nation experienced a blue wave in congressional midterm elections across the country, Democrats in Idaho picked up six more seats in the state Legislature. 

The gains position Democrats to boost their 15-member presence in the 105-member state Legislature to 21 Democrats across the House and Senate, according to unofficial election results from 10 a.m. Wednesday. But in a deep red state, Republicans still hold supermajority control of both chambers of the Legislature — and maintain control of all seven statewide constitutional offices and the state’s four congressional seats.

The results of Tuesday’s election, published by the Secretary of State’s Office, are unofficial and preliminary. Results will not become official until they are certified by the Idaho State Board of Canvassers on Nov. 24. 

In Tuesday’s election, Democrats had success flipping seats in the state’s few competitive legislative districts in west Boise, the Magic Valley in southcentral Idaho, and Pocatello in eastern Idaho. Five of the six new seats are in the House, where Democrats’ nine-member caucus is set to grow to 14, and one is in the Senate, where seven Democrats are slated to serve.

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In west Boise’s Legislative District 15, Democrats picked up a House seat, retained another and picked up a Senate seat.

• Democratic challenger Jae Etchart defeated incumbent Rep. Dori Healey in the race for one of the district’s seats in the Idaho House of Representatives. Etchart had 53.3% of the vote, or about 11,000 votes, over Healey’s nearly 46.7% of the vote, or roughly 9,700 votes. That’s based on unofficial results at 10 a.m. Wednesday with all 20 precincts fully reporting.
• In the district’s state Senate race, former Boise School District Trustee Nancy Gregory beat Republican candidate Desi Burbank for a seat left vacant by Republican Sen. Codi Galloway, who did not seek reelection. Gregory led with roughly 54.5% of the vote, or 11,365 votes, over Galloway’s nearly 45.5% of the vote, or almost 9,500 votes. That’s based on unofficial results at 10 a.m. Wednesday with all 20 precincts fully reporting.
• The district’s lone incumbent Democrat, Rep. Steve Berch, widely won over Republican challenger Steve Keyser. Berch led with nearly 58.3% of the vote, or more than 12,200 votes, over Keyser’s 41.7% of the vote, or nearly 8,750 votes. That’s based on unofficial results at 10 a.m. Wednesday with all 20 precincts fully reporting.

In central Idaho’s Legislative District 26, Democrats won two legislative races that represented progressive pickups.

• In the district’s House Seat A race, Democratic candidate Anita Janis defeated incumbent Rep. Mike Pohanka, R-Jerome. Janis received 51% of the vote, or nearly 9,700 votes, and Pohanka had received almost 43.9% of the vote, or roughly 8,300 votes. A third candidate, independent Bella Schiffler, had received 5.1% of the vote, or nearly 1,000 votes. That’s based on unofficial results at 10 a.m. Wednesday with all 33 precincts fully reporting.
• In the district’s House Seat B race, Democratic candidate Kevin Marsh beat Republican Lyle Johnstone in the race for the vacant legislative seat held by retiring Rep. Jack Nelsen, R-Jerome. Marsh had received nearly 59% of the votes, or 11,103 votes, over Johnstone’s 41% of the votes, or about 7,719 votes. That’s based on unofficial results at 10 a.m. Wednesday with all 33 precincts fully reporting.
• In the district’s Senate race, incumbent Democratic Sen. Ron Taylor, R-Hailey, won reelection over Republican challenger Bryan Hyde and independent Shaila Tate. Taylor had about 56.5% of the vote, or roughly 10,700 votes, compared to Hyde’s nearly 38.6% of the vote, or about 7,300 votes. Tate received nearly 4.9% of the vote, or about 925 votes. That’s based on unofficial results at 10 a.m. Wednesday with all 33 precincts fully reporting.

In Bannock County’s Legislative District 29, Democrats won two more legislative races:

• In a House race there, incumbent Republican Rep. Dustin Manwaring lost his re-election bid to Democratic challenger Mary Shea. Shea led with nearly 56.4% of the vote, or about 10,000 votes, over Manwaring’s 43.6% of the vote, or almost 7,750 votes. That’s based on results at 10:20 a.m. Wednesday with all 31 precincts fully reporting. 
• In the district’s other House race, former Democratic state Rep. Nate Roberts won over Republican challenger Jennifer Miles. Roberts had 55.8% of the vote, or nearly 9,900 votes, over Miles’s nearly 44.2% of the vote, or about 7,800 votes. That’s based on results at 10:20 a.m. Wednesday with all 31 precincts fully reporting. 

A North Idaho race to unseat a Republican state lawmaker was tight.

In Legislative District 6, incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Foreman won a close challenge from Democratic opponent Robin Weldy. Foreman led with 52.7% of the vote, or 11,172 votes, to Weldy’s nearly 47.3% of the vote, or about 10,000 votes. That’s based on unofficial results at 10:20 a.m. Wednesday with all 54 precincts fully reporting.

After a primary that ousted nine incumbent Republicans, the Legislature is set to change

Regardless of Tuesday’s election results, the Legislature was set for significant turnover. After a primary election where nine Republican incumbents lost, fifteen legislative races had no incumbents running for re-election. 

But a few of them had familiar faces running, such as Scott Herndon, a former Republican state senator who won his bid to regain his seat in Legislative District 1, and Roberts, a Democrat who previously held his legislative seat in Pocatello. Herndon won with 57.27% of the vote, or 14,838 votes, over independent Steve Johnson, who had 42.73% of the vote, or 11,069 votes. That’s based on unofficial results at 10:20 a.m. Wednesday with all 34 precincts fully reporting.

One House seat, in District 24, had a Republican vying for the office for the first time: Chance Requa, who faced no challenger. 

Thirteen incumbents — largely Republicans — ran unopposed in the general election, including Republican Reps. Jordan Redman, from Coeur d’Alene, and Rep. John Shirts, from Weiser who just became Idaho’s top federal prosecutor.