Did Idaho ‘move to the left’ based on results of our recent election for governor?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No – that’s just paranoia. To me it seems you had to be looking for a leftist under every bed, as portrayed above via the revision of a vintage cartoon. But it’s what Bob Neugebauer decided we did in an article published in his Gem State Patriot News on November 13, 2022 titled Will Idaho continue to move “Left”? I don’t think so. I suspect he’d read another article on November 11, 2022 titled Summary of the Ammon Bundy for Governor Campaign which whined:

 

“Throughout the campaign we could see the great challenges all Idahoans face when it comes to stopping Idaho’s slide into leftist liberalism.”

 

Our incumbent, Brad Little [Republican] got 60.5% of the vote, while Stephen Heidt [Democrat] got 20.3% and Ammon Bundy [Independent] got just 17.2% - a poor third place showing. Bob’s LinkedIn profile says he got to Idaho in January of 2001, so he was here for the 2002 election for governor. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Results from the previous five elections, and this one all are shown above in a bar chart. For 2002 through 2018 the Republican vote had averaged 56.3%, so how Little did was quite predictable. For 2002 through 2018 the Democratic (presumably leftist) vote had averaged 39.1 %, so Heidt did awful poorly.  

 

Bob waved his hands about the numbers of registered voters, and said:

 

“It is clear to us that many democrats but even more unaffiliated registered voters cast their vote for Little as they realize the democratic candidate never had a chance and Little is the closest thing to a democrat that they were going to get.”   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still another article from the Bundy Campaign on November 7, 2022 titled Splitting the vote narrative is laughable listed the numbers of registered voters shown above in a second bar chart. It looks to me like ALL the Republicans voted for Little, ALL the Democrats voted for Heidt, and the Independents split between Heidt and Bundy (except just about 3% who went for Little). There is a big problem in using the registration numbers, since the Republicans run a closed primary election. Independents and Democrats don’t get to vote then.