Idaho held its general election on November 4, 2014, deciding 105 legislative seats and 7 statewide offices led by the governorship. No chamber changed party control.
Highlights
- Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter (R) won a third term and Republicans kept two-thirds majorities in both chambers, holding the GOP trifecta. Democrats netted one House seat in north Idaho, trimming the Republican edge to 56-14.
- Otter's rare third term came by about 15 points over A.J. Balukoff (D), after Balukoff and Libertarian John Bujak (L) pressed him over scandals from his first two terms.
- Sherri Ybarra (R) won the open superintendent's office, the closest statewide race, by about 5,600 votes over Jana Jones (D). Ybarra's campaign lurched from one gaffe to the next: she had never voted in an Idaho election since moving to the state in 1996. Former House Speaker Lawerence Denney (R), the first speaker ever removed by his caucus, won the open secretary of state's office by about 12 points over Holli High Woodings (D). The other Republican statewide incumbents were re-elected.
- All 3 legislative seats that changed party were in two north Idaho House districts: Democrats won two and Republicans won one.In House District 6, Rep. John Rusche (D) held his seat by 48 votes, and Steve Miller (R) held House District 26 by about 130 votes.
- Voters narrowly rejected HJR 2, which would have put the Legislature's practice of accepting or rejecting agency rules into the constitution.
Legislature
- House (70 seats): 13 D, 57 R before the election, 14 D, 56 R after; control stayed with Republicans.
- Senate (35 seats): 7 D, 28 R before the election, 7 D, 28 R after; control stayed with Republicans.
Statewide races
Legislative races
Ballot measures
| Measure | Description | Result |
|---|
| HJR 2 | Empowers the legislature to delegate rulemaking authorities to executive agencies and to approve or reject the administrative rules devised by those agencies | Failed (49.42% yes) |