Idaho held its general election on November 6, 2018, deciding 105 legislative seats and 7 statewide offices led by the governorship. No chamber changed party control.
Highlights
- Republicans kept two-thirds supermajorities in both chambers and every statewide office, while Democrats gained a few legislative seats and voters approved Medicaid expansion by initiative.
- Lt. Gov. Brad Little (R) won the open governorship by about 22 points over former state Rep. Paulette Jordan (D), a result that came as no surprise. Jordan, the first woman to win the Democratic nomination for Idaho governor, had drawn national attention with her bid to become the first Native American governor of a U.S. state. Janice McGeachin (R) won the open lieutenant governor's seat by about 19 points, becoming the state's first female lieutenant governor.
- Democrats netted a Senate seat and three House seats, and every seat they gained came from a Republican incumbent:
- Republicans' lone pickup came in House District 5, Jordan's old seat, where Bill Goesling (R) beat Rep. Margie Gannon (D) by about 400 votes. That left North Idaho with an all-Republican House delegation.
- Beyond the flips, 1 race finished inside two points: in Senate District 15, Sen. Fred Martin (R) held off Jim Bratnober (D) by six votes, close enough to prompt a recount in Ada County. In all, 41 legislative seats went uncontested.
- Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra (R) narrowly won a second term over Cindy Wilson (D) by 3 points, the closest statewide race. Attorney General Lawrence Wasden (R) and Secretary of State Lawerence Denney (R) won comfortably. Controller Brandon Woolf (R) and Julie Ellsworth (R), who won the treasurer's race, ran unopposed.
- Voters split the 2 initiatives: Proposition 2 passed, expanding Medicaid to potentially more than 60,000 low-income adults after lawmakers had refused for years, while Proposition 1, which would have allowed betting on historical horse-racing terminals, failed.
Legislature
- House (70 seats): 11 D, 59 R before the election, 14 D, 56 R after; control stayed with Republicans.
- Senate (35 seats): 6 D, 29 R before the election, 7 D, 28 R after; control stayed with Republicans.
Statewide races
Legislative races
Ballot measures
| Measure | Description | Result |
|---|
| Proposition 1 | Allows betting on historical horse races at video terminals in certain locations | Failed (46.2% yes) |
| Proposition 2 | Expands Medicaid under the ACA | Passed (60.58% yes) |