Idaho held its general election on November 5, 2024, deciding 105 legislative seats. No chamber changed party control.
Highlights
- Idaho Republicans added three seats to a supermajority that hardly needed them, going from 87-18 to 90-15 across the two chambers. The same night, voters soundly rejected the top-four primary and ranked-choice initiative that had been the year's marquee fight. The Senate the voters returned also has a new leader: President Pro Tem Chuck Winder had lost his May primary, and Republicans chose Kelly Anthon to replace him in December.
- All three pickups came at the expense of sitting Democrats. Former Rep. Codi Galloway (R) unseated Sen. Rick Just (D) in Boise's Senate District 15 by about four points; Mike Pohanka (R) beat Rep. Ned Burns (D) in Blaine County's House District 26; and in Pocatello, Tanya Burgoyne (R) defeated Rep. Nate Roberts (D) for House District 29, Seat B (each Idaho district elects two House members, labeled A and B). The Democrats' one close call went their way: Sen. Ron Taylor (D) held off former Rep. Laurie Lickley (R) in Senate District 26 once Blaine County's late returns arrived.
- Proposition 1 lost by about 70 to 30, and its backers conceded before midnight. Backed by former Gov. Butch Otter and about 50 former Republican officeholders and opposed by Gov. Brad Little, Attorney General Raúl Labrador, and the state party, it would have replaced Idaho's closed primaries with a top-four primary and ranked-choice general elections. HJR 5, restating that only citizens may vote, passed with about two-thirds.
- Across the 105 legislative races, 3 seats changed parties, all Republican pickups, and 27 seats drew a single candidate.
Legislature
- House (70 seats): 11 D, 59 R before the election, 9 D, 61 R after; control stayed with Republicans.
- Senate (35 seats): 7 D, 28 R before the election, 6 D, 29 R after; control stayed with Republicans.
Legislative races
Ballot measures
| Measure | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
| HJR 5 | Prohibit the state and local governments from allowing noncitizens to vote. This legislatively referred constitutional amendment was placed on the Idaho 2024 ballot. Voters approved it with 65.0% voting yes. | Passed (65% yes) |
| Proposition 1 | Establish top-four primaries and ranked-choice voting (RCV) for federal, state, and certain local offices in Idaho. This citizen-initiated measure was placed on the Idaho 2024 ballot. Voters rejected it with only 30.0% voting yes. | Failed (30% yes) |