Election 2022: Fulcher wins reelection to U.S. House in Idaho’s 1st Congressional District
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - 12:28 a.m. Republican Russ Fulcher wins reelection to U.S. House in Idaho's 1st Congressional District.
11:27 p.m. Incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson was reelected in deeply conservative Idaho. Fellow GOP U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher was leading his Democratic opponent Tuesday, but that race was too early to call. Simpson, 72, won a 13th term representing the eastern portion of the state in Idaho’s 2nd Congressional District. Fulcher, 60, is seeking a third term representing the state’s 1st Congressional District that covers the western portion of the state and stretches from the state’s northern to southwestern border.
9:03 p.m. Idaho Gov. Brad Little has won a second term. The 68-year-old Republican governor on Tuesday easily turned aside challenges from Democrat Stephen Heidt and independent candidate and antigovernment activist Ammon Bundy. Little ignored Heidt and Bundy leading up to the election, declining to debate. Little instead focused his attacks on President Joe Biden and made border security and inflation a priority. Little also touted record tax cuts, red tape reduction measures and big boosts in education spending. Heidt said he wanted to decriminalize cannabis. Bundy is best known for his takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon in 2016. He planned to rely on executive orders to govern.
9:02 p.m. Republican Harriet Hageman has beaten a Native American activist to win Wyoming’s lone seat in the U.S. House and cement her place as successor to Liz Cheney. A Cheyenne natural resources attorney, Hageman beat Democrat Lynnette Grey Bull. Hageman ran on her deep family ties to Wyoming’s ranching community to connect with rural voters in the least-populated state. She campaigned aggressively, much as she did before beating Cheney in the GOP primary in August. The race between Hageman and Grey Bull drew little attention outside Wyoming compared with the Republican primary, when voters turned against Cheney for her criticism of former President Donald Trump.
9:01 p.m. Idaho Republican Senator Mike Crapo has won a fifth term in the deeply conservative state that hasn’t elected a Democratic senator since 1974. The 71-year-old had a huge fundraising advantage and name recognition over other candidates heading into Tuesday’s election. He raised about $6.5 million compared to about $26,000 for his Democratic challenger, David Roth. Crapo lauded the U.S. Supreme Court decision in June that stripped away women’s constitutional protections for abortion. The ruling triggered in Idaho one of the most strict abortion bans in the nation. Roth says that a woman should have the right to make her own healthcare decisions.
7:10 p.m. Republican Mark Gordon has won a second term as Wyoming's governor.
Gordon beat Democrat Theresa Livingston, a retired educator and U.S. Bureau of Land Management employee. Neither campaigned extensively.
Gordon emphasized his efforts to diversify Wyoming's economy away from fossil fuels, mentioning ongoing work to develop new uses for coal and an unconventional nuclear reactor.
He prevailed despite getting criticized by fellow Republicans for closing off businesses and public places during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. His pandemic response drew calls for a Republican to challenge him.
One often-mentioned opponent, Cheyenne attorney Harriet Hageman, ran for U.S. House instead, beating Liz Cheney in the Republican primary.
ORIGINAL: There is a lot on the ballot Tuesday from who will represent us in congress, to state lawmakers and officials, to school bonds and levies.
Polls are open until 8 p.m.
Once they close and results start to come in, we will be posting major updates here. You can view a full list of results HERE. You can also view interactive results HERE.
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