Top races in Tuesday’s primary election
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - The primary election is Tuesday, May 17, and it could actually decide who will be in office next year.
Here are the races we think are the top eight races to watch Tuesday.
Number 1: Governor
It is probably one of the most contentious races in the state.
Overall, eight candidates are running for the position, but the two to watch, of course, are current Governor Brad Little and Lt. Governor Janice McGeachin.
McGeachin is hoping her endorsement from former President Donald Trump will help her, but some voters are concerned about her appearances with white nationalists and other some of her other activities may hurt her.
Governor Little is touting his record over the last four years and how he has secured an increase in education funding, teacher pay and tax cuts, but some voters are not happy with the way he handled the pandemic.
Ed Humphreys could be a contender if someone doesn't like the other two.
He has been working hard down the stretch to bring attention to himself, claiming he will put principles above politics.
Number 2: Lieutenant Governor
Who will replace McGeachin?
Speaker of the House Scott Bedke is up against State Representative Priscilla Giddings and Daniel Gasiorowski.
Bedke has been a member of the Idaho house since 2001 and Giddings since 2016.
Gasiorowski is new to the political arena.
The thing to watch here is, who could be working with the governor?
Bedke and Governor Little seem to be on the same page, and Giddings and McGeachin have teamed up on many strategies together.
Number 3: State Superintendent
Superintendent Sherri Ybarra is running for her third term.
She is being challenged by former State Board of Education Chairperson Debbie Critchfield and former Democratic Legislator Branden Durst.
It will be interesting to watch and see if Ybarra can keep her seat against Critchfield, who appears to be the strongest of the two challengers when it comes to advertising.
Number 4: Attorney General
Incumbent Lawrence Wasden is being challenged by former US Representative Raul Labrador and Coeur d'Alene attorney Art Macomber.
It could be close as Labrador is well-known and political action committees have been heavily speaking against Attorney General Wasden.
Wasden has served for 20 years as attorney general, the longest in Idaho's history.
Number 5: Secretary of State
Three candidates are eyeing the position: Stanley legislator Dorothy Moon, Couer d'Alene Senator Mary Souza and Ada County Clerk Phil McGrane.
The secretary of state administers the state elections as well as registering business entities.
It's a hot topic with legislators.
Moon and Souza have been outspoken on how elections are handled while McGrane has been the only candidate to have actually conducted an election.
It will be interesting to see who voters select.
Number 6: US Congress District 2
Will Mike Simpson be able to keep his seat in the US House of Representatives?
Since outlining a plan to save the salmon population and proposing to remove four dams on the lower Snake River, Simpson has been receiving pushback from several of his Republican colleagues.
Four people are running against him.
His closest contender is Idaho Falls attorney Bryan Smith.
Smith also has his challenges.
He has a leadership position with the Bonneville County Republican Central Committee who just lost a case against the state GOP committee over election law violations.
Number 7: Idaho Representative 34B
We'll see who voters in Madison County think should represent them in the Idaho House.
You could call it a rematch between the two candidates for District 34B.
This time, State Representative Ron Nate is being challenged by former State Representative Britt Raybould who Nate defeated two year ago by less than 300 votes thanks to voters in Bonneville County.
But with redistricting, Bonneville County is no longer a part of District 34, and it only includes voters in Madison County.
Nate is known for his far-right voting record in the legislature.
Number 8: Idaho Representative 35B
Another state legislator known for his far-right votes is vying for a spot in House seat 35B.
Ammon Representative Chad Christensen is up against Ammon City Councilman Josh Wheeler.
In the last election, Christensen did well in outlying counties but did poorly in Bonneville County.
It will interesting to see if the numbers will move now that Onieda and Franklin counties are no longer in that district.
Of course, there are more races to watch.
We will be live Tuesday night as the numbers come in, and we'll have a couple of guests with us to help us analyze the results. We will also have live results here.
