2002 Idaho gubernatorial election

{{Short description|none}}

{{for|related races|2002 United States gubernatorial elections}}

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 2002 Idaho gubernatorial election

| country = Idaho

| type = presidential

| ongoing = no

| previous_election = 1998 Idaho gubernatorial election

| previous_year = 1998

| next_election = 2006 Idaho gubernatorial election

| next_year = 2006

| election_date = November 5, 2002

| image1 = Image:Dirkkempthornesenate.jpg

| image_size = 150x150px

| nominee1 = Dirk Kempthorne

| party1 = Republican Party (United States)

| popular_vote1 = 231,566

| percentage1 = 56.3%

| image2 = File:3x4.svg

| nominee2 = Jerry Brady

| party2 = Democratic Party (United States)

| popular_vote2 = 171,711

| percentage2 = 41.7%

| map_image = {{Switcher

|180px

|County results

|180px

|Precinct results}}

| map_size = 180px

| map_caption =Kempthorne:{{legend0|#FFB2B2|40–50%}} {{legend0|#e27f7f|50–60%}} {{legend0|#d75d5d|60–70%}} {{legend0|#d72f30|70–80%}} {{legend0|#c21b18|80–90%}} {{legend0|#A80000|>90%}}
Brady: {{legend0|#a5b0ff|40–50%}} {{legend0|#7996e2|50–60%}} {{legend0|#6674de|60–70%}} {{legend0|#584CDE|70–80%}} {{legend0|#3933E5|80–90%}}
Adams: {{legend0|#F1C92A|50–60%}}
Tie: {{legend0|#D2B1D9|40–50%}} {{legend0|#AE8BB1|50%}} {{legend0|#808080|No Votes}}

| title = Governor

| before_election = Dirk Kempthorne

| before_party = Republican Party (United States)

| after_election = Dirk Kempthorne

| after_party = Republican Party (United States)

}}

The 2002 Idaho gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2002 to select the governor of the state of Idaho. Dirk Kempthorne, the Republican incumbent, defeated Democratic nominee Jerry Brady to win a second term, but the win was not nearly as overwhelming as Kempthorne's 1998 victory. This was the first Idaho gubernatorial election since 1978 in which the winner was of the same party as the incumbent president. This was the first time since 1962 that an incumbent Republican Governor of Idaho was re-elected.

Republican primary

=Candidates=

=Results=

File:Idaho Governor R Primary 2002.svg

{{Election box begin no change

| title = Republican primary results{{Cite web |url=http://www.sos.idaho.gov/elect/results/2002/primary/cnty_gov.htm |title=2002 Primary Results Governor |access-date=2011-04-25 |archive-date=2010-11-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101103105949/http://www.sos.idaho.gov/elect/results/2002/primary/cnty_gov.htm |url-status=dead }}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Dirk Kempthorne (inc.)

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 95,882

| percentage = 65.88

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Milt Erhart

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 37,523

| percentage = 25.78

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Walter L. Bayes

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 6,873

| percentage = 4.72

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Raynelle J. George

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 5,271

| percentage = 3.62

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 145,549

| percentage = 100.00

}}

{{Election box end}}

Democratic primary

=Candidates=

  • Jerry Brady, newspaper publisher
  • Rue T. Stears

=Results=

File:Idaho Governor D Primary 2002.svg

{{Election box begin no change

| title = Democratic Primary results

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Jerry Brady

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 33,285

| percentage = 87.40

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Rue T. Stears

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 4,798

| percentage = 12.60

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 38,083

| percentage = 100.00

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{ElectionsID}}

Libertarian primary

=Candidates=

  • Daniel L. J. Adams, perennial candidate
  • Michael Monroe Gollaher (write-in)

=Results=

{{Election box begin no change

| title = Libertarian Primary results

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Daniel L. J. Adams

| party = Libertarian Party (United States)

| votes = 997

| percentage = 90.14

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Michael Monroe Gollaher (write-in)

| party = Libertarian Party (United States)

| votes = 109

| percentage = 9.86

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 1,106

| percentage = 100.00

}}

{{Election box end}}

General election

=Campaign=

Although Brady performed considerably better than 1998 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Robert C. Huntley, and won a plurality of the vote in Ada County, the state's most populous county, Kempthorne won reelection with a comfortable majority.

=Predictions=

class="wikitable"

!Source

!Ranking

!As of

The Cook Political Report{{Cite web|url=http://www.cookpolitical.com:80/display.cfm?section=political&edit_id=225|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021208065752/http://www.cookpolitical.com/display.cfm?section=political&edit_id=225|archive-date=December 8, 2002|title=Governor Updated October 31, 2002 {{!}} The Cook Political Report|website=The Cook Political Report|language=en|date=October 31, 2002|access-date=September 18, 2018|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}

| {{USRaceRating|Safe|R}}

|October 31, 2002

Sabato's Crystal Ball{{Cite web|url=http://www.centerforpolitics.org:80/crystalball/governor_all.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021212142349/http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/governor_all.htm|archive-date=December 12, 2002|title=Governors Races|website=www.centerforpolitics.org|language=en-US|date=November 4, 2002|access-date=September 18, 2018|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}

| {{USRaceRating|Lean|R}}

|November 4, 2002

=Results=

{{Election box begin | title=Idaho gubernatorial election, 2002http://www.sos.idaho.gov/elect/results/2002/general/cnty_gov.htm {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Dirk Kempthorne (inc.)

|votes = 231,566

|percentage = 56.28

|change = -11.42

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Jerry Brady

|votes = 171,711

|percentage = 41.73

|change = +12.66

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Libertarian Party (US)

|candidate = Daniel L. J. Adams

|votes = 8,187

|percentage = 1.99

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate|

|party = Write-ins

|candidate =

|votes = 13

|percentage = 0.00

|change =

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 59,855

|percentage = 14.55

|change = -24.08

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 411,477

|percentage =

|change =

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Republican Party (US)

|loser =

|swing =

}}

{{Election box end}}

==Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic==

References

{{reflist}}

See also