Idaho State Senate elections, 2022
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| 2022 Idaho Senate Elections | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Primary | May 17, 2022 |
| General | November 8, 2022 |
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| 2022 Elections | |
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Elections for theIdaho State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for May 17, 2022. The filing deadline was March 11, 2022.
The chamber's Republican majority remained 28-7.
TheIdaho State Senate was one of 88 state legislative chambers with elections in2022. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.
Party control
| Idaho State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 8, 2022 | After November 9, 2022 | |
| Democratic Party | 7 | 7 | |
| Republican Party | 28 | 28 | |
| Total | 35 | 35 | |
Candidates
General
Primary
Idaho State Senate Primary 2022 | |||
| |||
| Office |  Democratic |  Republican | Other |
| District 1 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | ||
| District 2 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | ||
| District 3 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | ||
| District 4 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | Did not make the ballot: | |
| District 5 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | Did not make the ballot: | |
| District 6 |
| Constitution Party  James Hartley | |
| District 7 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | Carl G. Crabtree (i) | |
| District 8 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | ||
| District 9 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | ||
| District 10 | |||
| District 11 | Constitution Party Kurtis Berger | ||
| District 12 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | ||
| District 13 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | ||
| District 14 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | Constitution Party Kirsten Faith RichardsonLibertarian Party Robert Imhoff | |
| District 15 | Constitution Party Sarah Clendenon | ||
| District 16 | |||
| District 17 | |||
| District 18 | |||
| District 19 |
| ||
| District 20 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | Did not make the ballot: | |
| District 21 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | Did not make the ballot: | Constitution Party Monica McKinley |
| District 22 |
| Constitution Party Brendan Gomez | |
| District 23 | Did not make the ballot: | Did not make the ballot: | Libertarian Party Jon Basabe |
| District 24 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | ||
| District 25 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | Constitution Party Paul Thompson  | |
| District 26 | |||
| District 27 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | ||
| District 28 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | ||
| District 29 | |||
| District 30 |
Did not make the ballot: | ||
| District 31 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | ||
| District 32 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | ||
| District 33 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | ||
| District 34 | The Democratic primary was canceled. |
| |
| District 35 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | ||
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete asurvey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Click a link below to read survey responses from candidates in that district:
- District 1
- District 2
- District 3
- District 4
- District 5
- District 6
- District 7
- District 8
- District 9
- District 10
- District 11
- District 12
- District 13
- District 14
- District 15
- District 16
- District 17
- District 18
- District 19
- District 20
- District 21
- District 22
- District 23
- District 24
- District 25
- District 26
- District 27
- District 28
- District 29
- District 30
- District 31
- District 32
- District 33
- District 34
- District 35
Incumbents who were not re-elected
Incumbents defeated in general elections
One incumbent lost in the Nov. 8 general election.
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| David Nelson |  Democratic | Senate District 6 |
Incumbents defeated in primary elections
Nine incumbents lost in the May 17 primaries.
Retiring incumbents
Nine incumbents were not on the ballot in 2022.[2][3] Those incumbents were:
Primary election competitiveness
This section contains data on state legislative primary election competitiveness in Idaho. These totals include data from all regularly-scheduledHouse and Senate elections. For more information about Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of state legislative elections, pleaseclick here.
Post-filing deadline analysis
The following analysis covers all state legislative districts up for election in Idaho in 2022. Information below was calculated on March 29, 2022, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.
More state legislative incumbents were set to face primary challenges in Idaho in 2022 than at any point since at least 2014 following the state's candidate filing deadline. Seventy-five incumbents filed for re-election in 2022, 61.3% of whom (46) entered contested primaries. From 2014 to 2020, the percentage of incumbents in contested primaries hovered at around half that rate ranging from 32 to 34%.
Of those 46 incumbents in contested primaries, there were 45 Republicans, and one Democrat: Rep.James Ruchti.
Redistricting was a partial cause of this increase. When states redraw district lines, they can change so that incumbents who previously represented one district find themselves living within the district lines of another. This can result in incumbents challenging other incumbents in contested primaries or general elections if they choose to seek re-election.
Four incumbent vs. incumbent primaries were scheduled in 2022:
- House District 9B: Rep.Scott Syme (R), first elected toDistrict 11A in 2016, filed to run against Rep.Judy Boyle (R), first elected to District 9B in 2008.
- House District 22A: Rep.Greg Ferch (R), first elected toDistrict 21B in 2020, filed to run against Rep.John Vander Woude (R), first elected to District 22A in 2010.
- Senate District 9: Sen.Jim Rice (R), first elected toDistrict 10 in 2012, filed to run against Sen.Abby Lee (R), first elected to District 9 in 2014. Two other candidates also filed in this primary.
- Senate District 14: Sen.Steven Thayn (R), first elected toDistrict 8 in 2012, filed to run against Sen.C. Scott Grow (R), first appointed to District 14 in 2018. One other candidate filed in this primary.
For the purposes of this analysis, all eight of these incumbents were considered incumbents in contested primaries.
Looking beyond incumbents in contested primaries, the total number of primaries also increased in 2022 to its highest level compared to previous cycles, driven entirely by an increase in Republican contests.
Other takeaways from Idaho's candidate filing deadline can be found below:
- Of the 105 seats up for election, 32.3% were open, meaning no incumbent filed to run. This was the largest percentage of open seats since at least 2014. Newcomers are guaranteed to win open seats, meaning at least one-third of theIdaho State Legislature would be new to their seats in the 2023 legislative session.
- Republicans filed to run for all 105 seats for the first time since at least 2014. Democrats filed to run for 46 seats, the lowest number in that same time span. This effectively guaranteed Republicans a majority of state legislative seats due to a lack of major party competition.
- Overall, 259 major party candidates—212 Republicans and 47 Democrats—filed to run for the state legislature. This equals 2.5 candidates per seat, the largest figure since at least 2014.
Open seats
The table below shows the number and percentage of open seats in the Idaho State Senate from 2010 to 2022.[4]
| Open Seats in Idaho State Senate elections: 2010 - 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 2022 | 35 | 12 (34%) | 23 (66%) |
| 2020 | 35 | 6 (17%) | 29 (83%) |
| 2018 | 35 | 4 (11%) | 31 (89%) |
| 2016 | 35 | 2 (6%) | 33 (94%) |
| 2014 | 35 | 2 (6%) | 33 (94%) |
| 2012 | 35 | 9 (26%) | 26 (74%) |
| 2010 | 35 | 1 (3%) | 34 (97%) |
Incumbents running in new districts
When an incumbent files to run for re-election in the same chamber but a new district, it leaves his or her original seat open. This may happen for a variety of reasons ranging from redistricting to a change in residences. This may result in instances where multiple incumbents face each other in contested primaries or general elections if the incumbent in the new district also seeks re-election. In 2022, 10 incumbents filed to run for re-election in new districts different from those they represented before the election. Those incumbents were:
Process to become a candidate
See statutes:Title 34 of the Idaho Code
Political party candidates
A partisan candidate for a local office must file a declaration of candidacy and either pay a filing fee or submit a petition containing the required number of signatures with the relevant city, district, or county.[6] A candidate for a statewide, state legislative, or federal office must file a declaration of candidacy and either pay a filing fee or submit a petition containing the required number of signatures withIdaho Secretary of State.[6]
For a candidate collecting signatures to be filed with a declaration of candidacy, each signature sheet must contain the signatures of qualified electors from a single county and must be verified by the appropriate county clerk prior to being filed with the Idaho Secretary of State. This applies to candidates for all statewide offices, state legislative offices, and congressional offices. Filing fees and signature requirements vary according to the office sought and are set out in the table below.[6]
| Filing fees and petition signature requirements for partisan candidates | ||
|---|---|---|
| Office sought | Filing fee | Petition signature requirements |
| United States Senator | $500 | 500 |
| United States Representative | $300 | 500 |
| Governor | $300 | 1,000 |
| Lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, state controller, attorney general, and superintendent of public instructure | $200 | 1,000 |
| State legislator | $30 | 50 |
Independent candidates
An independent candidate must file a declaration of candidacy and submit a petition containing the required number of signatures with theIdaho Secretary of State.[6][7]
Each petition signature sheet must contain the signatures of qualified electors from a single county and must be verified by the appropriate county clerk prior to being filed with the Idaho Secretary of State. This applies to all statewide, state legislative, and congressional offices.[6] Candidates must collect 1,000 signatures for any statewide office, including U.S. Senate, 500 for U.S. House, 50 for state legislative districts, and five for county offices.[7]
Write-in candidates
A write-in candidate must file a declaration of intent form with theIdaho Secretary of State. A write-in candidate seeking the nomination of a political party in the primary election also must pay the filing fee required of that office within 10 days following the primary election date. A write-in candidate must also receive a minimum number of votes in the primary election in order to advance to the general election. These vote thresholds are as follows:[8]
- 1,000 for any statewide office
- 500 for a congressional district office
- 50 for a state legislative office
A write-in candidate must file a declaration of intent form no less than 28 days before the primary or general election.[9]
Qualifications
Article III, Section 6 of theIdaho Constitution states: No person shall be a senator or representative who, at the time of his election, is not a citizen of the United States, and an elector of this state, nor anyone who has not been for one year next preceding his election an elector of the county or district whence he may be chosen.
Salaries and per diem
| State legislative salaries, 2025[10] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $25,000/year | For legislators residing within 50 miles of the Capitol: $86/day. For legislators residing more than 50 miles from the Capitol: $253/day. |
When sworn in
Idaho legislators assume office on the first day in December following the general election.[11]
Idaho political history
Trifectas
Astate government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.
Idaho Party Control: 1992-2026
No Democratic trifectas • Thirty-two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
Presidential politics in Idaho
2020 Presidential election results
Presidential election in Idaho, 2020
Candidate/Running mate | % | Popular votes | Electoral votes | ||
| ✔ |   | Donald Trump/Mike Pence (R) | 63.8 | 554,119 | 4 |
  | Joe Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D) | 33.1 | 287,021 | 0 | |
  | Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (L) | 1.9 | 16,404 | 0 | |
  | Ye/Michelle Tidball (Independent) | 0.4 | 3,632 | 0 | |
  | Brock Pierce/Karla Ballard (Independent) | 0.3 | 2,808 | 0 | |
  | Don Blankenship/William Mohr (Constitution Party) | 0.2 | 1,886 | 0 | |
  | Roque De La Fuente/Darcy Richardson (Independent) | 0.2 | 1,491 | 0 | |
 | Howie Hawkins (no running mate) (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 407 | 0 | |
 | Brian T. Carroll (no running mate) (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 163 | 0 | |
 | Gloria La Riva (no running mate) (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 49 | 0 | |
 | Jade Simmons (no running mate) (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 21 | 0 | |
 | Tom Hoefling (no running mate) (Unaffiliated) | 0.0 | 7 | 0 | |
 | Shawn W. Howard (no running mate) (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 4 | 0 | |
 | Todd Cella (no running mate) (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Chris Franklin (no running mate) (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
 | Incumbents arebolded and underlined The results have been certified. | Total votes: 868,014 |
Voting information
- See also:Voting in Idaho
Election information inIdaho: Nov. 8, 2022, election.
What was the voter registration deadline?
- In-person: Oct. 14, 2022
- By mail: Postmarked by Oct. 14, 2022
- Online: Oct. 14, 2022
Was absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?
What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?
- In-person: Oct. 28, 2022
- By mail: Received by Oct. 28, 2022
- Online: Oct. 28, 2022
What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?
- In-person: Nov. 8, 2022
- By mail: Received by Nov. 8, 2022
Was early voting available to all voters?
What were the early voting start and end dates?
Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required?
When were polls open on Election Day?
Redistricting following the 2020 census
On November 12, 2021, the Idaho Independent Redistricting Commission formally submitted its final legislative map to thesecretary of state. On November 10, 2021, the commission voted 6-0 in favor of the final legislative map.[12] The commission had earlier voted in favor of the map on November 5, 2021, but chose to recast their votes on November 10, 2021, due to concerns regarding Idaho's open meetings laws.[12][13][14] Idaho has 35 legislative districts, each of which elects one senator and two representatives.
Below is the state Senate map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle.
Idaho State Senate Districts
until November 30, 2022
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Idaho State Senate Districts
starting December 1, 2022
Click a district to compare boundaries.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑Blair was serving as a full-time substitute for state Sen.Dan Johnson (R) at the time of the primary and was counted as an incumbent seeking re-election.
- ↑Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑This list does not include Sens.Dan Johnson (R) andSteve Bair (R). Both incumbents appointed full-time substitutes to their seats and did not file for re-election. Those substitutes,Robert Blair (R) andJulie VanOrden (R), were treated as incumbents seeking re-election as if Johnson and Bair had resigned from office early and had successors assume office.
- ↑Ballotpedia defines a seat as open if the incumbent did not file to run for re-election or filed but withdrew and did not appear on any ballot for his or her seat. If the incumbent withdrew from or did not participate in the primary but later chose to seek re-election to his or her seat as a third party or independent candidate, the seat would not be counted as open. If the incumbent retired or ran for a different seat in the same chamber, his or her original seat would be counted as open unless another incumbent from the same chamber filed to run for that seat, in which case it would not be counted as open due to the presence of an incumbent.
- ↑Nelson filed to run in District 6, represented by Sen.Dan Johnson (R). Johnson appointedRobert Blair (R) to serve as his full-time substitute at the start of 2022 and did not file for re-election. For the purposes of this analysis, Blair was treated as an incumbent seeking re-election.
- ↑6.06.16.26.36.4Vote Idaho, "Running For Office," accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑7.07.1Idaho Statutes, "Title 34, Chapter 7, Section 708," accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑Idaho Election Code, "Section 34-702," accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑Idaho Statutes, "Title 34, Chapter 7, Section 702A," accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑National Conference of State Legislatures, "2025 Legislator Compensation," December 2, 2025
- ↑Idaho Constitution, "Article III, Section 3," accessed December 18, 2019
- ↑12.012.1Boise State Public Radio, "Commission for reappointment recasts votes on Idaho’s new political district maps," Nov. 11, 2021
- ↑FiveThirtyEight, "The partisan breakdown of Idaho’s new map," accessed Nov. 16, 2021
- ↑Boise State Public Radio, "Final iterations of Idaho's districting maps are proposed," Nov. 7, 2021
