Idaho gubernatorial election, 2014

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Idaho Gubernatorial Election

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Primary Date:
May 20, 2014

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General Election Date:
November 4, 2014

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November 4 Election Winner:
Butch Otter
Incumbent prior to election:
Butch Otter

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## Contents

* 1 Candidates
* 1.1 General election
* 1.2 Lost in the primary
* 2 Results
* 2.1 General election
* 2.2 Primary election
* 2.2.1 Republican primary
* 2.2.2 Democratic primary
* 3 Polls
* 4 Past elections
* 4.1 2010
* 4.2 2006
* 4.3 2002
* 5 Voter turnout
* 6 Campaign finance
* 7 Key deadlines
* 8 Recent news
* 9 See also
* 10 External links
* 11 Footnotes

The Idaho gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Butch Otter (R) ran for re-election, as the state has no gubernatorial term limits. Otter won another four-year term against Democratic candidate A.J. Balukoff and four third party candidates.

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. In Idaho, parties decide who may vote in their primaries.[1] As of October 2025, the Democratic Party allows unaffiliated voters to vote in its primary, while the Republican Party only allows voters registered with its party to vote in its primary. Unaffiliated voters can choose to affiliate with a party on Election Day.[2][3]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

As of 2014, the governor's office had been held by the Republican Party since 1995. Polling in mid-October showed the race between Otter and Balukoff tightening to a four-point margin, as third party candidates accumulated support from 12 percent of respondents.

## Candidates[edit]

### General election[edit]

Butch Otter \- Incumbent [4]
A.J. Balukoff[5]
John T. Bujak[6]
Pro-Life[7]
Jill Humble[6]
Steve Pankey[6]

### Lost in the primary[edit]

Walt Bayes[6]
Harley D. Brown[6]
Russell Fulcher[8][9]
Terry Kerr[6]

## Results[edit]

### General election[edit]

Governor of Idaho, 2014

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Butch Otter Incumbent | 53.5% | 235,405
| Democratic  |  A.J. Balukoff | 38.6% | 169,556
| Libertarian  |  John T. Bujak | 4.1% | 17,884
| Independent  |  Jill Humble | 2% | 8,801
| Constitution  |  Steve Pankey | 1.2% | 5,219
| Independent  |  Pro-Life | 0.7% | 2,870
| N/A  |  Write-ins  | 0% | 95
Total Votes | 439,830
Election results via Idaho Secretary of State

### Primary election[edit]

#### Republican primary[edit]

Governor of Idaho, Republican Primary, 2014

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Butch Otter Incumbent | 51.4% | 79,779
Russell Fulcher | 43.6% | 67,694
Harley D. Brown | 3.3% | 5,084
Walt Bayes | 1.8% | 2,753
Total Votes | 155,310
Election results via Idaho Secretary of State.

#### Democratic primary[edit]

Governor of Idaho, Democratic Primary, 2014

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
A.J. Balukoff | 65.3% | 16,751
Terry Kerr | 34.7% | 8,887
Total Votes | 25,638
Election results via Idaho Secretary of State.

## Polls[edit]

Governor of Idaho - All candidates

Poll | Butch Otter* | A.J. Balukoff| John T. Bujak| Steve Pankey| Jill Humble| Pro-Life| Undecided| Margin of error| Sample size
Public Policy Polling
October 9-12, 2014 | 39%| 35%| 4%| 2%| 3%| 3%| 14%| +/-4.3| 522
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.
Governor of Idaho - Balukoff v. Otter

Poll | Butch Otter* | A.J. Balukoff| Other/Undecided| Margin of error| Sample size
New York Times/CBS/YouGov
October 16-23, 2014 | 53%| 35%| 12%| +/-6| 575
New York Times/CBS/YouGov
October 9-12, 2014 | 57%| 33%| 10%| +/-5| 594
AVERAGES|  55%|  34%|  11%|  +/-5.5|  584.5
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Note: An asterisk (*) denotes incumbent status.

## Past elections[edit]

### 2010[edit]

Idaho Governor, 2010

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | C.L. "Butch" Otter Incumbent | 59.1% | 267,483
| Democratic  |  Keith Allred | 32.9% | 148,680
| Independent  |  Jana M. Kemp | 5.9% | 26,655
| Libertarian  |  Ted Dunlap | 1.3% | 5,867
| Independent  |  Pro-Life (Marvin Thomas Richardson) | 0.9% | 3,850
Total Votes | 452,535
Election results via Idaho Secretary of State

### 2006[edit]

Idaho Governor, 2006

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | C.L. "Butch" Otter | 52.7% | 237,437
| Democratic  |  Jerry M. Brady  | 44.1% | 198,845
| Constitution  |  Marvin Richardson | 1.6% | 7,309
| Libertarian  |  Ted Dunlap | 1.6% | 7,241
Total Votes | 450,832
Election results via Idaho Secretary of State

### 2002[edit]

Idaho Governor, 2002

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Dirk Kempthorne | 56.3% | 231,566
| Democratic  |  Jerry M. Brady  | 41.7% | 171,711
| Libertarian  |  Daniel L.J. Adams  | 2% | 8,187
| Independent  |  Kevin Powers  | 0% | 13
Total Votes | 411,477
Election results via Idaho Secretary of State

## Voter turnout[edit]

Political scientist Michael McDonald's United States Elections Project studied voter turnout in the 2014 election by looking at the percentage of eligible voters who headed to the polls. McDonald used voting-eligible population (VEP), or the number of eligible voters independent of their current registration status, to calculate turnout rates in each state on November 4. He also incorporated ballots cast for the highest office in each state into his calculation. He estimated that 81,687,059 ballots were cast in the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, representing 35.9 percent of the VEP.[10] By comparison, 61.6 percent of VEP voted in the 2008 presidential election and 58.2 percent of VEP voted in the 2012 presidential election.[11]

Quick facts

* According to PBS Newshour, voter turnout in the 2014 midterms was the lowest since the 1942 midterms, which took place during the nation's involvement in World War II.[12]

* Forty-three states and the District of Columbia did not surpass 50 percent turnout in McDonald's analysis.

* The three states with the lowest turnout according to McDonald's analysis were Texas (28.3 percent), Tennessee (28.6 percent), and Indiana (28.8 percent).

* Maine (58.5 percent), Wisconsin (56.5 percent), and Colorado (54.5 percent) were the three states with the highest turnout.

* Twelve states increased voter turnout in 2014 compared to the 2010 midterm elections.[13]

Voter turnout rates, 2014

State  | Total votes counted  | % voter eligible population  | Top statewide office up for election  | Size of lead (Raw votes)  | Size of lead (%)
Alabama | 1,191,274 | 33.2 | Governor | 320,319 | 27.2
Alaska | 285,431 | 54.4 | Governor | 4,004 | 1.6
Arizona | 1,537,671 | 34.1 | Governor | 143,951 | 12.5
Arkansas | 852,642 | 40.1 | Governor | 118,664 | 14.0
California | 7,513,972 | 30.8 | Governor | 1,065,748 | 17.8
Colorado | 2,080,071 | 54.5 | Governor | 50,395 | 2.4
Connecticut | 1,096,509 | 42.5 | Governor | 26,603 | 2.5
Delaware | 234,038 | 34.4 | Attorney General | 31,155 | 13.6
District of Columbia | 177,176 | 35.8 | Mayor | 27,934 | 19.0
Florida | 6,026,802 | 43.3 | Governor | 66,127 | 1.1
Georgia | 2,596,947 | 38.5 | Governor | 202,685 | 8.0
Hawaii | 369,554 | 36.5 | Governor | 45,323 | 12.4
Idaho | 445,307 | 39.6 | Governor | 65,852 | 14.9
Illinois | 3,680,417 | 40.9 | Governor | 171,900 | 4.9
Indiana | 1,387,622 | 28.8 | Secretary of State | 234,978 | 17.8
Iowa | 1,142,284 | 50.2 | Governor | 245,548 | 21.8
Kansas | 887,023 | 43.4 | Governor | 33,052 | 3.9
Kentucky | 1,435,868 | 44.0 | U.S. Senate | 222,096 | 15.5
Louisiana | 1,472,039 | 43.8 | U.S. Senate | 16,401 | 1.1
Maine | 616,996 | 58.5 | Governor | 29,820 | 4.9
Maryland | 1,733,177 | 41.5 | Governor | 88,648 | 6.1
Massachusetts | 2,186,789 | 44.6 | Governor | 40,361 | 1.9
Michigan | 3,188,956 | 43.2 | Governor | 129,547 | 4.3
Minnesota | 1,992,613 | 50.5 | Governor | 109,776 | 5.6
Mississippi | 631,858 | 28.9 | U.S. Senate | 141,234 | 33.0
Missouri | 1,426,303 | 31.8 | Auditor | 684,074 | 53.6
Montana | 373,831 | 47.3 | U.S. Senate | 65,262 | 17.9
Nebraska | 552,115 | 41.5 | Governor | 97,678 | 18.7
Nevada | 547,349 | 29.0 | Governor | 255,793 | 46.7
New Hampshire | 495,565 | 48.4 | Governor | 24,924 | 5.2
New Jersey | 1,955,042 | 32.5 | N/A | N/A | N/A
New Mexico | 512,805 | 35.7 | Governor | 73,868 | 14.6
New York | 3,930,310 | 29.0 | Governor | 476,252 | 13.4
North Carolina | 2,939,767 | 41.2 | U.S. Senate | 48,511 | 1.7
North Dakota | 255,128 | 45.0 | U.S. House At-large seat | 42,214 | 17.1
Ohio | 3,149,876 | 36.2 | Governor | 933,235 | 30.9
Oklahoma | 824,831 | 29.8 | Governor | 122,060 | 14.7
Oregon | 1,541,782 | 53.5 | Governor | 59,029 | 4.5
Pennsylvania | 3,495,866 | 36.0 | Governor | 339,261 | 9.8
Rhode Island | 329,212 | 42.2 | Governor | 14,346 | 4.5
South Carolina | 1,261,611 | 35.2 | Governor | 179,089 | 14.6
South Dakota | 282,291 | 44.9 | Governor | 124,865 | 45.1
Tennessee | 1,374,065 | 28.6 | Governor | 642,214 | 47.5
Texas | 4,727,208 | 28.3 | Governor | 957,973 | 20.4
Utah | 577,973 | 30.2 | Attorney General | 173,819 | 35.2
Vermont | 193,087 | 38.8 | Governor | 2,095 | 1.1
Virginia | 2,194,346 | 36.6 | U.S. Senate | 16,727 | 0.8
Washington | 2,123,901 | 43.1 | N/A | N/A | N/A
West Virginia | 451,498 | 31.2 | U.S. Senate | 124,667 | 27.6
Wisconsin | 2,410,314 | 56.5 | Governor | 137,607 | 5.7
Wyoming | 168,390 | 39.3 | Governor | 52,703 | 33.6

Note: Information from the United States Elections Project was last updated on December 16, 2014.

## Campaign finance[edit]

Comprehensive donor information for this election has been collected by Follow the Money. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $6,830,320 during the election. This information was last updated on May 12, 2015.[14]

Campaign Contribution Totals

Candidate | Office | Result | Contributions
A.J. Balukoff | Idaho Governor |  | $4,150,884
Butch Otter | Idaho Governor |  | $2,489,671
Russ Fulcher | Idaho Governor |  | $147,221
John T. Bujak | Idaho Governor |  | $21,989
Steve Pankey | Idaho Governor |  | $8,827
Pro-Life (Marvin Thomas Richardson) | Idaho Governor |  | $8,066
Walt Bayes | Idaho Governor |  | $2,574
Jill Humble | Idaho Governor |  | $1,088
Terry Kerr | Idaho Governor |  | $0
Harley D. Brown | Idaho Governor |  | $0
Grand Total Raised | $6,830,320

## Key deadlines[edit]

Deadline  | Event

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May 20, 2014 | Primary election
November 4, 2014 | General election
November 19, 2014 | Last day for State Board of Canvassers to meet to canvass the general election
January 5, 2015 | Inauguration day for state executive officials in general election

## Recent news[edit]

This section links to a Google news search for the term "Idaho + governor + election + 2014"

Idaho Gubernatorial Election News Feed

## See also[edit]

* Governor of Idaho
* Idaho state executive official elections, 2014
* State executive official elections, 2014

## External links[edit]

| Suggest a link

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* Office of the Governor of Idaho

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Idaho State Legislature, "Idaho Code § 34–904A," accessed September 3, 2025
2. ↑ Idaho Secretary of State's Office, "Primary Elections in Idaho," accessed October 20, 2025
3. ↑ ACLU Idaho, "2024 Your Rights as an Idaho Voter," accessed October 20, 2025
4. ↑ Idaho Reporter, "Otter announces 2014 re-election run," December 15, 2011
5. ↑ The Spokesman Review, "Democrat A.J. Balukoff launches Idaho governor campaign," December 4, 2013
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Idaho Secretary of State, "List of All Candidate Declarations for 2014," accessed March 15, 2014
7. ↑ Pro-Life for Governor of Idaho 2014 Official Campaign Website, "Homepage," accessed August 12, 2013
8. ↑ Russ Fulcher for Governor 2014 Official campaign website, "Homepage," accessed October 22, 2013
9. ↑ ‘’Idaho Statesman,’’ “Sen. Fulcher announces run for governor,” November 24, 2013
10. ↑ United States Elections Project, "2014 November General Election Turnout Rates," November 7, 2014
11. ↑ TIME, "Voter Turnout in Midterm Elections Hits 72-Year Low," November 10, 2014
12. ↑ PBS, "2014 midterm election turnout lowest in 70 years," November 10, 2014
13. ↑ U.S. News & World Report, "Midterm Turnout Down in 2014," November 5, 2014
14. ↑ Follow the Money, "Overview of Idaho 2014 elections," accessed May 12, 2015

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