BOISE, Idaho — Idaho Gov. Brad Little won the GOP gubernatorial primary by beating a Trump-backed challenger who had repeatedly criticized the incumbent for not being conservative enough and who downplayed the loss on Wednesday.
The intraparty contest Tuesday between Little and Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin was an example of the choice GOP voters face nationwide between established candidates and insurgents endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
Little and McGeachin frequently feuded over coronavirus precautions and the role of government. Last year McGeachin twice attempted a power grab when Little was out of state on business.
“I felt the honor of serving the great state of Idaho in good times and in tough times,” Little said at a Republican gathering in downtown Boise late Tuesday after winning the primary. “Once again I’m humbled by the awesome opportunity to serve and work for the great people of Idaho.”
Little won 53 percent of the vote against seven challengers, including McGeachin, who received about 32 percent.
McGeachin was at a private gathering in Boise where reporters weren’t allowed. She issued a statement posted on Facebook on Wednesday.
“Last night, Idahoans showed Brad that he does not have a mandate,” she said. “Brad Little barely managed a majority even with tens of thousands of democrats and liberals infiltrating the Republican Primary to support him. Conservatives must get smarter and understand that we beat ourselves when we don’t unite behind each other, we must never do that again. The establishment counts on that, and we fell for it.”
Little didn’t gloat in his speech Tuesday, with much of it sounding like a standard stump speech recounting the state’s red-hot economy and large income tax cuts the last two years as well as taking shots at Democrats.
“The leftist states are dysfunctional places with broken policies that limit opportunity,” Little said. “We would like to build a wall around Idaho and make California pay for it.”
Idaho is among the nation’s fastest-growing states, with some of those new residents coming from California.
Democrats haven’t held the governor’s office since 1995 or statewide office since 2007. Republicans hold supermajorities in the House and Senate, and Democrats aren’t even contesting more than half of the Legislature’s 105 seats.
