STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
Olympic Gold Medalist Dick Fosbury vaulted into a Blaine County commission seat on Tuesday, winning nearly three times the votes of his nearest challenger in a three-way race.
And Paralympic Gold Medalist Muffy Davis got more than twice the votes that incumbent Steve Miller did in the race for state representative, Position A, District 26.
"This felt like a Paralympic competition with 12,000 judges!" said Davis.
State Sen. Michelle Stennett easily retained her seat against her challenger Julie Lynn. And Rep. Sally Toone did the same against Mike McFadyen.
Realtor Ned Burns topped Hailey police officer Jared Murphy for the position of Bellevue Mayor, while Angenie McCleary held onto her county commission seat against Mickey Garcia.
Idaho voters passed Proposition 2, which would expand Medicaid for the uninsured. They turned down Proposition 1, which would have legalized instant horse racing machines.
Meanwhile, Republican Lt. Gov. Brad Little held off Democrat challenger Paulette Jordan, while Republican Janice McGeachin made history, becoming the first woman to capture the office of lieutenant governor against Democrat Kristin Collum who got the major newspaper endorsements.
As the sun rose Wednesday morning, Democrat Cindy Wilson was within a few percentage points of incumbent Republican Sherri Ybarra for Superintendent of Public Instruction, making the race too close to call. Ybarra eventually was declared the winner.
U.S. Congressman Mike Simpson retained his seat against challenger Aaron Swisher. Lawerence E. Denney won the Secretary of State seat against Democrat Jill Humble. Attorney Gen. Lawrence Wasden retained his seat against Democrat challenger Bruce Bistline.
Roger B. Harris beat David W. Gadd to succeed Randy J. Stoker as District Judge, District 5.
LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS (Blaine County Results in Parentheses)
LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 26 STATE SENATOR
Julie Lynn 3,549 (2,639) 30%
Michelle Stennett 8,386 (7,649) 70%
LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 26 STATE REPRESENTATIVE POSITION A
Muffy Davis 8,182 (7,602) 68%
Steve Miller 3,790 (2,713) 32%
LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 26 STATE REPRESENTATIVE POSITION B
Mike McFadyen 3,900 (2,932) 33%
Sally Toone 7,954 (7,276) 67%
COUNTY COMMISSIONER FIRST DISTRICT
Mick Halverson 2,465
Dick Fosbury 6,760
Debra Hall 1,005
COUNTY COMMISSIONER THIRD DISTRICT
Mickey Garcia 2,134
Angenie McCleary 7,494
CLERK OF THE DISTRICT COURT
JoLynn Drage 8,649
COUNTY TREASURER
John David Davidson 8,622
COUNTY ASSESSOR
Jim Williams 8,633
COUNTY CORONER
Russell Mikel 7,561
FIFTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT JUDGE TO SUCCEED JUDGE RANDY STOKER
David W. Gadd (2,504)
Roger B. Harris (4,398)
BELLEVUE MAYOR
Jared Murphy 200
Ned Burns 618
ALDERMAN
Gregory Cappel 626
BLAINE SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT
Wade Prescott 6,285
Robert Simpson 6,357
U.S. AND STATE ELECTION RESULTS (Blaine County results in parentheses)
Congress Second District
Mike Simpson 166,257 (3,590) 60 %
Aaron Swisher 109,263 (6,661) 40 %
GOVERNOR
Paulette Jordan 219,774 (7,159) 38 %
Brad Little 340,795 (2,993) 60 %
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Kristin Collum 227,172 (7,149) 41 %
Janice McGeachin 328,375 (3,058) 50 %
SECRETARY OF STATE
Lawerence E. Denney 341.302 (3,406)62 %
Jill Humble 209,701 (6,752) 38 %
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Bruce S. Bistline 192,203 (6,503) 35%
Lawrence Wasden 354,684 (3,585) 65 %
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
Cindy Wilson 271,747 (7,275) 49%
Sherri Ybarra 281,8868 (2,848) 51%
PROPOSITION ONE (Horse Racing)
Yes 264,194 (4,155) 46 %
No 305,450 (5,941) 54 %
PROPOSITION TWO (Medicaid Expansion)
Yes 346,939 (8,206) 61 %
No 222,968 (2,056)39 %
This vote reflects just over 900 of Idaho's 958 precincts.