1970 Idaho gubernatorial election
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![]() County results Andrus: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Samuelson: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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Elections in Idaho |
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The 1970 Idaho gubernatorial election took place on November 3 to elect the
The Democratic nominee, Cecil Andrus, had previously run for governor in 1966, after Democratic nominee Charles Herndon was killed in a plane crash in the central Idaho mountains in mid-September.[2][3]
Andrus faced two competitors in the primary: state representative Vernon Ravenscroft and attorney Lloyd Walker. In the party primary, Andrus won a
In the rematch of 1966, Andrus won the general election of 1970 with 128,004 votes, or 52.22 percent of the ballots cast.[6] He carried all regions of the state except for the south-central region; however, he significantly under-performed in rural areas, where Democrats usually achieved their highest margins, while exceeding expectations in the state's affluent urban areas.[5]
The general election campaign was then one of the most costly in
This was the first of six consecutive Democratic gubernatorial victories, unbroken until 1994, with Andrus winning four.
Background
Four years earlier, Samuelson (then a state senator) soundly defeated three-term incumbent Republican governor
As governor, Samuelson attracted opposition, receiving the nickname "Dumb Don" from some of his political detractors.[10] Despite having majorities of his own party in both chambers of the state legislature, Samuelson vetoed a record 39 bills sent to him by the legislature.[8]
Primary elections
Primary elections were held on Tuesday, August 4, 1970.[11][12]
Republican primary
In his bid for re-nomination by the Republican party, Samuelson faced only one challenger: former state senator Dick Smith of
In the August primary, Samuelson secured 46,719 votes, or 58.36 percent of the ballots cast. Smith received 33,339 votes, amounting to 41.64 percent of the ballots cast.
Candidates
- Don Samuelson, Sandpoint, incumbent governor
- Dick Smith, Rexburg, former state senator and chairman of Board of Regents
Results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Don Samuelson (incumbent) | 46,719 | 58.36 | |
Republican | Dick Smith | 33,339 | 41.64 | |
Total votes | 80,058 | 100.00 |
Democratic primary
Three candidates competed for the Democratic party's nomination. Andrus was the front-runner and eventual winner, having lost the party's 1966 primary for the nomination to Charles Herdnon by 1.8 percent, or under 2,000 votes.
Andrus faced two opponents in the primary:
Walker was noted for his aggressive attacks on Andrus, many based on an unsubstantiated claim that Andrus's alleged $25,000 in campaign funds had been largely funded by big businesses. The Idaho State Journal, however, reported that the attacks were false: Andrus's largest campaign contribution was $1,100—just $100 more than Walker's top donation—and that it came not from a business, but from a private citizen. The Journal also argued that the attacks were "getting old" and that his campaign seemed to rely on attacks and publicity stunts to get attention. However, they speculated that, of Ravenscroft and Andrus, it was Ravenscroft who lost more support due to Walker, and that should Walker exit the race, Ravenscroft might be in a much better position to beat Andrus in the primary.[13]
Ravenscroft ran largely on his image of a rural community-friendly candidate: he was quoted in the Idaho State Journal as saying "I'm the only one of the three that's had a shovel in my hands." Ravenscroft was unusually strong in traditionally conservative rural areas.[13]
By the end of the primary season, all three candidates had run out of campaign funds, which most handicapped Ravenscroft and Walker, as they had far less name recognition. The Idaho State Journal gave Andrus the advantage in the primary, writing in their July 31 edition that "The Democrats will probably elect Andrus. Ravenscroft could be close. And Walker could surprise everyone with his total on Aug. 5."[13]
In the August primary, Andrus won with 29,036 votes, or 46.04 percent of the vote. In second place was Ravenscroft, who received 23,369 votes, or 37.05 percent. Walker placed third in the primary, with 10,664 votes and 16.91 percent of the ballots cast.[4]
Candidates
- Cecil Andrus, Lewiston state senator and 1966 gubernatorial nominee
- Vernon Ravenscroft, Tuttle state representative
- Lloyd Walker, Twin Falls attorney
Results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Cecil Andrus | 29,036 | 46.04 | |
Democratic | Vernon Ravenscroft | 23,369 | 37.05 | |
Democratic | Lloyd Walker | 10,664 | 16.91 | |
Total votes | 63,069 | 100.00 |
General election
Campaigning
For much of the election campaign, Andrus positioned himself as a moderate centrist. His campaign slogan was "A Governor for ALL Idaho."[15] Though the public paid little attention to the race in its early months, interest in the election picked up in October, as candidates began debating the issues. Taxes, education, and environmental conservation were among the most-discussed topics in the campaign.[5]
By the general election, Samuelson had acquired a poor reputation with voters.[10] He campaigned largely on his record as a fiscal conservative, having vetoed a bill that would repeal a state law blocking local governments from increase taxes at a progressive rate. Andrus vowed to repeal the law in question if elected, a position favored by public officials in need of more revenue.[5] Andrus also supported establishing a state-funded but locally operated kindergarten program, and argued in favor of instituting a state sales tax to fund education. Samuelson supported education funding and ran campaign ads displaying the increases in education spending during his tenure. However, he opposed instituting a state sales tax, as he had in 1966.[5][13]
Another major issue in the campaign was a proposal to establish an
Both campaigns enlisted high-profile speakers to appear on their candidates' behalf. Popular Democratic U.S. Senator
Election results
The general election for Governor of Idaho (and many other statewide and local offices, including
Andrus won the election with 128,004 votes, or 52.22 percent of the vote, to Governor Samuelson's 117,108 votes, which amounted to 47.78 percent of the votes cast.
The election saw the reversal of some long-standing trends in political allegiances: historically, the state's upper-income urban areas (most notably Boise, Twin Falls, and Idaho Falls) had strongly backed Republican candidates, while lower-income urban and rural areas traditionally supported Democratic candidates. However, in the 1970 election, Samuelson's returns were unusually strong in lower-income areas, but far weaker than expected in upper-income precincts. Conversely, Andrus carried the usually-Republican aforementioned urban areas while under-performing in rural areas; he won the election having carried only 15 of the state's 44 counties. Andrus won a majority of the votes in the state's Northern, Southwest, and Southeast regions, while he failed to carry the state's South-Central counties. Andrus lost in every county that contained no cities with more than 1,000 residents; however, he won in three of the five counties containing a city with at least 20,000 residents.[5]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Cecil Andrus | 128,004 | 52.22% | +14.89% | |
Republican | Don Samuelson (incumbent) | 117,108 | 47.78% | +6.37% | |
Total votes | 245,112 | 100.0% | N/A | ||
Democratic gain from Republican |
Analysis
It has been posited that the issue of the
Aftermath
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5c/1970_United_States_gubernatorial_elections_results_map.svg/170px-1970_United_States_gubernatorial_elections_results_map.svg.png)
Andrus was the first Democrat to win a gubernatorial election in the state in 24 years.
Although Andrus won the election in 1970 by more than 10,000 votes and more than four percentage points, he had minimal
The election's results aligned with those of other gubernatorial elections across the US that year: thirty-five gubernatorial elections took place in 1970, and Democrats' net gain was 11, meaning that they again controlled a majority of the statehouses.[22]
A December 6 story appeared in the Idaho State Journal to discuss the state's newly divided government: although Andrus held the governorship, both the state senate and House of Representatives had heavily Republican majorities. However, the state representatives and senators felt that the difference of party labels would not be a major issue in legislating.[23]
As governor, Andrus was successful in blocking the plans to open the White Clouds Mountains mine.
Ravenscroft went on to join the Republican Party, serve as their state chairman, and run for governor again in
See also
- 1970 United States gubernatorial elections
- Cecil D. Andrus–White Clouds Wilderness
- White Cloud Mountains
References
- ^ a b c "ID Governor - R Primary (1970)". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
- ^ "Air crash kills Idaho candidate for governor". Morning-Record. (Meriden, Connecticut). Associated Press. September 16, 1966. p. 17.
- ^ "Andrus is likely ballot successor". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. September 16, 1966. p. 1.
- ^ a b c d "ID Governor - D Primary (1966)". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
- ^ JSTOR 446873. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
- ^ a b c d "ID Governor (1970)". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
- ^ a b Guthrie, Benjamin J.; Jennings, W. Pat (May 1, 1971). Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 3, 1970 (PDF). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 8–9. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
- ^ a b Warbis, Mark. "Ex-Gov. Don Samuelson, dies at 86 of heart attack; Republican began his term as Idaho governor in 1966". The Lewiston Tribute. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
- ISBN 9781452290171. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
- ^ a b Malloy, Chuck. "The days of Andrus, Evans and Democratic rule". Idaho Press. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
- ^ "GOP primary win handed to Samuelson". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. August 5, 1970. p. 1.
- ^ "Samuelson and Andrus to vie in Idaho finale". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. August 5, 1970. p. 1.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Shelledy, James (July 31, 1970). "Primary Election: Here's How They Should Finish". Idaho State Journal (newspaper). p. 1.
- ^ Butts, Mike. "Cecil Andrus: From 'accidental' politician to Idaho legend". Idaho Press. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
- ISBN 978-1496210609. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
- ^ "ID Governor (1966)". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
- ISBN 9781452290171. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
- ^ a b c Barker, Rocky. "Andrus spent his life protecting this iconic Idaho wilderness; now it will carry his name". Idaho Statesman. The McClatchy Company. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
- ^ a b Harris, Shelbie. "Cecil Andrus, record 4-time Idaho governor, dies at 85". Idaho State Journal. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
- ^ a b "Cecil Andrus, Idaho icon, dies at 85". Post-Register. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
- ^ "Past Governors (1890 through present)". Idaho Office of the Governor. Office of the Governor. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
- ^ "1970 Elections: Democrats Gain in House and Governorships". CQ Press: Online Edition. Congressional Quarterly. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
- ^ Jester, Earle E. (December 6, 1970). "Turnabout in State Capitol: Can Parties Ignore Labels?". Idaho State Journal (newspaper).
- ^ Dick, Jason (March 23, 2018). "Who Is Cecil Andrus?". Roll Call. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
- ^ Richert, Kevin (April 23, 2018). "Democratic Candidates Split on Marijuana Legalization". Idaho Ed News. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
- ^ "Idaho Governor Election Results". The New York Times. January 28, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
- ^ Johnson, Haynes (October 12, 1980). "The Flint and the Fire of Idaho's Sagebrush Rebellion". Washington Post. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ a b c Neiwert, David. "Lives of the Republicans, Part Two". Salon. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ Salisbury, David (May 14, 1981). "Who Rules the Eagle's Roost?". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ Schmidt, William E. (March 21, 1983). "Skeptics in West Hear Case for U.S. Land Sales". The New York Times. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
External links
- Idaho Governor election results at OurCampaigns