November 3, 1998 2002 → 67.70% 29.07% | 258,095 110,815 | |
 | ||
The 1998 Idaho gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998 to select the governor of the state of Idaho. Phil Batt, the Republican incumbent, chose not to run for a second term. The Republican nominee, United States Senator Dirk Kempthorne, handily defeated the Democratic nominee, former Idaho Supreme Court justice Robert C. Huntley, to keep the seat in GOP hands.
Contents
Candidates
Candidates
General election
Given the lack of a high-profile candidate on the Democratic side, throughout the campaign many considered Kempthorne's election a foregone conclusion. Indeed, Huntley's performance was well below that of the 1994 Democratic nominee Larry EchoHawk. In addition, Peter Rickards, a podiatrist and anti-nuclear waste advocate from Twin Falls, siphoned off progressive votes that would have otherwise gone to the Democratic candidate.