Idaho primary a case of to have and have not

The ongoing battle between conservative and more conservative GOP candidates enters the ballot box May 17, when Idaho Republicans decide who will represent them in the Nov. 8 general election.

The only “official” Democratic primary in a federal, statewide or legislative race this year pits Boise businessman Ben Pursley against Idaho Falls nonprofit director David Roth in a bid for the U.S. Senate seat held by four-term incumbent Republican Mike Crapo.

However, Lewiston native and Sandpoint Mayor Shelby Rognstad is also seeking the Democratic nomination for governor as a write-in candidate.

Rognstad initially filed to run as a Democrat, but failed to qualify for the ballot because at the time he was registered as a Republican. To secure the nomination, he’ll have to collect at least 1,000 write-in votes, and get more votes than Stephen Heidt, of Marsing, the only other Democrat in the race.

In sharp contrast to the dearth of Democratic contests, Idaho Republican voters will wade through a sea of candidates on their primary ballot.

That includes an eight-way GOP race for governor, as well as three-way races for lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state and superintendent of public instruction.

The Idaho Legislature is also a hotbed of intra-party feuding, with Republican primary contests in 71 of 105 House and Senate races.

Forty of those seats are uncontested in the general election, meaning whoever prevails in the May 17 primary will be the senator- or representative-elect, barring an unlikely victory by a write-in candidate in November.

Add in another nine uncontested primary races and Idaho Republicans will wrap up nearly half of the Statehouse six months before the general election.

That includes all three seats in the 7th Legislative District, which includes Idaho and Adams counties, as well as most of Lewiston and the southern half of Nez Perce County.

Two of the three seats in the 2nd Legislative District are also uncontested by Democrats or minor party candidates. The district includes Clearwater, Shoshone and Benewah counties, as well as the eastern half of Kootenai County and a sliver of Bonner County.

Two of the three seats in the 6th Legislative District feature contested primaries, and all three will be contested in the Nov. 8 general election. The district includes all of Latah and Lewis counties, plus a small part of Lewiston Orchards and the northern/eastern half of Nez Perce County.

Spence may be contacted at bspence@lmtribune.com or (208) 791-9168.