# 1998 Idaho gubernatorial election

The 1998 Idaho gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998, to elect the Governor 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.

## Republican primary
### Candidates

* Dirk Kempthorne, U.S. Senator
* David W. Sheperd, perennial candidate

### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dirk Kempthorne | 111,658 | 87.24 |
| | Republican | David W. Sheperd | 16,332 | 12.76 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 127,990 | 100.00 |

## Democratic primary
### Candidates

* Jack Wayne Chappell
* Robert C. Huntley, former Idaho Supreme Court Justice, former Idaho State Representative, former Pocatello city councilman
* Donald McMurrian
* William Tarnasky

### Results

Democratic Primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Robert C. Huntley | 14,638 | 54.27 |
| | Democratic | William Tarnasky | 4,769 | 17.68 |
| | Democratic | Jack Wayne Chappell | 4,666 | 17.30 |
| | Democratic | Donald McMurrian | 2,900 | 10.75 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 26,973 | 100.00 |

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### Debate

1998 Idaho gubernatorial debate :
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Republican | Democratic | Independent |
| Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | | | |
| Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Dirk Kempthorne | Robert C. Huntley | Peter Rickards |
| 1 | Oct. 22, 1998 | Idaho Press Club Idaho Public Television League of Women Voters of Idaho | Joan Cartan-Hansen | PBS | P | P | P |

### Results

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, won over some progressive votes that may have otherwise gone to the Democratic candidate.
Idaho gubernatorial election, 1998 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Dirk Kempthorne | 258,095 | 67.70 | +15.41 |
| | Democratic | Robert C. Huntley | 110,815 | 29.07 | −14.81 |
| | Independent | Peter Rickards | 12,338 | 3.24 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 147,280 | 38.63 | +30.22 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 381,248 | | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Swing | | |