# 2002 Idaho gubernatorial election

The 2002 Idaho gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2002 to select the governor of the state of Idaho. Dirk Kempthorne, the Republican incumbent, defeated Democratic nominee Jerry Brady to win a second term, but the win was not nearly as overwhelming as Kempthorne's 1998 victory. This was the first Idaho gubernatorial election since 1978 in which the winner was of the same party as the incumbent president. This was the first time since 1962 that an incumbent Republican Governor of Idaho was re-elected.

## Republican primary
### Candidates

* Walter L. Bayes
* Milt Erhart, perennial candidate
* Raynelle J. George
* Dirk Kempthorne, incumbent Governor of Idaho

### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dirk Kempthorne (inc.) | 95,882 | 65.88 |
| | Republican | Milt Erhart | 37,523 | 25.78 |
| | Republican | Walter L. Bayes | 6,873 | 4.72 |
| | Republican | Raynelle J. George | 5,271 | 3.62 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 145,549 | 100.00 |

## Democratic primary
### Candidates

* Jerry Brady, newspaper publisher
* Rue T. Stears

### Results

Democratic Primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Jerry Brady | 33,285 | 87.40 |
| | Democratic | Rue T. Stears | 4,798 | 12.60 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 38,083 | 100.00 |
Elections in Idaho :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate elections
1890
1895
1897
1901
1902
1903
1907
1909
1913
1913 sp
1914
1918
1918 sp
1920
1924
1926
1928 sp
1930
1932
1936
1938
1940 sp
1942
1944
1946 sp
1948
1950
1950 sp
1954
1956
1960
1962 sp
1962
1966
1968
1972
1974
1978
1980
1984
1986
1990
1992
1996
1998
2002
2004
2008
2010
2014
2016
2020
2022
2026
2028
U.S. House of Representatives elections
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
State government
General elections
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Gubernatorial elections
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
Lieutenant gubernatorial elections
2018
2022
Secretary of State elections
2022
Attorney General elections
2022
State Treasurer elections
2022
Senate elections
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
House of Representatives elections
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022 *2024 :
Ballot measures
Ballot measures
1994
Proposition 1
2006
Amendment 2
Proposition 2
2018
Proposition 1
Proposition 2 :
Boise
Mayoral elections
2015
2019
2023 :
Meridian
Mayoral elections
2015
2019
2023 :
vte :

## Libertarian primary
### Candidates

* Daniel L. J. Adams, perennial candidate
* Michael Monroe Gollaher (write-in)

### Results

Libertarian Primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Libertarian | Daniel L. J. Adams | 997 | 90.14 |
| | Libertarian | Michael Monroe Gollaher (write-in) | 109 | 9.86 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,106 | 100.00 |

## General election
### Campaign

Although Brady performed considerably better than 1998 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Robert C. Huntley, and won a plurality of the vote in Ada County, the state's most populous county, Kempthorne won reelection with a comfortable majority.

### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Safe R | October 31, 2002 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean R | November 4, 2002 |

### Results

Idaho gubernatorial election, 2002 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Dirk Kempthorne (inc.) | 231,566 | 56.28 | −11.42 |
| | Democratic | Jerry Brady | 171,711 | 41.73 | +12.66 |
| | Libertarian | Daniel L. J. Adams | 8,187 | 1.99 | |
| | Write-ins | | 13 | 0.00 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 59,855 | 14.55 | −24.08 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 411,477 | | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Swing | | |

#### Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

* Ada (largest municipality: Boise)
* Bannock (largest municipality: Pocatello)
* Nez Perce (Largest city: Lewiston)
* Shoshone (Largest city: Kellogg)
* Latah (Largest city: Moscow)