Gem State Roundup

19 Idaho Republican incumbent legislators were trailing or lost primary races

By: Clark Corbin - May 18, 2022 3:06 am

Idaho State Capitol building on March 23, 2021. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun)

Major changes are coming to the Idaho Legislature in 2023 as 19 incumbent Republican legislators either lost the primary election race Tuesday or were losing with about 80% precincts reporting.

The 2022 elections are among the consequential elections in years in Idaho. All 105 seats in the Idaho Legislature are up for election this year. On top of that, Idaho’s legislative and congressional districts were redrawn through the 2021 redistricting process — forcing some incumbents to run against each other.

Incumbent legislators who were losing or lost their races as of 3 a.m. Wednesday included:

Sen. Jim Woodward, R-Sagle.

Rep. Jim Addis, R-Coeur d’Alene.

Rep. Paul Amador, R-Coeur d’Alene.

Sen. Peter Riggs, R-Post Falls.

Sen. Carl Crabtree, R-Grangeville.

Sen. Terry Gestrin, R-Donnelly.

Sen. Jim Rice, R-Caldwell.

Rep. Ryan Kerby, R-New Plymouth.

Rep. Scott Syme, R-Caldwell.

Rep. Greg Chaney, R-Caldwell.

Sen. Jeff Agenbroad, R-Nampa.

Sen. Steven Thayn, R-Emmett.

Rep. Gayann DeMordaunt, R-Eagle.

Sen. Fred Martin, R-Boise.

Rep. Greg Ferch, R-Boise.

Sen. Jim Patrick, R-Twin Falls.

Rep. Karey Hanks, R-St. Anthony.

Rep. Chad Christensen, R-Iona.

Rep. Ron Nate, R-Rexburg.

All of the contested legislative races this primary season were Republican races. Democrats are not running candidates in most legislative races this year, and there were no contested Democratic legislative primary races this year.

The winners of Tuesday’s primary elections advance to the Nov. 8 general election.

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Clark Corbin

Clark Corbin has more than a decade of experience covering Idaho government and politics. He has covered every Idaho legislative session since 2011 gavel-to-gavel. Prior to joining the Idaho Capital Sun he reported for the Idaho Falls Post Register and Idaho Education News. His reporting in Idaho has helped uncover a multimillion-dollar investment scam and exposed inaccurate data that school districts submitted to the state.