Governor
Idaho. Election Day was Nov. 3, 2026. Six candidates are on the official list.
Who is running
Pro-LifeConstitutionGovernor- On file
- Official ballot listing
Terri PickensDemocraticGovernor- On file
- Official ballot listing
- Jacob BurnettIndependentWrite-in candidateGovernor
- On file
- Official ballot listing
John R. StegnerIndependentGovernor- On file
- Official ballot listing
- Paul SandLibertarianGovernor
- On file
- Official ballot listing
Brad LittleRepublicanGovernor- Now serving as
- Governor of Idaho
Final candidate list from Idaho Secretary of State (the last official copy we checked before the Nov. 3, 2026, election), as of Oct 6, 2026. Official list
Names and parties are copied exactly from the official list. Blue marks Democrats, red marks Republicans, and gray marks every other party or none; each is also labeled in words.
Official vote count
Unofficial results until certified. These are counts as published by Idaho Secretary of State. Counts change as ballots are counted. Power & Politics does not call races or project winners.
| Candidate or choice | Party | Votes | Share of votes counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brad Little | REP | 407,253 | 57.1% |
| Terri Pickens | DEM | 230,760 | 32.3% |
| John R. Stegner | IND | 54,210 | 7.6% |
| Paul Sand | LIB | 11,543 | 1.6% |
| Pro-Life | CON | 9,488 | 1.3% |
| Jacob Burnett | IND | 285 | 0.0% |
As reported by Idaho Secretary of State (the source says it was updated 2026-11-06T00:32:03.2902701Z). Rows are in the order the source lists them, which is not a ranking. Official source · All Idaho results
Worth knowing
- The governor's office last changed party in 1995, when Philip E. Batt (Republican) took office, according to the National Governors Association. Source: National Governors Association
- A candidate with the same name as the sitting governor listed by the National Governors Association, Brad Little, is on the 2026 official list. Source: National Governors Association
- In the 2024 presidential race, the Republican ticket carried Idaho by 36.0 points. The same party has carried it in every presidential race we hold since 1976. Source: MIT Election Data and Science Lab, U.S. President 1976 to 2024
- Six candidates are on the official list for this race, including one write-in candidate. Source: Official list from Idaho Secretary of State
Each fact is worked out from the official records linked beside it. None is a prediction or a rating.
Past results
- Democratic
- Republican
- Other parties
- No party printed
Each span runs from its first year up to, but not including, its last year. A span with no label has no room for one; its group is in the key and the table.
Data table: Party of Idaho's governors since 1951
| Band | Group | From | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | Leonard Beck Jordan (Republican) | 1951 | 1955 |
| Governor | Robert E. Smylie (Republican) | 1955 | 1967 |
| Governor | Don William Samuelson (Republican) | 1967 | 1971 |
| Governor | Cecil Dale Andrus (Democrat) | 1971 | 1977 |
| Governor | John Victor Evans (Democrat) | 1977 | 1987 |
| Governor | Cecil Dale Andrus (Democrat) | 1987 | 1995 |
| Governor | Philip E. Batt (Republican) | 1995 | 1999 |
| Governor | Dirk Kempthorne (Republican) | 1999 | 2006 |
| Governor | James E. Risch (Republican) | 2006 | 2007 |
| Governor | C.L. “Butch” Otter (Republican) | 2007 | 2019 |
| Governor | Brad Little (Republican) | 2019 | 2023 |
| Governor | Brad Little (Republican) | 2023 | 2027 |
Source: National Governors Association (NGA), Former Governors and Governors pages. As of the dates NGA prints.
- Democratic ticket
- Republican ticket
Data table: How Idaho voted for president, 1976 to 2024
| Year | Democratic ticket | Republican ticket |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 37.12% | 59.88% |
| 1980 | 25.19% | 66.46% |
| 1984 | 26.39% | 72.36% |
| 1988 | 36.01% | 62.08% |
| 1992 | 28.42% | 42.03% |
| 1996 | 33.65% | 52.18% |
| 2000 | 27.64% | 67.17% |
| 2004 | 30.26% | 68.39% |
| 2008 | 36.09% | 61.52% |
| 2012 | 32.62% | 64.53% |
| 2016 | 27.49% | 59.26% |
| 2020 | 33.07% | 63.84% |
| 2024 | 29.97% | 65.97% |
Source: MIT Election Data and Science Lab, U.S. President 1976 to 2024. As of Nov 2, 2026.
Map
- D = Democratic ticket carried the state
- R = Republican ticket carried the state
- No figure
Each state is one equal square, so a small state is as easy to see as a large one. The group is written on each tile and in the table, not only shown by colour.
Data table: How each state voted for president in 2024, with Idaho outlined
| State | Group |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Alaska | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Arizona | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Arkansas | Republican ticket carried the state |
| California | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Colorado | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Connecticut | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Delaware | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| District of Columbia | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Florida | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Georgia | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Hawaii | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Idaho | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Illinois | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Indiana | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Iowa | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Kansas | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Kentucky | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Louisiana | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Maine | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Maryland | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Massachusetts | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Michigan | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Minnesota | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Mississippi | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Missouri | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Montana | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Nebraska | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Nevada | Republican ticket carried the state |
| New Hampshire | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| New Jersey | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| New Mexico | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| New York | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| North Carolina | Republican ticket carried the state |
| North Dakota | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Ohio | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Oklahoma | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Oregon | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Pennsylvania | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Rhode Island | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| South Carolina | Republican ticket carried the state |
| South Dakota | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Tennessee | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Texas | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Utah | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Vermont | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Virginia | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| Washington | Democratic ticket carried the state |
| West Virginia | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Wisconsin | Republican ticket carried the state |
| Wyoming | Republican ticket carried the state |
Source: MIT Election Data and Science Lab, U.S. President 1976 to 2024. As of Nov 2, 2026.
Headlines that name a candidate in this race
- Brad Little wins race for Idaho governor
- Brad Little elected to third term as Idaho’s governor
- Idaho Gov. Brad Little re-elected, state GOP incumbents lead on Election Day
- Republican Brad Little wins reelection for governor in Idaho
- Here’s Why Idaho Governor Brad Little Needs Four More Years
Headlines are shown as each outlet published them, with a link to the outlet. A headline appears here only when it names a candidate's full name and the state, or comes from a newsroom in the state. They are the outlets' reporting, not Power & Politics findings.