United States presidential election in Idaho, 2008
Encyclopedia
The 2008 United States presidential election in Idaho took place on November 4, 2008 throughout all 50 states and D.C., which was part of the 2008 United States presidential election
. Voters chose 4 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for President
and Vice President
.
Idaho
was won by Republican nominee John McCain
by a 25.3% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 17 news organizations considered this a state McCain would win, or otherwise considered as a safe red state. Polling in the state gave a very comfortable lead to Republican John McCain
over Democrat Barack Obama
, sometimes by a margin of at least 30 percent, the most being 43 percent. Idaho was largely considered a safely Republican state, as it has not gone Democratic since Lyndon B. Johnson
's landslide victory in 1964
.
population, Idaho is one of the most reliably GOP bastions in the country. Although Barack Obama
became the first Democratic presidential candidate since Michael Dukakis
in 1988
to eclipse 35 percent of the vote in solidly red state Idaho, the state was still won handily by John McCain
by a margin of approximately 25.34 percent. McCain carried 41 of the state's 44 counties. Obama carried Blaine County
, home to Sun Valley
and several other prime ski resorts; Latah County, home to the college town of Moscow
, and Teton County
, a highly affluent suburb of Teton County, Wyoming
. While Obama did not carry Ada County, he did carry the state capital and city of Boise
. McCain's victory in Idaho, however, was less than that of George W. Bush
's who carried the state with 68.38% of the vote in 2004
, a 12.78-percent swing to the Democrats in Idaho.
During the same election, Republicans held onto the open U.S. Senate
seat vacated by Republican Larry Craig
who reluctantly retired after it was revealed that he had solicited a man for sex in the men's restroom at an airport in Minneapolis
. Former Lieutenant Governor
Jim Risch
, a Republican, was elected with 57.65% of the vote over Democrat Larry LaRocco
who received 34.11%. A pro-life
independent
candidate received 5.35% while Libertarian
Kent Marmon received 1.54% and Rex Rammell, a far right-wing candidate who also ran as an Independent
, received 1.34%.
At the state level, Republicans expanded their supermajority status in the Idaho state legislature as they picked up one seat in the Idaho House of Representatives
.
.
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 15, 2008 to cast their votes for President and Vice President. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All four were pledged to John McCain
and Sarah Palin
:
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
. Voters chose 4 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
and Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
.
Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
was won by Republican nominee John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
by a 25.3% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 17 news organizations considered this a state McCain would win, or otherwise considered as a safe red state. Polling in the state gave a very comfortable lead to Republican John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
over Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, sometimes by a margin of at least 30 percent, the most being 43 percent. Idaho was largely considered a safely Republican state, as it has not gone Democratic since Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
's landslide victory in 1964
United States presidential election, 1964
The United States presidential election of 1964 was held on November 3, 1964. Incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson had come to office less than a year earlier following the assassination of his predecessor, John F. Kennedy. Johnson, who had successfully associated himself with Kennedy's...
.
Predictions
There were 17 news organizations who made state by state predictions of the election. Here are there last predictions before election day:- D.C. Political Report: Republican
- Cook Political ReportCook Political ReportThe Cook Political Report is an independent, non-partisan online newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns for the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, Governor's offices and the American Presidency. The Cook Political Report is led by a staff of five...
: Solid Republican - Takeaway: Solid McCain
- Election Projection: Solid McCain
- Electoral-vote.comElectoral-vote.comElectoral-Vote.com is the website of computer scientist Andrew S. Tanenbaum. The site's primary content is poll analysis to project the outcome of U.S. elections. The site also includes commentary on related news stories. Well known for its color-coded electoral map of the United States, the...
: Strong Republican - Washington Post: Solid McCain
- PoliticoPolitico (newspaper)The Politico is an American political journalism organization based in Arlington, Virginia, that distributes its content via television, the Internet, newspaper, and radio. Its coverage of Washington, D.C., includes the U.S. Congress, lobbying, media and the Presidency...
: Solid McCain - Real Clear Politics: Solid McCain
- FiveThirtyEight.comFiveThirtyEight.comFiveThirtyEight is a polling aggregation website with a blog created by Nate Silver. Sometimes colloquially referred to as 538 dot com or just 538, the website takes its name from the number of electors in the United States electoral college...
: Solid McCain - CQ Politics: Safe Republican
- New York Times: Solid Republican
- CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
: Safe Republican - NPRNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
: Solid Republican - MSNBCMSNBCMSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
: Solid Republican - Fox News: Republican
- Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
: Republican - Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and...
: Safe Republican
Polling
McCain won every pre-election poll, each with a double digit margin and with at least 52%. The final 3 poll average gave the Republican 66% to 29%.Advertising and visits
Obama spent $268. McCain spent $434. Neither campaign visited the state.Analysis
With a substantial MormonMormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
population, Idaho is one of the most reliably GOP bastions in the country. Although Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
became the first Democratic presidential candidate since Michael Dukakis
Michael Dukakis
Michael Stanley Dukakis served as the 65th and 67th Governor of Massachusetts from 1975–1979 and from 1983–1991, and was the Democratic presidential nominee in 1988. He was born to Greek immigrants in Brookline, Massachusetts, also the birthplace of John F. Kennedy, and was the longest serving...
in 1988
United States presidential election, 1988
The United States presidential election of 1988 featured no incumbent president, as President Ronald Reagan was unable to seek re-election after serving the maximum two terms allowed by the Twenty-second Amendment. Reagan's Vice President, George H. W. Bush, won the Republican nomination, while the...
to eclipse 35 percent of the vote in solidly red state Idaho, the state was still won handily by John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
by a margin of approximately 25.34 percent. McCain carried 41 of the state's 44 counties. Obama carried Blaine County
Blaine County, Idaho
Blaine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 Census the county had a population of 21,376. The county seat and largest city is Hailey. The county is home to the Sun Valley ski resort....
, home to Sun Valley
Sun Valley
Sun Valley is the name of several places in the United States of America:*Sun Valley, Idaho, a ski area and resort community in central Idaho*Sun Valley, Los Angeles, in the San Fernando Valley*Sun Valley, Nevada, a suburb north of Reno...
and several other prime ski resorts; Latah County, home to the college town of Moscow
Moscow, Idaho
Moscow is a city in northern Idaho, situated along the Washington/Idaho border. It is the most populous city and county seat of Latah County and the home of the University of Idaho, the land grant institution and primary research university for the state...
, and Teton County
Teton County, Idaho
Teton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. Established in 1915, it was named after the Teton Mountains. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 5,999...
, a highly affluent suburb of Teton County, Wyoming
Teton County, Wyoming
Teton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of 2010, the population was 21,294. Its county seat is Jackson. Teton County contains the affluent Jackson Hole skiing area...
. While Obama did not carry Ada County, he did carry the state capital and city of Boise
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
. McCain's victory in Idaho, however, was less than that of George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's who carried the state with 68.38% of the vote in 2004
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
, a 12.78-percent swing to the Democrats in Idaho.
During the same election, Republicans held onto the open U.S. Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat vacated by Republican Larry Craig
Larry Craig
Larry Edwin Craig is a former Republican politician from the U.S. state of Idaho. He served 18 years in the U.S. Senate , preceded by 10 years in the U.S. House, representing Idaho's first district . His 28 years in the Congress rank as the second-longest in Idaho history, trailing only William...
who reluctantly retired after it was revealed that he had solicited a man for sex in the men's restroom at an airport in Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. Former Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Idaho
Lieutenant Governor of Idaho is a constitutional statewide elected office in the State of Idaho. According to the Idaho Constitution, the lieutenant governor is elected to a four-year term....
Jim Risch
Jim Risch
James Elroy "Jim" Risch is a Republican politician, rancher, and attorney from Ada County, currently serving as the junior United States Senator from Idaho. He previously served as Lieutenant Governor and Governor of Idaho.-Early life:Risch was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin...
, a Republican, was elected with 57.65% of the vote over Democrat Larry LaRocco
Larry LaRocco
Larry LaRocco is a Democratic politician from the US state of Idaho, who served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. LaRocco was defeated by Republican Jim Risch for the open U.S. Senate seat in Idaho in 2008....
who received 34.11%. A pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
candidate received 5.35% while Libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
Kent Marmon received 1.54% and Rex Rammell, a far right-wing candidate who also ran as an Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
, received 1.34%.
At the state level, Republicans expanded their supermajority status in the Idaho state legislature as they picked up one seat in the Idaho House of Representatives
Idaho House of Representatives
The Idaho House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Idaho State Legislature. It consists of 70 representatives elected to two-year terms and meets at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise, Idaho.-Composition of the House:...
.
Results
| United States presidential election in Idaho, 2008 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Running mate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
John McCain John McCain John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election.... |
Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was... |
403,012 | 61.30% | 4 | |
| Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Barack Obama Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... |
Joe Biden Joe Biden Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama... |
236,440 | 35.96% | 0 | |
| Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
Ralph Nader Ralph Nader Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government.... |
Matt Gonzalez Matt Gonzalez Matthew Edward Gonzalez is an American politician, lawyer, and activist prominent in San Francisco politics. He currently serves as chief attorney in the San Francisco Public Defender's office.... |
7,175 | 1.09% | 0 | |
| Constitution Constitution Party (United States) The Constitution Party is a paleoconservative political party in the United States. It was founded as the U.S. Taxpayers' Party by Howard Philips in 1991. Phillips was the party's candidate in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 presidential elections... |
Chuck Baldwin Chuck Baldwin Charles Obadiah "Chuck" Baldwin is an American politician and founder-pastor of Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. He was the presidential nominee of the Constitution Party for the 2008 U.S. presidential election and had previously been its nominee for U.S. vice president in 2004... |
Darrell Castle Darrell Castle Darrell Castle is an American political figure, activist and attorney from Memphis, Tennessee, and was the vice presidential candidate of the Constitution Party in the 2008 United States presidential election.-Early life and education:... |
4,747 | 0.72% | 0 | |
| Libertarian Libertarian Party (United States) The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration... |
Bob Barr Bob Barr Robert Laurence "Bob" Barr, Jr. is a former federal prosecutorand a former member of the United States House of Representatives. He represented Georgia's 7th congressional district as a Republican from 1995 to 2003. Barr attained national prominence as one of the leaders of the impeachment of... |
Wayne Allyn Root Wayne Allyn Root Wayne Allyn Root is an American politician, entrepreneur, television and radio personality, author and political commentator. He was the 2008 Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee. In June 2009 Richard Winger wrote he was the front runner for the 2012 Libertarian Presidential nomination... |
3,658 | 0.56% | 0 | |
| Totals | 657,430 | 100.00% | 4 | |||
| Voter turnout (Voting age population) | 60.1% | |||||
By county
| County | Obama% | Obama# | McCain% | McCain# |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ada Ada County, Idaho Ada County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 Census, the county had a population of 392,365. The county seat and largest city is Boise, which is also the state capital. Other cities in the county with over 10,000 residents include Meridian, Eagle,... |
46.90% | 82023 | 53.10% | 92879 |
| Adams Adams County, Idaho Adams County is a rural county located in the state of Idaho. As of the 2010 census the county had a population of 3,976. The county seat and largest city is Council.Adams County was established in 1911 and was named in honor of President John Adams... |
32.46% | 728 | 67.54% | 1515 |
| Bannock Bannock County, Idaho Bannock County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It was established in 1893 and named after the local Bannock tribe. It is part of the Pocatello, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Bannock and Power counties. As of the 2000 Census... |
43.32% | 14792 | 56.68% | 19356 |
| Bear Lake Bear Lake County, Idaho Bear Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 6,411 . The county seat is Paris, and Montpelier is the largest city.... |
17.44% | 502 | 82.56% | 2377 |
| Benewah Benewah County, Idaho Benewah County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. Established on January 23, 1915, from sections of Kootenai County, it was named for a chief of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe. As of the 2010 census the county had a population of 9,285. The county seat and largest city is St... |
34.72% | 1407 | 65.28% | 2646 |
| Bingham Bingham County, Idaho Bingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 41,735 . The county seat and largest city is Blackfoot. Bingham County comprises the Blackfoot, ID, Micropolitan Statistical Area.Bingham County was created January 13, 1885, and... |
26.56% | 4424 | 73.44% | 12230 |
| Blaine Blaine County, Idaho Blaine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 Census the county had a population of 21,376. The county seat and largest city is Hailey. The county is home to the Sun Valley ski resort.... |
66.89% | 6947 | 33.11% | 3439 |
| Boise Boise County, Idaho Boise County is a rural mountain county in the U.S. state of Idaho. The population was 6,670 at the 2000 census; it was estimated at 7,571 in 2007... |
33.76% | 1240 | 66.24% | 2433 |
| Bonner Bonner County, Idaho Bonner County is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. Established in 1907, it was named for Edwin L. Bonner, a ferry operator. As of the 2010 census, the county had a population of 40,877. The county seat and largest city is Sandpoint.-History:Bonner County was formed... |
41.30% | 7840 | 58.70% | 11145 |
| Bonneville Bonneville County, Idaho Bonneville County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 census, the county had a population of 104,234. Its county seat and largest city is Idaho Falls... |
28.02% | 11415 | 71.98% | 29324 |
| Boundary Boundary County, Idaho Boundary County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 Census the county had a population of 10,972. The county seat and largest city is Bonners Ferry.... |
32.24% | 1474 | 67.76% | 3098 |
| Butte Butte County, Idaho Butte County is a rural county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. It was established in 1917, and its county seat and largest city is Arco. As of the 2010 census, the county had a population of 2,891... |
23.14% | 318 | 76.86% | 1056 |
| Camas Camas County, Idaho Camas County is a county in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census, the rural county had a population of 991 . The county seat is Fairfield.... |
30.71% | 187 | 69.29% | 422 |
| Canyon Canyon County, Idaho Canyon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 Census the county had a population of 188,923. The county seat is Caldwell, and its largest city is Nampa.. Canyon County is part of the Boise City–Nampa, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :The county was... |
32.03% | 20147 | 67.97% | 42752 |
| Caribou Caribou County, Idaho Caribou County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 Census the county had a population of 6,963. The county seat and largest city is Soda Springs, followed by Grace and Bancroft.- History :... |
17.23% | 553 | 82.77% | 2656 |
| Cassia Cassia County, Idaho Cassia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 Census the county had a population of 22,952. The county seat and largest city is Burley.-History:... |
17.30% | 1305 | 82.70% | 6240 |
| Clark Clark County, Idaho Clark County is a rural county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 1,022 . The county seat and largest city is Dubois... |
17.34% | 64 | 82.66% | 305 |
| Clearwater Clearwater County, Idaho Clearwater County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. Established in 1911, the county was named after the Clearwater River. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 8,930 . The county seat is Orofino.... |
32.04% | 1211 | 67.96% | 2569 |
| Custer Custer County, Idaho Custer County is a rural mountain county located in the center of the U.S. state of Idaho. Established in 1881, it was named for the General Custer Mine, where gold was discovered five years earlier . The population was 4,342 at the 2000 census; it is estimated to have fallen to 4,166 by 2007... |
26.68% | 620 | 73.32% | 1704 |
| Elmore Elmore County, Idaho Elmore County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 Census the county had a population of 27,038, down 7.2% from 29,130 in 2000. The largest city and county seat is Mountain Home.... |
31.17% | 2523 | 68.83% | 5571 |
| Franklin Franklin County, Idaho Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 11,329 . The county seat and largest city is Preston. Franklin County is part of the Logan, Utah-Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.Established in 1913, Franklin County was named... |
12.40% | 599 | 87.60% | 4231 |
| Fremont Fremont County, Idaho Fremont County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. The county was established in 1893, and was named for the explorer John C. Frémont. As of the 2000 census the county had a population of 11,819 . The county seat and largest city is St. Anthony... |
18.47% | 1065 | 81.53% | 4700 |
| Gem Gem County, Idaho Gem County is a county in the U.S. state of Idaho. The population was 15,181 at the 2000 census; it was estimated at 16,496 in 2007. The county seat is Emmett.Gem County is home to the Idaho ground squirrel.... |
27.94% | 2166 | 72.06% | 5585 |
| Gooding Gooding County, Idaho Gooding County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 14,155... |
28.29% | 1485 | 71.71% | 3764 |
| Idaho Idaho County, Idaho Idaho County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 Census the county had a population of 16,267. The county seat is Grangeville... |
24.71% | 1935 | 75.29% | 5895 |
| Jefferson Jefferson County, Idaho Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. The county was established in 1913, and was named after Thomas Jefferson, the third U.S. President. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 19,155 . The county seat and largest city is Rigby... |
16.12% | 1641 | 83.88% | 8540 |
| Jerome Jerome County, Idaho Jerome County is a county in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 18,342 . The county seat and largest city is Jerome.... |
26.81% | 1794 | 73.19% | 4897 |
| Kootenai Kootenai County, Idaho Kootenai County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. The county was established in 1864, named after Kootenai tribe. The entire county comprises the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 138,494 at the 2010 census... |
36.56% | 22120 | 63.44% | 38387 |
| Latah Latah County, Idaho Latah County is a county located in the north central region of the U.S. state of Idaho. The population was 37,244 at the 2010 census. The county seat and largest city is Moscow, which is the home of the University of Idaho, the state's flagship and land-grant university... |
53.51% | 9191 | 46.49% | 7984 |
| Lemhi Lemhi County, Idaho Lemhi County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. The county was established in 1869, named after Fort Lemhi , a remote Mormon missionary settlement from 1855-58 in Bannock and Shoshone territory. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 7,806... |
21.32% | 796 | 78.68% | 2938 |
| Lewis Lewis County, Idaho Lewis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. Established in 1911, it was named after the explorer Meriwether Lewis. The population was 3,821 at the 2010 census. The county seat is Nezperce, and Kamiah is the county's largest city.-Geography:... |
27.31% | 479 | 72.69% | 1275 |
| Lincoln Lincoln County, Idaho Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 census the county had a population of 4,044 The county seat and largest city is Shoshone.... |
33.95% | 497 | 66.05% | 967 |
| Madison Madison County, Idaho Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 27,467 . The county seat and largest city is Rexburg. Madison County is part of the Rexburg, ID, Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :The area was originally settled by members... |
12.75% | 1625 | 87.25% | 11120 |
| Minidoka Minidoka County, Idaho Minidoka County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. The county seat and largest city is Rupert. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 20,174 .... |
22.24% | 1137 | 77.76% | 3976 |
| Nez Perce Nez Perce County, Idaho Nez Perce County [Eng. pron. Nezz Purse] is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. The population was 39,265 at the 2010 Census. The county seat is Lewiston. The county is named for the Nez Percé tribe.... |
40.75% | 7123 | 59.25% | 10357 |
| Oneida Oneida County, Idaho Oneida County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 4,125 . The county seat and largest city is Malad City. The Oneida County Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.Most of the county's population lives in... |
18.10% | 381 | 81.90% | 1724 |
| Owyhee Owyhee County, Idaho Owyhee County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Idaho. In area it is the second largest county in Idaho, behind Idaho County. As of the 2000 Census, Owyhee County had a population of 10,644... |
23.79% | 944 | 76.21% | 3024 |
| Payette Payette County, Idaho Payette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. The county was established in 1917, and at the 2000 Census the county had a population of 20,578 . The county seat is Payette.... |
28.74% | 2415 | 71.26% | 5988 |
| Power Power County, Idaho Power County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 7,538 .... |
36.93% | 1027 | 63.07% | 1754 |
| Shoshone Shoshone County, Idaho Shoshone County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. The county was established in 1864, named for the Native American Shoshone tribe. The population was 12,765 at the 2010 census. Shoshone County is commonly referred to as the Silver Valley, due to its century-old mining history... |
46.05% | 2521 | 53.95% | 2953 |
| Teton Teton County, Idaho Teton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. Established in 1915, it was named after the Teton Mountains. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 5,999... |
50.43% | 2302 | 49.57% | 2263 |
| Twin Falls Twin Falls County, Idaho Twin Falls County is a county in the south central part of the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census, the county had a population of 64,284 . The county seat and largest city is Twin Falls.... |
31.18% | 8621 | 68.82% | 19032 |
| Valley Valley County, Idaho Valley County is a rural county located in west central Idaho in the United States. Established in 1917, it was named after the Long Valley of the North Fork of the Payette River, which extends over 30 miles from Payette Lake at McCall south to Cascade to Round Valley.The valley was formerly a... |
46.54% | 2394 | 53.46% | 2750 |
| Washington Washington County, Idaho Washington County is a county in the U.S. state of Idaho. Established in 1879 when Idaho was a territory, it was named after U.S. president George Washington. As of the 2000 Census, the county had a population of 9,977; it is estimated to have risen to 10,147 by 2007... |
28.15% | 1241 | 71.85% | 3168 |
By congressional district
John McCain solidly swept both of Idaho’s two congressional districts.| District | McCain | Obama | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61.82% | 35.88% | Bill Sali Bill Sali William Thomas "Bill" Sali served a single term in the United States House of Representatives, representing from 2007 to 2009. Sali previously served in the Idaho Legislature as a member of the House.... (110th Congress 110th United States Congress The One Hundred Tenth United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, between January 3, 2007, and January 3, 2009, during the last two years of the second term of President George W. Bush. It was composed of the Senate and the House of... ) |
|
| Walt Minnick Walt Minnick Walter Clifford "Walt" Minnick is the former U.S. House of Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.... (111th Congress 111th United States Congress The One Hundred Eleventh United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009 until January 3, 2011. It began during the last two weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with the remainder spanning the first two years of... ) |
|||
| 61.19% | 36.34% | Mike Simpson Mike Simpson Michael Keith "Mike" Simpson, D.M.D. , is the member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing , serving since 1999. He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously served in the Idaho House of Representatives.... |
Electors
Technically the voters of Idaho cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Idaho is allocated 4 electors because it has 2 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 4 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 4 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for President and Vice President. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless electorFaithless elector
In United States presidential elections, a faithless elector is a member of the Electoral College who does not vote for the candidate they have pledged to vote for...
.
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 15, 2008 to cast their votes for President and Vice President. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All four were pledged to John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
and Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
:
- Darlene Bramon
- Ben Doty
- John Erickson
- Melinda SmyserMelinda SmyserMelinda Smyser is a Republican member of the Idaho Senate, representing the 11th District. She received a Bachelor's of Science with a Double Major in C/T/Design and Education and Extension from the University of Idaho...