Early Returns Show Close Races in Several Legislative Districts
Bonneville County voters headed to the polls Tuesday for Idaho’s primary election, with several contested Republican legislative races and a county coroner contest drawing attention across the region.
As of late Tuesday evening, most incumbent officeholders were maintaining leads in their respective primary contests, though final results remained pending as precincts continued reporting totals throughout the night.
The Idaho Falls Public Library on West Broadway Street served as one of the designated polling locations for Bonneville County voters casting ballots in the primary election.
County Coroner Race Remains Tight
In the Republican primary for Bonneville County Coroner, incumbent Shante Sanchez held a narrow advantage over challenger Tim Schuijt with partial precincts reporting. Sanchez had collected 2,972 votes compared to Schuijt’s 2,836 votes as of late Tuesday.
The winner of this Republican primary will advance to the November general election ballot, as no Democratic candidates entered the race.
State Legislative Contests Show Varying Margins
Multiple Idaho House of Representatives seats representing Bonneville County voters saw contested Republican primaries Tuesday evening.
In State House District 32A, incumbent Representative Stephanie Mickelsen led challenger Kelly Golden by a margin of 1,961 votes to 1,536 votes. No Democratic candidates filed for this seat, meaning the primary winner will advance directly to the general election unopposed.
For State House District 32B, incumbent Representative Erin Bingham maintained a lead over opponent Brian McKellar with 1,985 votes to 1,457 votes. The Republican primary winner will face Democrat Kamber Weninger in the November general election.
State House District 33A saw incumbent Representative Barbara Ehardt leading Connor Cook by a closer margin of 1,300 votes to 1,230 votes with partial results reported. The Republican nominee will compete against Democrat Chance Marshall this fall.
In State House District 33B, incumbent Representative Marco Erickson held a lead over challenger Jilene Burger with 1,327 votes compared to 1,102 votes. Democrat Todd DeVries will face the Republican nominee in November.
Tightest Contest in District 35A
The closest race of the evening appeared to be in State House District 35A, where challenger Chad Christensen held a razor-thin advantage over incumbent Representative Mike Veile. Christensen led with 528 votes to Veile’s 518 votes as of late Tuesday, a margin of just ten votes.
The Republican primary winner in District 35A will face Democrat Walter Boyd in the general election.
What Comes Next
Complete and certified election results for all Bonneville County races were expected to be posted Wednesday morning as county election officials finished processing all precinct totals and provisional ballots.
Winners of Tuesday’s Republican primaries will advance to the November general election, where they will face Democratic challengers in several competitive legislative districts. The Bonneville County Coroner race will be determined by the outcome of the Republican primary, as no other candidates entered the contest.
Idaho’s primary election determines which candidates will represent their respective parties on the general election ballot this fall, when all Idaho voters will make final decisions on legislative representation and county offices.