Idaho Democrats were proud to field candidates in every legislative race this election. They outraised the Republican Party by a wide margin and drew $70,000 from the Democratic National Committee to invest in minority voter turnout, the Idaho Statesman previously reported .
But they faced resounding defeats across the state and losses in Ada County. In West Boise’s purple legislative District 15, Democratic incumbent Sen. Rick Just lost to Republican challenger Codi Galloway, while Republican Rep. Dori Healey fended off a challenge from Democrat Shari Baber. Republican incumbents won all county races handily — in commissioners’ races, by their widest margin since at least 2016.
In part, the shift to the right mirrors the area’s changing political demographics. Between 2004 and 2023, nearly 120,000 people originally from other states registered to vote in Idaho, according to the Idaho Secretary of State ’s Office, which tracks voter registrations. Amid the state’s population boom, Republican newcomers vastly outnumber Democratic voters. Except for Vermont, every state in the U.S. has sent more Republicans than Democrats to Idaho, according to the state data.