[imgcontainer] [img:Idaho_Gubernatorial_Debate_t620.jpg] [source]Photo by the Associated Press[/source] Idaho Democratic gubernatorial challenger A.J. BalukoffRepublican, left, laughs with current governor C.L. “Butch” Otter as they compliment each other’s ties after the gubernatorial debate earlier this month. [/imgcontainer]
Some races in the November 2014 election are closer than they should be.
My home state of Idaho is a case in point. Idaho may be the most Republican state in the country. There is no Democrat currently holding a statewide office.
Nonetheless this year Idaho is close. This is remarkable. In a year when all Republicans think they have to do is to say nasty things about the president, the voters are saying something else. “[Idaho Governor] Butch Otter is one of the least popular governors in the country,” said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling (PPP). “But there may not be a state where it’s harder for Democrats to win than Idaho.”
True, that.
Here are the numbers: PPP final polls shows incumbent Butch Otter leads with only 39 percent to 35 percent for Democrat A.J. Balukoff. Minor candidates combine for an unusually high 12 percent, and 14 percent of voters are undecided. There are six candidates on the ballot (including Marvin “Pro-Life” Richardson.) Many Tea Party voters dismiss Republicans as too liberal. Idaho Republicans at that.
[imgcontainer right] [img:Screen+Shot+2014-10-17+at+11.33.37+AM.png] [source]Via Wikipedia. [/source] Idaho leaned heavily toward Mitt Romney in the 2012
presidential election. . [/imgcontainer]
So if Idaho’s conservative voters go for one of those minor parties — there is a chance that the Democrat could win (without earning 50 percent of the vote).
Idaho’s five Native American tribes are small in numbers, roughly 1 percent of the state, so in a close election, you just never know.
It’s more likely that voters will break for the Republican as they normally do in Idaho. But, hey, anything can happen. Real Clear Politics still rates this race as “safe” for the GOP.
Another state where a minor party candidate could shake things up is Colorado.
Democratic Senator Mark Udall is trailing Republican challenger Cory Gardner in several polls. What’s interesting is how that lead shrinks when independent candidate Steve Shogan is included. Shogan is capturing as much as 8 percent in some polls. This is the opposite of Kansas. If the conservative candidate splits the votes of Republicans, it could be enough for Udall to win.
Colorado’s American Indian and Alaska Native population is slightly more than the national average, at 1.6 percent.
Another factor that could make Colorado interesting is mail-in ballots. This will be the first election where most voters will receive a ballot in the mail — so the results will depend on which voters are more likely to return the ballot. (Folks can vote in person if they so choose.)
Both Idaho and Colorado allow citizens to register up until Election Day. It could not be any easier to cast a ballot.
Mark Trahant holds the Atwood Chair at the University of Alaska Anchorage. He is an independent journalist and a member of The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. For up-to-the-minute posts, download the free Trahant Reports app for your smart phone or tablet.
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