BOISE (AP) - Gov. Butch Otter is seeking to secure a rare third term, but he's facing stiff competition from Democratic challenger A.J. Balukoff and Libertarian candidate John Bujak.

As the Republican incumbent in a red-leaning state, the threat of Otter being ousted isn't strong.

However, Otter is running for office after the political veteran barely won in the GOP May primary election against a tea party favorite candidate. Otter fared well in rural regions and in south-central Idaho. But he lost in three of the state's most populated counties, including North Idaho known for its ultra-conservative voters and politicians.

This has led political analysts, along with Balukoff, to wonder if Idaho is facing "Otter fatigue."

Balukoff has fought against the incumbent by spending millions of his money on campaign advertisements blasting Otter's failures during his eight-year tenure.

Meanwhile, Bujak has campaigned that he is the only true conservative candidate on the ballot.

The political dynamic between the top three candidates have led some to point out that Bujak may appeal to voters who are tired of Otter but unable to bring themselves to vote for a Democrat. As a third-party candidate, Bujak may not pull enough votes to win the seat, but he may pull enough voters away from Otter to help Balukoff.