Why the blue wave failed to wash over Idaho

The blue wave that swept across much of the nation on Election Day never reached Idaho. If anything, Idaho's voters sent a message to the rest of the country: "We're not changing."

Why say that? Just look at the results. There were no major upsets and very few surprises.

Start with the statewide races. Gov. Brad Little, Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke, Secretary of State Phil McGrane, Controller Brandon Woolf, Treasurer Julie Ellsworth, Attorney General Raúl Labrador and Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield all won reelection comfortably. None of the races were particularly close. All are Republicans.

The same story played out in Idaho's federal races.

U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher and U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson all won handily, although Simpson's 51.6% share of the vote suggested some resistance. Still, Idaho's congressional delegation remains entirely Republican.

In North Idaho legislative races, incumbent Sens. Scott Herndon, Phil Hart, Doug Okuniewicz, Ben Toews and Carl Bjerke all won decisively. All are Republicans.

The same was true in House races. Incumbent Reps. Heather Scott, Vito Barbieri, Jordan Redman, Joe Alfieri, Elaine Price, Ron Mendive and Tony Wisniewski all won comfortably. Again, every one of them is a Republican.

At the Kootenai County level, Republican dominance was so complete that two county commissioner races, along with the offices of clerk, treasurer, assessor and coroner, drew no opposition at all.

Proposition 1, which would have relaxed Idaho's strict abortion laws, was defeated decisively, particularly in North Idaho, where 66% of registered voters said no.

Meanwhile, House Joint Resolution 6, making English the state's official language, received overwhelming support.

Some will look at those results and say, "Good for Idaho. You stood firm in your beliefs." Others will argue, "Idaho got it wrong."

Regardless of perspective, the results speak for themselves. The much-discussed blue wave never arrived here. Idaho remains firmly Republican, and while a handful of seats may have shifted toward Democrats in parts of southern Idaho, there is little evidence the state's political identity is changing anytime soon.

Why?

Because a majority of Idahoans like Idaho the way it is and take time to vote so it stays that way.

This is a conservative state with deep roots in mining, logging and agriculture, industries that reward hard work, personal responsibility and self-reliance. It is a state that supports first responders, honors veterans, values property rights and maintains strong religious traditions. It is also a state that places a high value on local schools, as evidenced by the strong support many North Idaho school levies received from voters on Tuesday. It's safe to say Idaho, while being a state of generous and caring people, is not big on government handouts. 

At the same time, Idaho has long been skeptical of expanding government and generally prefers local control over federal intervention.

What comes next?

More people may move here because they are attracted to Idaho's culture, values and quality of life. Others may decide the state's political direction does not match their own and choose to live elsewhere.

But regardless of who comes and who goes, one thing remains clear: Idaho voters have once again defined the state's course. On a day when much of the country moved in a different direction, Idaho stood its ground.

And for now, that's exactly where most Idahoans want it to be.