Butch Otter
A candidate for Governor, State of Idaho in the 2014 Nov. 4 Idaho General Election
Party: Republican
City: Star, Idaho
Occupation: Idaho governor
Incumbent governor, multimillionaire rancher, retired from J.R. Simplot Corp. Otter was first elected to the Idaho Legislature in 1972. He served 14 years as the state’s lieutenant governor, and three terms in Congress before being elected governor in 2006. He won his second term in 2010 with 59 percent of the vote. A rodeo enthusiast, Otter this year was named to the Idaho Rodeo Hall of Fame.
Contact information
- Web: otter4idaho.com
Race Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Butch Otter (R) | 235,293 | 53.53% |
| A.J. Balukoff (D) | 169,491 | 38.56% |
| John T. Bujak (L) | 17,878 | 4.07% |
| Jill Humble (I) | 8,791 | 2% |
| Steve Pankey (C) | 5,216 | 1.19% |
| Pro-Life (formerly known as Marvin Richardson) (I) | 2,866 | 0.65% |
Related Coverage
Eye on Boise: Otter cautious about potential conflicts of interest
There was an odd moment late in last week’s Land Board meeting, when the board had gone through a consultant’s recommendations on how to better manage the state endowment’s land assets. The recommendations include steps to bring more professional management to the endowment’s land investment portfolio. The consultant, Callan Associates, also recommends Idaho prudently divest its portfolio of commercial property; hire new staff at the state Department of Lands; and extend its contract with Callan Associates for four years at $145,000 a year.
Otter: Supreme Court should hear Idaho’s input before deciding on gay marriage
BOISE – Idaho Gov. Butch Otter believes the state’s arguments against gay marriage are so compelling and comprehensive that the U.S. Supreme Court should wait until it gets Idaho’s case before deciding on the issue. In arguments filed with the nation’s highest court, lawyers for Otter said waiting for Idaho’s case would help Supreme Court justices resolve “the marriage-litigation wave in all respects.”
Idaho Lt. Gov. Little prepared to take on role of governor
BOISE – If newly re-elected 72-year-old Idaho Gov. Butch Otter didn’t complete his full third term, Idaho’s new governor would be Brad Little, the second-term lieutenant governor, rancher and former state senator who’s been toiling full-time in the part-time, low-paid post since Otter appointed him to it in 2009. Little’s record seems decidedly more moderate than Otter’s – he blocked Idaho’s constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage for two years before reluctantly supporting the final version in 2006. But Little, 60, is an Otter fan who says his differences with the governor are more style than substance. He also says he fully expects Otter to serve out his term but is ready should he be asked to step up.
Eye on Boise: Legislators hope for resolution on broadband network
State lawmakers are growing concerned about the broadband network that serves high schools across the state, after a judge Nov. 10 voided a $60 million contract for the Idaho Education Network, ruling it was issued illegally. “At the end of the day, this is an important thing,” said House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley. “We need to get a new contract as quickly as possible and keep the service up and going during the school year. You have school districts that are dependent on this service, they’re in the middle of a term, and … the less disruption the better here, on our way to a new contract that addresses the issues that have been raised.”