Chenoweth-Williams Race Begins Incumbent Discounts Surprisingly Strong Showing By Her Republican Challenger

U.S. Rep. Helen Chenoweth and Democratic challenger Dan Williams are looking ahead to a lively race after both defeated little-known opponents in Tuesday’s primary.

Chenoweth’s GOP challenger, Nampa physician William Levinger, received a surprisingly strong share of the vote, but Chenoweth said his showing doesn’t concern her.

She blamed it on Democrats crossing over to vote against her, “an attractive name” and media coverage of herself.

“If all I knew about me was what I read in the press, I might have some questions, too,” Chenoweth said.

Levinger filed as a candidate at the last minute, then suffered a mental breakdown during a television interview. He was hospitalized and unable to campaign for four weeks.

In early returns, Chenoweth was ahead 68 percent to 32 percent.

Levinger said, “That’s pretty good for somebody who was limited in his campaigning.”

He said he hopes the vote will send a message to Chenoweth that she should “listen carefully to all of us.”

Boise State University political science professor Gary Moncrief cautioned that the primary’s low turnout combined with possible Democratic crossover made the significance of the challenger’s vote uncertain.

“I don’t think you can read that much into that at all,” he said.

With partial returns, Williams was far ahead of Murray window washer Matt Alan Lambert, 79 percent to 21 percent.

Williams, 33, a Boise lawyer and aide to former Gov. Cecil Andrus, said he’s doing better both in polls and in fund raising than he expected to be by this point.

“Once people get to know me and understand how my approach differs from Helen Chenoweth, they end up supporting me,” he said. “So I need to get out and meet as many people as possible before November.”

The two candidates are far apart on issues ranging from the minimum wage to the environment. Both described the race as “a clear choice.”

A poll conducted this month for The Idaho Spokesman-Review and two television stations found the Chenoweth-Williams matchup to be Idaho’s hottest. Pollster Del Ali called the race “a dogfight.”

The poll found that nearly as many Idahoans had unfavorable opinions of Chenoweth as had favorable views.

But the same poll found Idahoans choosing Bob Dole over Bill Clinton by 50 percent to 33 percent. That suggests Chenoweth could get a boost in November because Clinton, who will head the Democratic ticket, is so unpopular in Idaho.

In other primary voting, Republican voters in Idaho went solidly for GOP presidential candidate Bob Dole, who easily outpolled Pat Buchanan and Alan Keyes.

With partial results, Dole had 62 percent; Buchanan had 23 percent and Keyes had 5 percent.

And U.S. Rep. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, easily turned back a primary challenge from Twin Falls podiatrist Peter Rickards.

, DataTimes