Superintendent of Public Instruction
Election Results
| Candidate | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Luna (R) | 268,376 | 60.51% |
| Stan Olson (D) | 175,131 | 39.49% |
* Race percentages are calculated with data from the Secretary of State's Office, which omits write-in votes from its calculations when there are too few to affect the outcome. The Spokane County Auditor's Office may have slightly different percentages than are reflected here because its figures include any write-in votes.
The Candidates
Complete Coverage
Idaho superintendent of schools race
The first non-educator to head Idaho’s public school system is running for re-election, and he’s being challenged by one of the state’s most prominent educators, the just-retired superintendent of the Boise School District, the state’s second-largest district.
Idaho teachers support Olson for superintendent
BOISE – Idaho schoolteachers are coming out in force behind the candidacy of retired Boise school superintendent Stan Olson for state superintendent of schools, against incumbent Superintendent Tom Luna. At a rally on the state Capitol steps Friday, more than 100 teachers from 75 school districts around the state gathered to kick off an independent campaign for Olson, announcing that an Idaho Education Association survey of its 13,000-plus members found that nearly eight in 10 teachers back Olson and less than 5 percent plan to vote for Luna.
Race for Idaho schools chief puts focus on role of office
BOISE – The first non-educator to head Idaho’s public school system is running for re-election, and he’s being challenged by one of the state’s most respected educators: the just-retired superintendent of the Boise School District, the state’s second-largest district. The race between state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna, a Republican businessman, and Stan Olson, the Democratic challenger who calls himself “apolitical,” is raising issues about what Idaho’s schools really need, from politics to professionalism. And it’s coming at a time when schools are struggling with huge and unprecedented spending cuts.