Paulette Jordan wins Idaho’s Democratic governor primary

BOISE, Idaho – Former state Rep. Paulette Jordan has won the Democratic primary for Idaho governor.

She is the first woman to become the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in Idaho.

If she wins the general election, Jordan would not only be the first woman to serve as Idaho governor, but also the first Native American woman to serve in that position in any state.

The 38-year-old Jordan, who is a member of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, won Tuesday’s primary against 72-year-old Boise businessman A.J. Balukoff.

With 357 of the state’s 951 voting precincts counted, Jordan had 60.4 percent of the vote. Balukoff had 38.4 percent.

The last Native American to hold a statewide office in Idaho was in 1990, when Larry Echo Hawk ran as a Democrat for attorney general.

The open gubernatorial seat became a top political race when Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter announced he wouldn’t seek a fourth term.