2006 United States House of Representatives elections in Idaho

The 2006 congressional elections in Idaho were held on November 7, 2006, and determined who would represent the state of Idaho in the United States House of Representatives. Idaho has two seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States census. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; the winners served in the 110th Congress from January 3, 2007 until January 3, 2009.

2006 United States House of Representatives elections in Idaho

November 7, 2006
All 2 Idaho seats to the United States House of Representatives
Majority party Minority party   Party Republican Democratic Last election 2 0 Seats won 2 0 Seat change Popular vote 248,105 177,376 Percentage 55.72% 39.83%
Republican   40–50%   50–60%   60–70%   70–80%   80–90% Democratic   40–50%   50–60%

Overview

United States House of Representatives elections in Idaho, 2006
Party		Votes	Percentage	Seats	+/–
	Republican	248,105	55.72%	2	—
	Democratic	177,376	39.83%	0	—
	Independent	11,970	2.69%	0	—
	Constitution	4,973	1.12%	0	—
	Natural Law	2,882	0.65%	0	—
Totals		445,306	100.00%	2	—

District 1

2006 Idaho's 1st congressional district election

Nominee Bill Sali Larry Grant Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 115,843 103,935 Percentage 49.9% 44.8%

Sali:      40-50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      >90% Grant:      40-50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      >90% Tie:      40-50%      No votes

U.S. Representatives before election Butch Otter Republican Elected U.S. Representatives Bill Sali Republican

This district encompasses the Idaho Panhandle region and most of the Boise metropolitan area.

In the May 23 primary, conservative state Representative Bill Sali edged out a crowded field to win the Republican nomination with 26%, while Larry Grant won the Democratic nomination. Sali is a controversial figure in Idaho politics who clashed repeatedly with Republican leadership in the Idaho Legislature. Some of Sali's Republican detractors publicly said that they would back Grant in the general election. All this gave Grant a boost in the general election, but Sali remained favored given the GOP tilt of the area and the popular Otter at the top of the ticket. Grant made gains late in the campaign, but Sali held on to win.

Republican primary

Candidates

• Bill Sali, Idaho State Representative
• Robert Vasquez, Canyon County Commissioner
• Sheila Sorensen, Idaho State Senator
• Keith Johnson, Idaho State Controller
• Norm Semanko, attorney
• Skip Brandt, Idaho State Senator

Results

Republican primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Bill Sali	18,985	25.82
	Republican	Robert Vasquez	13,624	18.53
	Republican	Sheila Sorensen	13,472	18.32
	Republican	Keith Johnson	13,186	17.93
	Republican	Norm Semanko	7,976	10.85
	Republican	Skip Brandt	6,289	8.55
Total votes			73,532	100.00

Democratic primary

• Larry Grant, attorney
• Cecil Kelly III, small business owner

Results

Democratic Party primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Larry Grant	10,885	74.78
	Democratic	Cecil Kelly III	3,671	25.22
Total votes			14,556	100.00

General election

Results

Idaho's 1st congressional district election, 2006

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Bill Sali	115,843	49.94
	Democratic	Larry Grant	103,935	44.80
	Independent	Dave Olson	6,857	2.96
	Natural Law	Andy Hedden-Nicely	2,882	1.24
	Constitution	Paul Smith	2,457	1.06
Total votes			231,974	100.00
	Republican hold

District 2

2006 Idaho's 2nd congressional district election

Nominee Mike Simpson Jim Hansen Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 132,262 73,441 Percentage 62.0% 34.4%

Simpson:      40-50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90% Hansen:      40-50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Hedrick:      >90%      No votes

U.S. Representatives before election Mike Simpson Republican Elected U.S. Representatives Mike Simpson Republican

This district encompasses Eastern Idaho, the Magic Valley, and most of the city of Boise. Republican incumbent Michael Simpson, who has never faced much electoral difficulty, defeated Democratic nominee Jim Hansen in the general election, along with several independent candidates.

Results

Idaho's 2nd congressional district election, 2008

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Michael Simpson (incumbent)	132,262	62.00
	Democratic	Jim Hansen	73,441	34.43
	Independent	Cameron Forth	5,113	2.40
	Constitution	Travis J. Hedrick	2,516	1.18
Total votes			213,332	100.00
	Republican hold

External links

• Rep. Bill Sali's campaign website
• Grant for Congress campaign website