Eight Idaho Republican lawmakers lose primary election, including some who pushed for budget cuts

Eight incumbent Idaho Republican lawmakers lost their primary election bids on Tuesday, marking a significant shift in the state’s legislative landscape. Five members of the conservative Gang of Eight—Sens. Glenneda Zuiderveld and Josh Kohl, and Reps. Lucas Cayler, Faye Thompson, and David Leavitt—were defeated by challengers despite their push for spending cuts during the recent legislative session. Unofficial results show Zuiderveld lost to Brent D. Reinke, a former Idaho Department of Correction director, by 60.14% to 39.86%. Kohl was defeated by Casey Swensen, 57.87% to 42.13%, while Cayler, Thompson, and Leavitt also fell to challengers with margins ranging from 53.28% to 59.13%. Three Gang of Eight members—Reps. Elaine Price, Clint Hostetler, and Kent Marmon—won their races. Additional incumbents who lost include Rep. Tanya Burgoyne, who lost to Jennifer Miles by a narrow 50.56% to 49.44% margin, and Sen. Jim Woodward, who was defeated by former legislator Scott Herndon, 53.39% to 46.61%. Rep. Mark Sauter also lost to Jane Sauter, 53.88% to 46.12%. Despite these losses, key Republican figures secured re-election. Sen. Jim Guthrie, chairman of the Senate State Affairs Committee, won with 53.28% of the vote, while Rep. Barbara Ehardt, an influential lawmaker from Idaho Falls, defeated challenger Connor Cook, 51.59% to 48.41%. Other winners included Rep. Ben Fuhriman and Sen. Dan Foreman, who both won their primary races against Republican challengers. The results reflect broader shifts in Idaho’s political landscape following a legislative session marked by aggressive budget cuts to address a shortfall. The primary elections set the stage for the November general election, where the remaining candidates will face Democratic opponents.