Editor’s note: The Idaho Secretary of State’s Office on Thursday evening identified a data entry error in unofficial election night results from Butte County between Young and Fuhriman. The updated results did not affect the outcome. The full press release is included at the bottom of this article.
By Ruth Brown, Idaho Reports
After serving three terms in the House of Representatives for District 30, Rep. Julianne Young lost her seat in a race against Ben Fuhriman on Tuesday by just two votes.
Young was supported by the House Freedom Caucus and was known for sponsoring legislation that included prohibitions on gender affirming care for children as well as a bill using public funds for gender affirming care. She served as vice chair of the House State Affairs Committee.
Fuhriman, a financial planner, is active in the Bingham County Republican Central Committee. Fuhriman must still defeat Democrat Breane Buckingham in November.
Other Eastern Idaho races were tight but didn’t see any major upsets.
Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, fended off two challengers in District 32 Tuesday night, with 45 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results.
Challengers Sean Coletti had 35 percent, and Bryan Smith followed with 19 percent.
Horman, who chairs the Appropriations Committee, faces Democrat Patricia Dustin Stanger in the general election this fall.
Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen easily won on Tuesday in a three-way race despite facing a censure from her central committee. Mickelsen received 60 percent, over Kelly Golden, who took 32 percent, and Sean Calvert Crystal, who came in at 7 percent.
In District 28, all incumbents maintained leads over their opponents. Rep. Rick Cheatum took 40 percent, over Jason Lamborn and Mike Saville.
Rep. Dan Garner, R-Clifton, held onto his seat in District 28, too, defeating Kirk Jackson. Garner received 55 percent of the vote and faces Democrat Jayson Meline in November.
With only two of four counties in District 31 reporting as of 12:38 a.m. Wednesday, Rep. Rod Furniss was in the lead against conservative former legislator Karey Hanks. The winner must still face Democrat Wayne Talmadge in the November election.
House Caucus Chair Dustin Manwaring, of Pocatello, was unopposed on Tuesday, but he will face Democratic challenger Mary Shea in District 29 in November.
In District 35, Senate Caucus Chair Mark Harris, Soda Springs, defeated challenger Doug Toomer for a second time. Harris received 62 percent of the vote.
Rep. Josh Wheeler held onto his seat in District 35 for a second term, defeating challenger Brett Skidmore with 62 percent. Wheeler will face Democrat Maggie Shaw in November.
Ruth Brown | Producer
Ruth Brown grew up in South Dakota and her first job out of college was covering the South Dakota Legislature. She’s since moved on to Idaho lawmakers. Brown spent 10 years working in print journalism, including newspapers such as the Idaho Statesman and Idaho Press, where she’s covered everything from the correctional system to health care issues. She joined Idaho Reports in 2021 and looks forward to telling stories about how state policy can impact the lives of regular Idahoans.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: May 23, 2024
Butte County Election Results Review
(Boise, Idaho) – Immediately following the election and continuing through June 5, all forty-four counties in Idaho are conducting a canvassing of the unofficial May 21st Idaho Primary election results. This process involves a thorough review of all records to verify the results before they are officially certified. During this review, counties have the opportunity to update their election results to ensure accuracy. A difference of 8 ballots in the state’s closest legislative race in Butte County was identified when comparing the election tally and canvass report with the online results.
The vote difference was confined to the Representative Seat B race in the Butte County portion of District 30. On election night, the race between candidates Ben G. Fuhriman and Julianne Young appeared to be within 10 votes. The difference identified in the canvass narrowed the already close margins down to two votes; however, the race outcome remains unchanged.
An analysis confirmed that the county tally and canvass report in Butte County was correct. Butte County uses a hand count tabulation, and the discrepancy was due to a data entry error during the manual entry of the results into the state election results reporting system. The unofficial results on VoteIdaho.gov have been updated to reflect the correct tabulation. The Idaho Secretary of State’s office contacted both candidates to inform them of the change in results. Due to the narrower margin, the candidates in the District 30 race may request a free recount after the results have been canvassed on June 5th.
It is important to note that the results reported on election night are unofficial and do not become official until the canvass is conducted and the results are certified by the Board of Canvassers on June 5. Additionally, the Idaho Secretary of State will be conducting random post-election audits of the results to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the election process prior to the meeting of the Board of Canvassers.
“Our election system is designed to ensure every ballot is accurately counted and reported,” said Secretary of State Phil McGrane. “The canvassing period and audit process are important because they provide essential safeguards and checks to ensure accurate results. I’m grateful to county clerks and election officials who look at every detail to ensure that our elections are fair, transparent, and accurate.”