Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson, Sen. Mike Crapo defend seats, win Republican primaries

Longtime incumbent Congressman Mike Simpson secured the Republican nomination for the U.S. House Tuesday night, defending his 2nd Congressional District seat that represents Boise and East Idaho against four opponents in the state’s Republican primary election.

With all 44 Idaho counties reporting, Simpson won with 54.6% of the vote, while Bryan Smith, an Idaho Falls attorney, received nearly 33%. The other three challengers, Flint L. Christensen, Daniel A.L. Levy and Chris Porter, split the remaining 12%.

“We knew it would be a difficult primary, and we take every election seriously,” Simpson told the Idaho Statesman by phone late Tuesday night from Washington, D.C. “I think it says that (voters) appreciate the job I’ve been able to do for Idaho over the past years and they want me to continue doing the job I’m doing. I’m proud of the campaign that we ran.”

Simpson, 71, who has held the seat since 1999, is seeking a 13th term in the U.S. House. His biggest challenge came from Smith, 59, who was making his second run at the office. The two also faced off in 2014, with Simpson winning nearly 62% of the vote.

In a brief phone interview, Smith told the Statesman late Tuesday night that he was “still processing the results” and declined to provide further comment.

Simpson moves on to the November general election, where he will take on Democratic nominee Wendy Norman, who did not face a challenge in the primary.

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, 70, earned the right to seek a fifth term. Crapo won by a large margin, with about 67% of votes, with the second-place candidate, Scott Trotter, at 10.5%.

“I am very appreciative of the people letting me stay in the fight, so I can try to fight for the commonsense values and principles Idahoans believe in, and we must use to govern our great nation,” Crapo told the Statesman in a phone interview Tuesday night from Washington, D.C.

During the campaign Crapo held the clear fundraising advantage against four GOP rivals, none of whom have previously held public office: Trotter, Brenda Bourn, Natalie M. Fleming and Ramont Turnbull.

Combined, Trotter, Bourn and Turnbull raised a total of about $22,000 toward their campaigns, according to Federal Election Commission records. Turnbull also loaned himself $17,000, while Fleming has not reported any fundraising to date.

Crapo, on the other hand, exceeded the $1 million mark for fundraising since October, and has more than $5.8 million of cash on hand. Idaho’s senior senator, who has held the seat since 1999 and elected office since 1984, is considered a heavy favorite for reelection.

“I intend to go forward in November and run a very solid campaign on all fronts,” Crapo said, identifying the obstacles he feels lie ahead under the current Democratic administration and congressional leadership. “I’m not taking anything for granted and will be making my case to the people of Idaho, that we need to battle back against the incredibly challenging agenda (President Joe) Biden, (Senate Majority Leader Chuck) Schumer and (Speaker of the House Nancy) Pelosi are pushing in Washington.”

In the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, David Roth, 40, an Idaho Falls nonprofit executive director, and Ben Pursley, 52, an asset manager in Boise, went head-to-head for the right to take on Crapo. A Democrat has not won a statewide race in Idaho since 2002.

Roth, the former chair of the Bonneville County Democratic Central Committee, won with about 58% of the vote, compared to Pursley at 42%. On Wednesday, Pursley called on his supporters to now back Roth in conceding the race.

“A huge part of our campaign was direct voter outreach, both in-person events and over the phone, and I feel it really paid off,” Roth told the Statesman by phone Wednesday. “I’m excited about continuing to the general (election), and with essentially the same strategy. We’re really trying to reach the large percentage of Idaho voters who simply don’t vote in elections anymore.”

U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher, 60, who represents West and North Idaho in the state’s 1st Congressional District, did not face a challenge in the Republican primary in his pursuit of a third term. He will face Democrat Kaylee Peterson and Libertarian Party candidate Joe Evans in November.