Idaho is a solidly red state, and although Democrats have been competitive here in the past, Idahoans have long favored values like small government and an emphasis on agriculture. So what exactly does Idaho’s political landscape look like today?
Voters registered with the state’s only liberal party, the Democrats, make up nearly 12% of Idaho’s 815,657 registered voters.
In contrast, Idahoans who are registered as members of conservative parties – Republican, Libertarian, and Constitutional Party – constitute 53 percent of voters. Libertarian and constitutional voters combined make up just over 1% of that total.
Idaho also has a number of unaffiliated voters. They represent 35% of the electorate.
Only two cities in Idaho have a larger population of Liberal voters than Conservative voters – Ketchum and Lapwai. And although Boise is considered by some to be the state’s liberal hub due to the large number of Democratic voters, only 17.2% of voters in Ada County are Liberals, compared to 21.3% of voters in the Shoshone County registered as Democrats. .
We looked at the party record for the 100 Idaho towns and villages with the most registered voters to find the most liberal places in the state – where Democrats have the highest percentage of voters per compared to other cities. Of course, this is relative, because the Conservatives always outnumber the Liberals, even in the most liberal places. (Including Boise, where unaffiliated voters outnumber the two partisan affiliations)
Keep in mind that not all of these registered voters participate in all elections and that they do not always vote by party.
Know Your (Liberal) Idaho Towns
Ketchum – Blaine County in central Idaho. Population: 2,753
Osburn – 45 miles east of Coeur d’Alene in Shoshone County. Population: 1,507
Kellogg – 35 miles east of Coeur d’Alene in Shoshone County. Population: 2,081
Lapwai – 13 miles east of Lewiston in Nex Perce County. Population: 1,148
Moscow – The seat of Latah County in the Idaho Panhandle. Population: 25,322
Hailey – The county seat of Blaine is in central Idaho. Population: 8,218
Wooded – The capital of Idaho. Population: 223,154
Victor – 25 miles from Jackson, Wyoming, in southeastern Idaho. Population: 2,055
Garden city – Adjacent to Boise in Ada County. Population: 11,602
Driggs – 35 miles from Jackson, Wyoming, in Teton County. Population: 1,736
Valley of the Sun – Beach resort in central Idaho. Population: 1,436
Pinehurst – 6.5 miles west of Kellogg in the Idaho Panhandle. Population: 1,577
Mccall – 110 miles north of Boise in central Idaho. Population: 3,278
Nice view – 5 miles south of Hailey in Blaine County. Population: 2,315
Tetonia – 50 miles northeast of Idaho Falls in Teton County. Population: 280
Potlatch – 6 miles east of the Washington border in Latah County. Population: 813
Coeur d’Alene – Seat of Kootenai County in the Idaho Panhandle. Population: 50,285
Plummer – 35 miles south of Coeur d’Alene in Benewah County. Population: 1,017
Pocatello – Bannock County Headquarters in Southeast Idaho. Population: 54,746
american falls – Power County Headquarters, 25 miles west of Pocatello. Population: 4,311
This story was originally published July 26, 2018 10:22 a.m.
