Since statehood, the Republican Party has usually been the dominant party in Idaho, as there was a polar shift in social and political stance between the two parties, when the Democrats became more liberal and the Republicans more conservative. At one time, Idaho had two Democratic parties, one being the mainstream and the other called the Anti-Mormon Democrats, lasting into the early 20th century. In the 1890s and early 1900s, the Populist Party enjoyed prominence while the Democratic Party maintained a brief dominance in the 1930s during the Great Depression. Since World War II, most statewide elected officials have been Republicans. The last time the Democratic Party held a majority in either house of the state legislature was the House of Representatives in 1958 by one seat. However, Democrats did hold the governorship from 1971 to 1995, despite the state's Republican tilt.
Idaho Congressional delegations have also been generally Republican since statehood. Several Idaho Democrats have had electoral success in the House over the years, but the Senate delegation has been a Republican stronghold for decades. Several Idaho Republicans, including current Senator Mike Crapo, have won reelection to the Senate, but only Frank Church has won reelection as a Democrat. Church was the last Idaho Democrat to win a U.S. Senate race, in 1974. Walt Minnick's 2008 win in the First Congressional District was the state's first Democratic Congressional victory in 16 years.
In modern times, Idaho has been a reliably Republican state in presidential politics as well. It has not supported a Democrat for president since 1964. Even in that election, Lyndon Johnson defeated Barry Goldwater in the state by fewer than two percentage points, compared to a landslide nationally. In 2004, Republican George W. Bush carried Idaho by a margin of 38 percentage points and with 68.4% of the vote, winning in 43 of 44 counties. Only Blaine County, which contains the Sun Valley ski resort, supported John Kerry, who owns a home in the area. In 2008 Barack Obama's 36.1 percent showing was the best for a Democratic presidential candidate in Idaho since 1976. However, Republican margins were narrower in 1992 and 1996.
In the 2006 elections, Republicans, led by gubernatorial candidate C. L. "Butch" Otter, won all the state's constitutional offices and retained both of the state's seats in the United States House of Representatives. However, Democrats picked up several seats in the Idaho Legislature, notably in the Boise area.
Republicans lost one of the House seats in 2008 to Minnick, but Republican Jim Risch retained Larry Craig's Senate seat for the GOP by a comfortable margin.
Population > 100,000 (urbanized area)
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National Parks, Reserves, Monuments and Historic sites
- City of Rocks National Reserve
- Craters of the Moon National Monument
California National Historic Trail
City of Rocks National Reserve
Craters of the Moon National Monument
Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument
Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
Minidoka National Historic Site
Nez Perce National Historical Park
Oregon National Historic Trail
Yellowstone National Park
National Recreation Areas
Hells Canyon National Recreation Area
Sawtooth National Recreation Area
National Wildlife Refuges
Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Camas National Wildlife Refuge
Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge
Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge
Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge
National Conservation Areas
Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area
State parks
Bear Lake State Park
Bruneau Dunes State Park
Castle Rocks State Park
City of Rocks National Reserve
Coeur d'Alene Parkway State Park
Dworshak State Park
Eagle Island State Park
Farragut State Park
Harriman State Park
Hells Gate State Park
Henrys Lake State Park
Heyburn State Park
Lake Cascade State Park
Lake Walcott State Park
Land of the Yankee Fork State Park
Lucky Peak State Park
Massacre Rocks State Park
McCroskey State Park
Old Mission State Park
Ponderosa State Park
Priest Lake State Park
Round Lake State Park
Thousand Springs State Park
Three Island Crossing State Park
Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes
Winchester Lake State Park
The Idaho State Board of Education oversees three comprehensive universities. The University of Idaho in Moscow was the first university in the state (founded in 1889). A land-grant institution, the UI is the state's flagship university. Idaho State University in Pocatello opened in 1901 as the Academy of Idaho and received university status in 1963. Boise State University is the most recent school to attain university status in Idaho, and is primarily geared toward being a commuter school for part-time undergraduate students. The school opened in 1932 as Boise Junior College and became Boise State University in 1974. Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston is the only public, non-university 4-year college in Idaho.
Idaho has three regional community colleges: North Idaho College in Coeur d'Alene; College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls; and College of Western Idaho inNampa, which opened in 2009. A public technical college, Eastern Idaho Technical College, operates in Idaho Falls.
Private institutions in Idaho are Boise Bible College, affiliated with congregations of the Christian churches and churches of Christ; Brigham Young University-Idaho in Rexburg, which is affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; The College of Idaho in Caldwell, which still maintains a loose affiliation with the Presbyterian Church; Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa; and New Saint Andrews College in Moscow, of reformed Christian theological background.
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Central Idaho is home to one of North America's oldest ski resorts, Sun Valley, where the world's first chairlift was installed. Sites include Hell's Canyon, theSalmon River, and the embarkation point of Riggins, ID.
Club | Sport | League |
Boise Hawks | Baseball | Minor League Baseball |
Boise State Broncos | NCAA | Div I FBS – MW |
Idaho Vandals | NCAA | Div I FBS – WAC |
Idaho State Bengals | NCAA | Div I FCS – Big Sky |
Idaho Falls Chukars | Baseball | Minor League Baseball |
Idaho Stampede | Basketball | NBA Development League |
Idaho Steelheads | Ice hockey | East Coast Hockey League |
Boise is the host to the largest 5 km run for women, the St. Luke's Women's Fitness Celebration.
Official state emblems:
State Vegetable: Potato