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Idaho's 2nd Congressional District election, 2016
2018 →
← 2014
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November 8, 2016 |
May 17, 2016 |
Michael K. Simpson  |
Michael K. Simpson |
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Cook Political Report: Solid R[1] Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe R[2] Rothenberg & Gonzales: Safe R[3] |
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The 2nd Congressional District of Idaho held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 8, 2016.
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Michael Simpson (R) defeated Jennifer Martinez (D) and Anthony Tomkins (Constitution Party) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Simpson defeated Lisa Marie in the Republican primary on May 17, 2016.[4][5]
| Candidate Filing Deadline | Primary Election | General Election |
|---|---|---|
Primary: A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. In Idaho, parties decide who may vote in their primaries.[6] As of October 2025, the Democratic Party allows unaffiliated voters to vote in its primary, while the Republican Party only allows voters registered with its party to vote in its primary. Unaffiliated voters can choose to affiliate with a party on Election Day.[7][8]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent was Michael K. Simpson (R), who was first elected in 1998.
Idaho's 2nd Congressional District encompasses eastern Idaho and the Magic Valley region of the state and other outlying areas, as well as a small portion of the Boise Metropolitan Area, including two-thirds of the city of Boise itself. The district includes the counties of Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Blaine, Bonneville, Butte, Camas, Caribou, Cassia, Clark, Custer, Elmore, Franklin, Fremont, Gooding, Jefferson, Jerome, Lemhi, Lincoln, Madison, Minidoka, Oneida, Power, Teton, and Twin Falls. A portion of Ada County lies within the district.
Election results
General election
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Michael Simpson Incumbent |
62.9% | 205,292 | |
| Democratic | Jennifer Martinez | 29.4% | 95,940 | |
| Constitution | Anthony Tomkins | 7.7% | 25,005 | |
| Total Votes | 326,237 | |||
| Source: Idaho Secretary of State | ||||
Primary election
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Michael Simpson Incumbent |
73% | 47,116 | ||
| Lisa Marie | 27% | 17,442 | ||
| Total Votes | 64,558 | |||
| Source: Idaho Secretary of State |
||||
Candidates
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General election candidates: Michael Simpson  Jennifer Martinez Anthony Tomkins |
|
Primary candidates:[9] |
|
Democratic |
Republican Lisa Marie[4] |
|
Third Party/Other [4] |
District history
2014
The 2nd Congressional District of Idaho held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Michael K. Simpson (R) defeated Richard Stallings (D) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Simpson Incumbent |
61.4% | 131,492 | |
| Democratic | Richard Stallings | 38.6% | 82,801 | |
| Total Votes | 214,293 | |||
| Source: Idaho Secretary of State | ||||
2012
The 2nd Congressional District of Idaho held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012. Michael K. Simpson (R) won the election in the district.[10]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Simpson Incumbent |
65.1% | 207,412 | |
| Democratic | Nicole LeFavour | 34.8% | 110,847 | |
| Write-in (Democratic) | Jack Wayne Chappell (Write-in) | 0.1% | 235 | |
| Total Votes | 318,494 | |||
| Source: Idaho Secretary of State "November 6, 2012 General Election Results" | ||||
Important dates and deadlines
- See also: Idaho elections, 2016
The calendar below lists important dates for political candidates in Idaho in 2016.
| Dates and requirements for candidates in 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadline | Event type | Event description | |
| March 8, 2016 | Election date | Presidential preference primary election | |
| March 11, 2016 | Ballot access | Filing deadline for both party and independent candidates | |
| April 19, 2016 | Ballot access | Deadline for write-in candidates to file declarations of intent for the primary election | |
| May 10, 2016 | Campaign finance | 7-day pre-primary report due | |
| May 17, 2016 | Election date | Primary election | |
| June 16, 2016 | Campaign finance | 30-day post-primary report due | |
| August 1, 2016 | Campaign finance | Semi-annual report due (for non-active statewide candidates only) | |
| August 30, 2016 | Ballot access | Last day to file new political party formation petitions | |
| October 11, 2016 | Ballot access | Deadline for write-in candidates to file declarations of intent for the general election | |
| October 11, 2016 | Campaign finance | Pre-general report due | |
| November 1, 2016 | Campaign finance | 7-day pre-general report due | |
| November 8, 2016 | Election date | General election | |
| December 8, 2016 | Campaign finance | 30-day post-general report due | |
| January 31, 2017 | Campaign finance | Annual report due | |
| Sources: Idaho Secretary of State, "Elections–2016 Election Consolidation Calendar," accessed July 9, 2015 Idaho Secretary of State, "Idaho Sunshine Law - Reporting Dates - 2015/2016 Election Cycle," accessed July 9, 2015 | |||
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Idaho, 2016
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2016
Footnotes
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2016 House Race Ratings for July 11, 2016," accessed July 19, 2016
- ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2016 House," accessed July 18, 2016
- ↑ Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, "House Ratings," accessed July 19, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Idaho Secretary of State, "2016 May Primary Candidate List," accessed March 12, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "Idaho Results," May 17, 2016
- ↑ Idaho State Legislature, "Idaho Code § 34–904A," accessed September 3, 2025
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State's Office, "Primary Elections in Idaho," accessed October 20, 2025
- ↑ ACLU Idaho, "2024 Your Rights as an Idaho Voter," accessed October 20, 2025
- ↑ Candidates are listed by party and alphabetically within each party.
- ↑ Politico, "2012 Election Map," accessed August 15, 2012
For information about public policy issues in the 2016 elections, see: Public policy in the 2016 elections!
