Butch Otter
Clement Leroy "Butch" Otter (born May 3, 1942, in Caldwell, Idaho) is the former Republican governor of Idaho. He was first elected governor on November 7, 2006, and was sworn into office on January 1, 2007. He was the first Idahoan since statehood to win election as both United States representative and governor, and he was the first Roman Catholic to win election as governor since James H. Hawley in 1910.[1] He did not seek re-election in 2018.
Otter first entered public office in 1972, when he was elected to the Idaho House of Representatives. He went on to hold the office of lieutenant governor of Idaho for 14 years. Before becoming governor, Otter represented Idaho's 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House from 2001 to 2007.
During his early years as a politician, Otter kept up his long-running affiliation with Simplot International, a potato, livestock, and feeding company. Otter served as president of Simplot International from 1978-1990, a period that included his final term in the state legislature and part of his first term as Idaho's lieutenant governor.[2]
An analysis of Republican governors by Nate Silver of the New York Times in April 2013 ranked Otter as the most conservative governor in the country.[3]
Biography
Otter was born in Caldwell, Idaho, on May 3, 1942. He attended Boise Junior College, later known as Boise State University, then earned his B.A. in political science from Albertson College of Idaho in 1967. He served in the Idaho Army National Guard's 116th Armored Cavalry from 1968 to 1973.[1]
Otter spent 30 years with Simplot International, a potato, livestock, and feeding operation. He served as president of the company from 1978 to 1990.[2]
Education
- B.A., political science, Albertson College of Idaho (1967)[1]
Political career
Governor of Idaho (2007-2019)
Otter was first elected governor of Idaho in 2006 and won re-election in 2010. He ran for and won election to a third term in 2014.
As governor, Otter was responsible for appointing judges to Idaho state courts. In Idaho, the governor makes a judicial appointment. The nominee holds office for the remainder of the unexpired term.
U.S. Congress (2001-2007)
First District Congresswoman Helen Chenoweth-Hage had promised to serve only three terms in the House when first elected in 1994, and she kept that pledge in 2000. Otter won the Republican primary and general election in 2000, and was re-elected in 2002 and 2004.
Otter served as a deputy majority whip for most of his time in Congress.
Scorecards
During his time in Congress, Otter was evaluated by several politically oriented organizations:
- Rated 17% by the National Education Association (NEA) (Dec 2003)
- Rated 11% by the American Public Health Association (APHA) (Dec 2003)
- Rated 10% by the ARA (Dec 2003)
- Rated 5% by the LCV (Dec 2003)
- Rated 33% by SANE (Dec 2003)
- Rated 20% by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) (Dec 2002)
- Rated 0% by the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) (Dec 2003)
- Rated 67% by the Cato Institute (Dec 2002)
- Rated 71% by the National Taxpayers Union (NTU) (Dec 2003)
- Rated 0% by the AFL-CIO (Dec 2003)
- Rated 100% by FAIR (Dec 2003)
- Rated 97% by the US COC (Dec 2003)
- Rated 92% by the Christian Coalition (Dec 2003)[4]
Lieutenant Governor of Idaho (1987-2001)
In 1986, Otter returned to politics and was elected lieutenant governor of Idaho. He was re-elected in 1990, 1994, and 1998.
Idaho House of Representatives (1972-1978)
Otter's first bid for elective office was in 1972 when he was elected a member of the Idaho House of Representatives from Canyon County. In 1978, Otter ran for governor of Idaho but was defeated in the Republican primary by Allan Larsen. Afterward, Otter remained active in the Idaho Republican Party, holding several state and county positions.
Elections
2018
- See also: Idaho gubernatorial election, 2018
Butch Otter did not file to run for re-election.
2014
- See also: Idaho gubernatorial election, 2014
Otter ran successfully for re-election to a third term as governor of Idaho in 2014.[5] He won the Republican nomination in the May 20 primary and defeated five opponents, including Democrat A.J. Balukoff, in the general election on November 4, 2014.
Results
Primary election
| Governor of Idaho, Republican Primary, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
 Butch Otter Incumbent |
51.4% | 79,779 | ||
| Russell Fulcher | 43.6% | 67,694 | ||
| Harley D. Brown | 3.3% | 5,084 | ||
| Walt Bayes | 1.8% | 2,753 | ||
| Total Votes | 155,310 | |||
| Election results via Idaho Secretary of State. | ||||
General election
| Governor of Idaho, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Butch Otter Incumbent |
53.5% | 235,405 | |
| Democratic | A.J. Balukoff | 38.6% | 169,556 | |
| Libertarian | John T. Bujak | 4.1% | 17,884 | |
| Independent | Jill Humble | 2% | 8,801 | |
| Constitution | Steve Pankey | 1.2% | 5,219 | |
| Independent | Pro-Life | 0.7% | 2,870 | |
| N/A | Write-ins | 0% | 95 | |
| Total Votes | 439,830 | |||
| Election results via Idaho Secretary of State | ||||
2010
- See also: Idaho gubernatorial election, 2010
Otter won re-election in the November 2, 2010, general election, defeating Democratic challenger Keith Allred.
| Idaho Governor, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | C.L. "Butch" Otter Incumbent |
59.1% | 267,483 | |
| Democratic | Keith Allred | 32.9% | 148,680 | |
| Independent | Jana M. Kemp | 5.9% | 26,655 | |
| Libertarian | Ted Dunlap | 1.3% | 5,867 | |
| Independent | Pro-Life (Marvin Thomas Richardson) | 0.9% | 3,850 | |
| Total Votes | 452,535 | |||
| Election results via Idaho Secretary of State | ||||
2006
On December 15, 2004, Otter announced his candidacy for the gubernatorial seat in 2006. Otter defeated three opponents in the May 23 Republican primary and faced Democrat Jerry Brady in the November 6 general election.
Otter won the election 52% to 44%—the closest gubernatorial race since 1995.
| Idaho Governor, 2006 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | C.L. "Butch" Otter |
52.7% | 237,437 | |
| Democratic | Jerry M. Brady | 44.1% | 198,845 | |
| Constitution | Marvin Richardson | 1.6% | 7,309 | |
| Libertarian | Ted Dunlap | 1.6% | 7,241 | |
| Total Votes | 450,832 | |||
| Election results via Idaho Secretary of State | ||||
Presidential preference
2016 presidential endorsement
✓ Otter endorsed John Kasich for the Republican primary in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.[6]
- See also: Endorsements for John Kasich
2012
Butch Otter endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.[7]
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Noteworthy events
Health insurance exchange
As Idaho moved to comply with the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act of 2010, Otter supported the creation of a state-based healthcare exchange instead of using the federal exchange.[8] In contrast, most other Republican governors chose not to set up state-based exchanges.[9]
Job creation ranking
A June 2013 analysis by The Business Journals ranked 45 governors based on the annual private sector growth rate in all 50 states using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Otter was ranked number 24. The five governors omitted from the analysis all assumed office in 2013.[10][11]
Stance on Syrian refugee resettlement
- Main article: U.S. governors and their responses to Syrian refugees
Following the Paris terrorist attacks on November 13, 2015, in which members of the Islamic State (ISIS) killed at least 129 people and wounded more than 350, reports surfaced showing that one of the terrorists responsible for the attacks in Paris may have come to France posing as a Syrian refugee.[12] Many governors issued statements of support or opposition to President Obama’s (D) plan to allow 10,000 new Syrian refugees into the United States. Otter had strong opposition to the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the state of Idaho. He said:
| “ | It makes no sense under the best of circumstances for the United States to allow people into our country who have the avowed desire to harm our communities, our institutions and our people.[13] | ” |
| —Gov. Butch Otter[14] | ||
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Otter married Lori Easley, a former Miss Idaho USA, in 2006. His first marriage, to Gay Simplot, was annulled.[15]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Butch + Otter + Idaho + Governor"
See also
- Governor of Idaho
- Idaho gubernatorial election, 2014
- Lieutenant Governor of Idaho
- Lieutenant Governor Brad Little
External links
- Biographies:
- Executive actions:
- Interest group ratings:
- Issue positions:
- Public statements:
- Media appearances:
- Governor demonstrates the possibilities--and limits--of libertarian politics in the Republican Party David Weigel, Reason Magazine, November, 2006
- From 'Mr. Tight Jeans' to gubernatorial hopeful Betsy Rothstein, The Hill, April 6, 2005
- U.S. Representative 2001–2007
- Biographies:
- Political profiles:
- Financial (federal level):
- Voting record:
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Idaho Governor's Office, "About Governor Butch Otter," accessed May 25, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Project Vote Smart, "Governor Butch Otter's Biography," accessed June 21, 2013
- ↑ New York Times, "In State Governments, Signs of a Healthier G.O.P.," April 16, 2013
- ↑ On the Issues, "Butch Otter," accessed May 25, 2021
- ↑ Idaho Reporter, "Otter announces 2014 re-election run," December 15, 2011
- ↑ The Hill, "Idaho governor backs Kasich," February 24, 2016
- ↑ P2012, "National Endorsements," accessed May 26, 2021
- ↑ Politico, "How one conservative state is flouting Obamacare," February 14, 2018
- ↑ Fox News, "Republican governors decide against setting up ObamaCare insurance markets," November 16, 2012
- ↑ The Business Journals, "Governors and jobs: How governors rank for job creation in their states," June 27, 2013
- ↑ The Business Journals, "How state governors rank on their job-growth record," June 27, 2013
- ↑ Washington Post, "Were Syrian refugees involved in the Paris attacks? What we know and don’t know," November 17, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Ontario Argus Observer, "Governor pushes to halt refugee program," November 17, 2015
- ↑ The Spokesman-Review, "Rep. Otter marries Lori Easley," August 19, 2006
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jim Risch (R) |
Governor of Idaho 2007-2019 |
Succeeded by Brad Little (R) |
| Preceded by ' |
U.S. House of Representatives 2001-2007 |
Succeeded by ' |
| Preceded by ' |
Lieutenant Governor of Idaho 1987-2001 |
Succeeded by ' |
| Preceded by ' |
Idaho House of Representatives 1972-1976 |
Succeeded by ' |
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