Otter cruises to second term

BOISE (AP) - Republican Gov. Butch Otter trounced Democrat Keith Allred, extending his nearly 30 years in elected office by winning a second term as Idaho's chief executive.

Voters overwhelmingly chose Otter's libertarian-leaning style over Allred's populist promise to dislodge state leadership he said was in the pocket of special interests.

With the 68-year-old Otter, voters get a fiscal conservative who says government should promote a solid business environment, then get out of the way.

Otter's early results were on pace to exceed his performance four years ago.

With fewer than 1 percent of precincts in, Otter was leading with 75 percent. But exit polls showed Otter with a commanding lead in much of Idaho.

In 2006, Otter garnered 52 percent of the vote, to Democrat Jerry Brady's 44 percent.

uLt. Gov. Brad Little won easily to serve a full term as lieutenant governor. The Republican beat Democrat Eldon Wallace on Tuesday.

Little originally was appointed to the part-time post in January 2009 by Gov. Butch Otter, to replace Jim Risch, who had just won the 2008 election for U.S. Senate.

At the time, many said Otter was maneuvering his friend - the men brand and castrate calves together every year on Little's ranch near Emmett - for a run for governor come 2014.

Little, heir to one of Idaho's most best-known ranching fortunes, previously served as an Idaho senator.

His grandfather, Andy Little, arrived in Idaho from Scotland in 1894 and amassed a herd of 200,000 sheep between the Boise Valley and the Salmon River where the family still grazes cattle.

uRepublican Tom Luna beat longtime educator Stan Olson to keep Idaho's top elected education post.

Voters decided Tuesday to give Luna another four years to steer Idaho's public schools. Luna has held the position since January 2007 and wins re-election amid a dismal budget year for public education in Idaho.

Lawmakers cut about $128 million from the schools budget for the current fiscal year and slashed total spending on public education for what is believed to be the first time in Idaho history.

While the Idaho teachers union backed Olson and criticized Luna for his lack of experience in the classroom, Luna told voters his business background helped him make smart financial decisions during the recession.

uIdaho election officials are projecting that 63 percent of the state's registered voters will take part in Tuesday's midterm election.

Deputy Secretary of State Tim Hurst says turnout of 63 percent would top previous midterm election turnout recorded in 2006 and 2002.

Hurst says this year's projections are being driven by a high rate of early voting. The state sent out more than 80,000 absentee ballots this year. As of Monday morning, voters had returned more than 56,000 ballots. More absentee ballots were coming in and being counted Tuesday.

Hurst says reports from election officials in Idaho's 44 counties indicated a steady stream of voters throughout the day.

Idaho has more than 752,000 registered voters.