BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Voters in the Republican stronghold of Idaho have picked Republican Mitt Romney by a large margin over Democrat Barack Obama in the race for U.S. President.
With 38 percent of precincts reporting, Romney had collected 67.4 percent of the vote and had a total vote lead of 94,962 over President Obama.
The result is hardly a surprise in a state that hasn't approved of putting a Democrat in the White House since 1964, the popularity of Romney and the backing he received from top Idaho GOP officials. His candidacy has been championed by some of the state's GOP stalwarts, including Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, who served as Romney's state campaign chairman.
But his sweeping victory in the Gem State is bittersweet to Idaho Republicans hoping for a change in leadership in the White House.
"I think with Idaho and our conservative values, our worry about the national debt and jobs all fits with what Romney has been pushing nationally on the campaign trail," said Josh Whitworth, executive director of the Idaho Republican Party.
"With Romney losing the national election, there is definitely some hurt and it's resonating badly with many people," he said. "I think there is a lot of worry with what will come with these next four years. The national debt being what it is, last four budget deficits and not having a balanced budget ... are all things that worries a lot of Idahoans."
Romney's support in Idaho was forged earlier this year when he emerged as the winner in Idaho's first-ever Republican caucus held on Super Tuesday on March 6. Romney won big in the caucuses held in southern and eastern Idaho counties and a strong outpouring of support beat back a threat from former Texas Congressman Ron Paul in the southwestern corner. By the end of the big night of caucuses, Romney had won 31 of the state's 44 counties.
Romney is also member of The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints, a religion shared by a quarter of Idaho's population.
As for Obama, his campaign realized early Idaho would never be in play. Obama held a campaign rally in Boise in 2008 as he was trying to sew up the Democratic nomination, packing more than 16,000 people into Taco Bell Arena on the Boise State campus. But despite his popularity in so many other states in 2008, Obama won just 36.1 percent of the Idaho vote and topped Republican Sen. John McCain in just two counties — Blaine and Teton.
Romney, meanwhile, has made frequent visits to the state during the campaign season, mostly to attend fundraisers in cities like Boise, Ketchum and Idaho Falls.
At a Sun Valley dinner in August, Romney got an official endorsement from Hollywood actor and director Clint Eastwood. About 325 people paid as much as $25,000 apiece to attend the event, held weeks before Eastwood's odd and rambling appearance at the Republican National Convention.
