The 1956 Election in Idaho

Abstract

N 1956, IDAHO, as is usually the case, followed the national voting pattern. President Dwight Eisenhower won a great personal victory by carrying a plurality of 61,111 votes.1 Youthful Frank Church, thirtythree, a Democrat, won one of the greatest pluralities (46,315) in Idaho Senate election history. Democratic incumbent of the House of Representatives, Gracie Pfost, raised her plurality of 1954 from 591 to 11,196, while incumbent Republican Homer H. Budge of the House held a 30,186 plurality as compared to 50,355 in 1954. In spite of the President's great showing, Democratic strength carried through into the state legislature and into county offices. Republican strength in both chambers of the legislature declined; they held control of the House by 32 to 27 members but lost control of the Senate by 25 to 19. It was generally assumed that Eisenhower would carry the state. The Idaho delegation to the Democratic national convention was badly split. Although finally giving a majority to Stevenson, many strongly favored Harriman, who often speaks of Idaho as his second home state. This split was never healed. Democratic candidates were extremely cautious about endorsing Stevenson; this was especially true of Frank Church. Consequently, Eisenhower had the advantage of a combination of local factors, including personal prestige, lack of effective opposition from Democratic candidates, and a Democratic party divided concerning the choice of a standard bearer. Although the state lacked the color of a campaign for the office of governor or other state executive offices, the direct primary campaign aroused unusual interest. Numerous candidates in both parties believed that 1956 would be the year to defeat Senator Herman Welker. After considerable pre-primary campaigning, the number of candidates seeking the Republican nomination was reduced to five and the number after the Democratic prize, to four. Opposing Welker were William Holden of Idaho Falls, Ray Davis of Pocatello, Mark Streeter of Shelley, and John Sanborn of Hagerman. It was believed by many, and without doubt by Senator Welker, that the combined efforts of Davis, Streeter, and Sanborn, and especially of the first two, would draw votes from Holden, who appeared to be the most promising winner among the newcomers.2 Many