Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho faced conservative attorney Bryan Smith on the ballot in 2014 and smoked him by more than 20 percentage points. Many thought this time could be different.

It wasn’t.

Simpson, who is seeking his 13th term in office, easily defeated Smith and a handful of other GOP primary challengers Tuesday.

Some thought Simpson would be vulnerable in a primary. He had inflamed some hard-line conservatives because he supported an investigation into the origins of the Jan. 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters. He also called Trump “unfit to be president” back in 2016.

Another major issue was Simpson’s advocacy for breaching dams along the Snake River to help protect salmon, which Smith and others argued would devastate farmers and ranchers.

But much like the far-right opposition to state Gov. Brad Little, the challenge fell short at the ballot.