Republicans and Democrats split the four contested Southeast Idaho legislative races in Tuesday's election. 

In Idaho Legislative District 28, which includes Power County, Franklin County and parts of Bannock County, rancher and incumbent state Sen. Jim Guthrie, R-McCammon, outlasted a challenge from independent candidate Mike Saville, a businessman also from McCammon.

In Bannock County, Guthrie secured 6,265 votes compared to Saville’s 2,669, while in Power County, Guthrie had 1,526 votes to Saville’s 410, and in Franklin County, Guthrie received 3,645 votes to Saville’s 534.

“I’m just humbled by the continued support of Southeast Idaho voters,” Guthrie said. “Hopefully with this new district that includes Franklin County I can continue to represent the folks in Southeast Idaho in a fashion that’s conducive to what they’d like to see and also what’s helpful to the state as a whole.”

Guthrie continued, “People in general are just frustrated more with the national issues and I think that got people out — the economy, gas prices, the war and coming out of the pandemic. I think people are just anxious right now. I think that now more than ever the government is going to be held accountable and there’s going to be an increased level of expectations to try to pass some of these challenges that we’ve been facing the last few years.”

In Idaho Legislative District 29, which includes Pocatello, some of Chubbuck and an area south of the Gate City, Pocatello Republican David T. Worley, an infantry officer in the Army National Guard, was defeated in his state Senate bid by Democratic state Rep. James D. Ruchti, a Pocatello West Point graduate who served in the U.S. Army as a military intelligence officer.

Worley secured 6,678 votes to Ruchti’s 7,863.

Incumbent Republican Dustin Whitney Manwaring, a Pocatello attorney, was victorious against a challenge from human rights and child welfare attorney Mary Shea, D-Pocatello, for District 29's State Representative Seat A.

Manwaring secured 7,575 votes compared to Shea’s 6,931.

In the bid for State Representative Seat B in District 29, Pocatello Republican Jake Stevens — an Idaho State University graduate, U.S. Army chief warrant officer and Bayer IT professional — was defeated by local electrician and union member Nate Roberts, D-Pocatello.

Stevens secured 7,209 votes to Roberts’ 7,321.