Phil Batt


Philip Eugene Batt is an American author and former politician who served as the 29th Governor of Idaho, from 1995 to 1999. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Early years

Born in Wilder, Idaho, Batt was the fifth and youngest child of John and Elizabeth Karn Batt.

Career

Batt served sixteen months in Colorado at Lowry Field near Denver as a clerk, discharging veterans before being discharged himself. He then returned to the University of Idaho and studied chemical engineering, lived in the dorms, and led a dance band, playing clarinet and tenor saxophone.
A year later on January 9, 1948 in Potlatch, Idaho, he eloped with Jacque Fallis of Spokane, a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority. The newlyweds had to leave school a month later when Batt's 66-year-old father was involved in a serious automobile accident which left him with limited strength and speech. Though the young Batts initially hoped to return to college, economic circumstances changed their plans and they reluctantly did not.

State Offices

Before becoming governor, Batt had been a Republican politician in Idaho for thirty years, serving in the state legislature, and as the 35th lieutenant governor from 1979 to 1983. He ran for governor in 1982 and was defeated in a close race by the Democratic incumbent, John Evans. The election was so close that at least one television network declared Batt the winner on Election Night.
Batt returned to the state senate with victories in 1984 and 1986, then resigned in the spring of 1988 to sit on the three-member state transportation board, appointed by Governor Andrus.

Idaho Republican Party Chair

Batt was elected chairman of the Idaho Republican Party in January 1991, and after a successful two years, he stepped aside in April 1993 to re-enter electoral politics in 1994. Batt had previously ran for the post in 1968 and lost to Roland Wilber, 127 to 218.

Governor

Batt won the Republican gubernatorial primary in 1994 with 48% of the vote, and defeated state attorney general Larry EchoHawk in the general election 52% to 44%, for the first GOP victory for governor in 28 years. Despite high popularity, he chose to serve only one term, citing his age, and left office at age 71. Succeeding Batt, Kempthorne won two terms, Butch Otter three terms, and Brad Little one term, giving the Republicans seven consecutive wins through 2018. Among Batt's more notable accomplishments as governor was pushing through worker's compensation for agricultural workers and negotiating a pact limiting nuclear waste storage in Idaho.
YearDemocratVotesPctRepublicanVotesPct3rd PartyPartyVotesPct
1982John Evans 165,36550.6%Phil Batt161,15749.4%-----
1994Larry Echo Hawk191,36245.2%Phil Batt216,12351.1%Ronald RankinIndependent15,7933.7%

Batt was a Presidential Elector for 2000 United States presidential election for George W. Bush in Idaho.

Legacy

Batt has self-published two books since leaving office, a memoir titled The Compleat Phil Batt: A Kaleidoscope in 1999, and a compilation of humorous stories, Life as a Geezer, in 2003. Batt, who has a gay grandson who lives out of state, supports Add The Words.