The 2002 Idaho gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2002 to select the
governor of the state of
Idaho.
Dirk Kempthorne, the
Republican incumbent, defeated
Democratic nominee Jerry Brady to win a second term, but the win was not nearly as overwhelming as Kempthorne's 1998 victory. This was the first Idaho gubernatorial election since 1978 in which the winner was of the same party as the
incumbent president. This was the first time since
1962 that an incumbent Republican Governor of Idaho was re-elected.
Although Brady performed considerably better than 1998 Democratic gubernatorial nominee
Robert C. Huntley and won in
Ada County, Kempthorne won reelection with a comfortable majority.