Jennifer Miles defeated incumbent Republican Rep. Tanya Burgoyne in Tuesday’s primary for District 29 House Seat B, ending Burgoyne’s legislative career after a single term in a Pocatello-anchored district that has flipped between the parties in recent cycles.

Miles took 1,814 votes, or 51 percent, against Burgoyne’s 1,774 votes, or 49 percent — a 40-vote margin in a primary that swung lead through much of the night.

A district on the swing

District 29 covers most of Pocatello and part of Chubbuck and represents about 53,200 people, according to census figures. Burgoyne won the seat in 2024 by defeating then-incumbent Democratic Rep. Nate Roberts, who first won the district in 2022. With Miles now the Republican nominee, she will face Roberts again in the November general election — the third consecutive cycle in which the seat has been actively contested.

Miles thanked supporters after the result and said she felt confident she could represent Pocatello in Boise. Burgoyne had not commented publicly as of late Tuesday.

What the result means

Freshman ouster in a primary is uncommon in Idaho’s legislative races, which more often favor incumbents. The District 29 result is one of several primaries this cycle in which longtime presumptions about incumbent safety did not hold. The general election in November is expected to be close.