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Motorcycle-loving candidate finishes third in gubernatorial race

Idaho voters on Tuesday night revealed that they weren't looking to elect the "proverbial turd in the punch bowl," as candidate Harley Brown described himself.
Harley Brown
Idaho Gov. candidate Harley Brown poses for a photo while awaiting vote counts during the Idaho GOP Primary election night event at the Riverside Hotel in Boise, Idaho, May 20, 2014.

Last Thursday, Hardball checked in with Idaho gubernatorial hopeful Harley Brown, the motorcycle-loving Republican who was hoping to represent the GOP in this fall's election.

Brown’s effort to unseat incumbent Gov. Butch Otter was based on a commitment to “political incorrectness” and being the “candid candidate.” During the state's May 14 debate, Brown took the opportunity to appeal to the voters across Idaho by characterizing himself as the “proverbial turd in the punch bowl.”

Unfortunately for Brown, Idaho primary voters on Tuesday night revealed that they weren't looking to elect the “turd.” Brown awaited results with fellow gubernatorial candidates at The Riverside Hotel in Boise during the Idaho Republican Party Primary Night Celebration--but Otter walked away with the primary win, with 51.3% of the vote. Idaho State Sen. Russ Fulcher followed in second with 43.6% of the vote.

So where did our beloved biker fall in the rankings? Harley Brown motored into third place with approximately 5,000 votes--that's 3.2% of the total votes cast in the primary.

This is not Brown's first campaign. He ran for Idaho's 1st congressional district twice, in 2000 and then in 2010, and for mayor of Boise in 2001. But it doesn't look like Idaho voters are ready to see the Harley Davidson-enthusiast in politics quite yet.

The Idaho gubernatorial election will take place this November between Otter and Democratic candidate A.J. Balukoff.