Phil Batt

Phil Batt
29th Governor of IdahoIn office
January 2, 1995 – January 8, 1999 Lieutenant C. L. "Butch" OtterPreceded by Cecil D. AndrusSucceeded by Dirk Kempthorne35th Lieutenant Governor of IdahoIn office
January 1, 1979 – January 3, 1983Governor John V. EvansPreceded by William J. MurphySucceeded by David H. LeroyBorn March 4, 1927(1927-03-04) (age 81)
Wilder, IdahoPolitical party RepublicanSpouse Jacque Fallis Batt Residence WilderProfession Farmer, PoliticianReligion Baptist

Philip Eugene Batt (born March 4, 1927 in Wilder, Idaho) was the Governor of Idaho from 1995-99.

Batt was an onion and hops farmer from Wilder. Before becoming governor, he had been a Republican politician in Idaho for 30 years, serving in the state legislature (house 1965-67, senate 1967-79) and as the lieutenant governor from 1979-83. He ran for governor in 1982 and was defeated in a close race by the Democratic incumbent, John V. Evans. Future U.S. Senator and Governor Dirk Kempthorne served as his campaign manager.

After rebuilding the Idaho Republican Party into near-total dominance as party chairman in the early 1990s, Batt re-entered electoral politics. In 1994, Batt won the Republican gubernatorial primary with 48% of the vote, and defeated the Democratic candidate, attorney general Larry EchoHawk in the general election 52% to 44%. Despite polls putting his popularity at around 80%, he chose to serve only one term.

Among Batt's more notable accomplishments as governor were pushing through worker's compensation for agricultural workers and negotiating a pact limiting nuclear waste storage in Idaho. During his term, Idaho's cabinet had a higher percentage of women than any other state.

He 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 2002.