A national polling agency weighed in on the Idaho gubernatorial race Tuesday and things are looking up for Gov. Butch Otter.  Rasmussen Reports, one of the major political polling agencies in the United States, said that the race between Republican Otter and Democratic challenger Keith Allred is rated as "Solid GOP."

The most recent polling figures for the Idaho contest, released July 21, showed Otter ahead by 17 points, down from the 22-point lead he  enjoyed in May.  The Allred campaign celebrated Otter's poll slip, saying that the more people discover the Democrat in the race, the more people will have Allred over Otter. “We’ve gained momentum on Otter,” said Shea Andersen, Allred’s spokesman.  “The direction is clear."  The Otter campaign seemed comfortable with July's polling data.  "Polls are snapshots in time, so we’re glad that we’re still on top,” said Debbie Field, Otter’s campaign chief, in an earlier interview with IdahoReporter.com.  Neither campaign has commented on Rasmussen's rating of the race.

Some other western states, including Utah and Wyoming, were rated alongside Idaho in the "solid" column.   Utah's governor, Gary Herbert, is already a Republican, but Wyoming could turn redder as its chief executive, Democrat Dave Freudenthal, leaves office, even though neither Republican nor Democrat voters in that state have chosen their preferred candidate.  Wyoming's primary elections are set for next Tuesday.

Another state close to Idaho, Oregon, is rated as a "Toss-Up" by Rasmussen.  The Republican in the contest, Chris Dudley, is leading Democrat John Kitzhaber according to Rasmussen's latest polling data in the state.  The two men have stayed within a few points of one another in the last few months.   The sitting governor, Democrat Ted Kulongoski, is not in the race because he has served two terms, the maximum amount allowed by Oregon state law.