Phil Batt

Infobox Governor


name= Phil Batt
caption=
order=29^th
office= Governor of Idaho
term_start=January 2, 1995
term_end=January 8, 1999
lieutenant=C. L. "Butch" Otter
predecessor=Cecil D. Andrus
successor=Dirk Kempthorne
order2 = 35th
office2 = Lieutenant Governor of Idaho
governor2 = John V. Evans
term_start2 = January 1, 1979
term_end2 = January 3, 1983
predecessor2 = William J. Murphy
successor2 = David H. Leroy
birth_date=birth date and age|1927|3|4
birth_place=Wilder, Idaho
death_date=
death_place=
spouse= Jacque Fallis Batt
profession=Farmer, Politician
residence=Wilder
party= Republican
religion=Baptist
footnotes=

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.