John Evans (Idaho politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Evans
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| 27th Governor of Idaho | |
| In office January 23, 1977 – January 4, 1987 |
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| Lieutenant | William Murphy Phil Batt David Leroy |
| Preceded by | Cecil Andrus |
| Succeeded by | Cecil Andrus |
| 33rd Lieutenant Governor of Idaho | |
| In office January 6, 1975 – January 23, 1977 |
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| Governor | Cecil Andrus |
| Preceded by | Jack Murphy |
| Succeeded by | William Murphy |
| Member of the Idaho Senate | |
| In office 1953–1959 1969-1975 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Victor Evans
January 18, 1925 Malad City, Idaho, U.S. |
| Died | July 8, 2014 (aged 89) Boise, Idaho, U.S. |
| Resting place | Malad City Cemetery Malad City, Idaho, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Lola Daniels
(m. 1945) |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | Stanford University (BA) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Unit | Infantry |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
John Victor Evans Sr. (born January 18, 1925 – died July 8, 2014) was an American politician from Idaho. He was a member of the Democratic Party. He served as Idaho's 27th governor for ten years, from 1977 to 1987.
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Early Life and Education
John Evans was born in Malad, Idaho. During World War II, he served as an infantry soldier in the U.S. Army. After the war, he went to Stanford University and graduated in 1951.
John and his wife, Lola Daniels Evans (1927–2015), were married for more than 69 years. They had five children together: three sons and two daughters.
Political Career in Idaho
After college, Evans returned to Malad to help manage his family's wheat and cattle ranch. He started his political career at a young age.
Serving in the State Senate
In 1952, at age 27, Evans was elected to the state senate. He was re-elected in 1954 and 1956. During his last term, he served as the majority leader, helping to guide important decisions.
From 1960 to 1966, Evans served as the mayor of Malad City. He returned to the state senate in 1969. From 1969 to 1975, he was the minority leader.
Becoming Governor of Idaho
In 1974, Evans was elected lieutenant governor. He became governor in January 1977. This happened when the previous governor, Cecil Andrus, left to become the Secretary of the Interior in President Carter's government.
Evans finished Andrus's term. Then, he was elected governor on his own in 1978. He won against Republican house speaker Allan Larsen. As of 2023, Evans is the only person from the Mormon faith to have been elected governor in Idaho.
Evans was re-elected in 1982. He won a very close race against Republican lieutenant governor Phil Batt.
After the Governorship
After serving almost ten years as governor, Evans ran for the U.S. Senate in 1986. However, he was defeated by the Republican senator Steve Symms.
After Evans, Cecil Andrus became governor again. He served two more terms. This meant that Democrats held the governor's office in Idaho for six elections in a row, from 1971 to 1995.
During his time as governor in 1981, his son John was involved in an incident that was safely resolved.
Later Life and Legacy
In January 1987, Evans became the president of the family-owned D. L. Evans Bank in Burley. This bank was started in 1904 by his grandfather.
John Evans passed away at age 89 in 2014 at his home in Boise. Less than a year later, his wife Lola also passed away in 2015. They are buried together in the Malad City Cemetery.
