Bieter was initially regarded as the strongly favored candidate, as he was seeking a fourth term and had won by a three-to-one margin in the 2011 election.[2] Sven Berg, writing for the Idaho Statesman, wrote in September 2015 that "There might be a current of dissatisfaction with Bieter running through parts of Boise, but come election time, it hasn’t yet showed up in the votes. Beating him will take a lot of work."[2]
