NATIONAL ELECTION RETURNS : EDITION-TIME COMPILATIONS : State-by-State Election Reports of Key Races and Issues : Idaho

Republican Sen. Steve Symms, bolstered by a last-minute visit from President Reagan, jumped to a strong early lead in his bid to turn back his charging Democratic challenger Gov. John Evans.

Voter registration hit a non-presidential year record of more than 550,000, fueled by a strident 21-month campaign over the state’s controversial right-to-work law. A vigorous drive spearheaded by organized labor resulted in 560,000 voters being registered, a record for a non-presidential election.

With 58% of precincts reporting, voters favored a state lottery, 45,639 to 23,406.

With 39% of precincts reporting, Symms had 88,295 votes, or 54%, to Evans’ 75,979, or 46%.

Former Democratic Gov. Cecil Andrus was trailing in early returns to Republican Lt. Gov. David Leroy in the race to succeed Evans and regain what he called “the best political job in the whole world.”

With 45% of the precincts reporting, Leroy had 78,637 votes, or 52%, and Andrus 73,782 votes, or 48%.

In the congressional contests, incumbent first-term Democrat Richard Stallings defeated Republican Mel Richardson in conservative southern Idaho, and GOP Rep. Larry Craig rolled to an easy victory over long-shot challengers Democrat Bill Currie and independent David Shepherd.