GOP Congressman Raul Labrador filed Tuesday morning to run for governor in the 2018 election.
Idaho Secretary of State Lawerence Denney indicated that it’s no surprise Labrador filed as he has made it no secret that he has been considering it, according to the Spokesman-Review. The state official conveyed that Labrador came into the office with wife Becca and campaign treasurer Milford Terrell for what was a short 15-20 minute transaction.
Denney did say they visited briefly and that a public announcement may not come for a while as Labrador’s filing was more aimed at allowing the Congressman to “start calling people and drumming up support.”
A brief statement released to the Review about an hour after Labrador filed read:
Running for governor of the great state of Idaho takes serious preparation. To comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law, I have filed the appropriate campaign finance form required to register as a candidate for governor. I’ll be making a formal announcement in the coming weeks.
Current Idaho Gov. Butch Otter chose not to seek re-election after three terms in the seat.
Labrador is not the first Republican to file, in fact, he is the fourth according to the Review. “Lt. Gov. Brad Little, former state Sen. Russ Fulcher, and Boise developer and physician Tommy Ahlquist” are already in the race. One Democrat and three Independents have also filed to pursue the position. Troy Minton is the Democrat while Lisa Marie, Michael Richardson, and John Thomas Wiechec are the independents.
In 2014, Labrador ran against then-Whip Kevin McCarthy for Majority Leader, McCarthy being the establishment favorite and ultimate victor in that competition. Time reported that he would have been the first Hispanic, first Mormon and first Idaho Representative to take up the role. In 2013, the Washington Post reported on Labrador’s background as an immigration lawyer as the Republican emerged in the debate over immigration reform.
Labrador’s filing comes shortly after he faced backlash over comments on health care made at a town hall event.
Rep. Labrador is a member of the House Freedom Caucus. He serves on the House Committee on the Judiciary and Committee on Natural Resources. Under Judiciary, he serves as Vice Chairman for the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security and as a member of the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet. Under Natural Resources he serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations and as a member of the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.
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