The governor’s race: Labrador isn’t talking

If 1st Congressional District Rep. Raul Labrador is still harboring any thoughts about running for governor in 2014, he’s keeping them to himself.

In fact, he isn’t saying much about his plans.

Raul Labrador
Rep. Raul Labrador

Earlier this year, the hot political rumor had Labrador returning to Idaho for a possible run against incumbent Gov. Butch Otter. At the time, Labrador said he’d make his plans known by midyear.

As July 1 came and went, a Labrador spokesman offered this statement to the Idaho Statesman’s Dan Popkey.

“The last few months in Congress have been extremely busy, and reminded me why I love representing the First Congressional District of Idaho. We have been working on a series of immigration bills in the Judiciary Committee, I have had important bills pass out of the Natural Resources Committee and we are having a productive conversation about our nation’s energy policy and fiscal future on the House floor. It’s an exciting time to be in Washington, D.C. Regarding my future in politics, I recently returned from the state convention, where I was asked about my plans by a lot of my friends and supporters, and I will tell you the same thing I told them — I’m still considering all of the options that are available to me, but my focus right now is being the most effective representative that I can be for my constituents. I hope to announce a decision within the next couple of months.”

Otter has said he plans to seek a third term, but has made no formal announcement.

No Democrat has announced plans to run for governor, or for Labrador’s congressional seat.

Kevin Richert

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevinRichert. He can be reached at [email protected]

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