According to the Idaho MOUNTAIN EXPRESS, state Senate Minority Leader Clint Stennett, a Democrat, is weighing his options, and will declare in "a couple of months" whether he will try for his party's nomination to succeed Republican Gov. Dirk Kempthorne in 2006. 1st District Congressman C.L. "Butch" Otter, a Republican, already has announced his candidacy for governor. "It's moved from thinking about it to serious consideration," Stennett told the paper. He said he was influenced by the fact that it is an open seat, a non-presidential year and a non-senatorial year. Republicans usually dominate federal election contests in Idaho and they have held the statehouse since 1995. "It's an uphill battle," Stennett said. "It's a steep, uphill battle that is doable."

Posted by: Jonathan Singer / 11:18 AM | Basie! Home