 Jim Risch |
Probably not a lot more than what’s on the surface should be read into Idaho Lieutenant Governor Jim Risch‘s remarks to the Idaho Statesman today, that he’d be interested in running for the Senate seat held by Larry Craig, if Craig doesn’t.
Craig and Risch aren’t especially close, so – for example – this shouldn’t be read (as some might) as an indicator Craig isn’t planning to run again. Craig’s intentions remain unknown.
But a few other thoughts might be worth mention.
In 2005 Risch had in mind a run for governor, and (so we read things now) he might have made that run except that, by the time he was moving toward announcement time, the bulk of money and support had been soaked up by now-Governor Butch Otter. A fine political strategist, Risch doubtless has no intention of erring the same twice.
At the same time, Risch is doing more than expressing interest: “Should [Craig] decide not to run, there is a reasonable likelihood that Vicki and I will get into that race.” That’s just short of a conditional announcement of candidacy.
It also may suggest that any plans to run for governor in 2010 – certainly Risch enjoyed the job, and got a lot of good reviews, when he held last year – could be fading. And it certainly should quash the around-town talk (which we never took very seriously) of a Risch race against freshman Representative Bill Sali.
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