Ridenbaugh Press/Northwest

Raul Labrador

Was the last post a little premature? Maybe, or maybe not . . .

Within a couple of hours after state Representative Ken Roberts said he was out of the Idaho 1st District Republican congressional race, another Republican state Representative, Raul Labrador, said he plans to enter.

According to a just-out Idaho Statesman piece: “Labrador said he expects to make a formal campaign announcement in the next week or so. The two-term lawmaker acknowledged his late start and newcomer Vaughn Ward’s big cash advantage in the race to face Democrat Walt Minnick. ‘Yeah, I think this is a monumental undertaking, but I think there is enough enthusiasm out there among Idaho conservatives that we’re going to be able to match and beat him (Ward) in fund-raising and, more importantly, in energy,’ Labrador said.”

Won’t be easy at this point. It’s not as if Ward is running or could be positioned as a moderate in this race, and it’s hard to see what advantages Labrador, starting quite a few months later than Roberts, would bring that his fellow legislator did not. “Monumental” is a reasonable adjective.