Idaho Rep. Walt Minnick gets big-business backing

Some top Idaho companies have switched to the Democrat. Labrador blames an incumbent's advantage.

BY DAN POPKEY - dpopkey@idahostatesman.com

Copyright: © 2010 Idaho Statesman

Republicans have tried to nationalize the race, saying a vote for Minnick is a vote for Democrats retaining control and keeping Pelosi in power.

But starting with a campaign contribution from Qwest's political action committee just 10 days after he upset GOP Rep. Bill Sali in 2008, Minnick has gathered support from iconic Idaho businesses. Among those abandoning the GOP for Minnick are Idaho Power, Micron and Simplot.

"Walt Minnick has been a good congressman for Idaho," said Jim Schmit, Qwest's Idaho vice president and a former chairman of the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry.

On Sunday in McCall, Schmit co-hosted a Minnick fundraiser immediately before the annual conference of IACI, a 300-member group that is Idaho's most powerful business lobby.

IACI doesn't endorse candidates for federal office and didn't participate in the fundraiser. But IACI President Alex LaBeau thanked Minnick for his talk to IACI, which opened a three-day conference that attracted five statewide GOP elected officials and 45 legislators.

"Idaho is well-represented," LaBeau said of Minnick.

Other co-hosts at Sunday's fundraiser included IACI's new chairman, Mark Benson of Potlatch, and two IACI board members: Tim Olson of Regence Blue Shield and Mark Dunn of Simplot.

Minnick's speech to IACI focused on cutting the national debt, a topic welcomed by the business leaders. "His positions are probably the most deficit-hawkish in Congress, and the people who are paying the bills appreciate that," Dunn said.

IACI has clashed with Minnick's opponent in November, state Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Eagle, over Labrador's opposition to fuel-tax increases and full repeal of personal property taxes. Labrador supports personal property tax repeal, which would chiefly benefit large companies, but says across-the-board income-tax cuts should come first.

Labrador said he is undaunted by big business support for Minnick.

"On the two biggest legislative issues in the last two years for IACI, apparently they didn't like my proposals," Labrador said. "Sometimes these groups, especially their lobbyists, want somebody they can influence. And they know that I'm only beholden to the people of Idaho."

Labrador said Minnick benefits from an incumbent advantage. "Business groups are going to make decisions based on who has the influence right now. And the Democrats have the influence and Minnick is in the majority. It's disappointing, but it's not surprising."

Minnick, a former CEO, said his votes against health care reform, stimulus and cap-and-trade have earned him industry backing.

"I am the incumbent, but I was a businessman for 35 years," he said. "I've only been a congressman for less than a year and a half. Many businesspeople don't relate to House Democratic leadership, but I've been willing to break with leadership when I've thought the interests of Idahoans, or the next generation, or my own values suggested that leadership was wrong."

Minnick has boosted prospects for re-election that were once considered dire by Capitol Hill insiders.

Among them is Tim Sahd, who edits the "House Race Hotline" for National Journal. In April 2009, Sahd ranked Minnick as the second-most endangered incumbent on his list of 30. As Minnick built a fiscally conservative record, Sahd steadily dropped his ranking, to No. 8, No. 14 and No. 21, before finally removing him from the list in April.

"Minnick has just been able to develop a very good profile for a Western style of Democrat in a very short period of time," Sahd said.

But Labrador has a big structural advantage: Idaho's 1st District is the nation's third-most heavily Republican district held by a Democrat.

To seize that opportunity, Labrador needs to get competitive in the money race, Sahd said. Minnick had $1 million in cash as of March 31, while Labrador had raised only about $100,000.

Labrador spent three days in Washington, D.C., last week, working to build his general election campaign after his upset of Vaughn Ward in the primary. Outspent 6-to-1, Labrador beat Ward by 9 points.

Labrador concedes that Minnick's money from big business hurts, but he said he doesn't need financial parity. "I don't think I can be outspent 6-to-1, but I can be outspent by large amounts, and we will still win the general election."

Dan Popkey: 377-6438