Asked for its response to Keith Allred filing initial paperwork today to challenge Gov. Butch Otter in 2010, Otter's re-election campaign issued the following statement:

"With the Legislature convening in about a month, the Governor is working on finalizing his state budget and preparing his State of the State address.  He is focused on his efforts to energize the state economy by creating more career-path jobs for Idahoans, right-sizing state government so its more efficient and responsive to the people and protecting our state sovereignty from an ever-expanding federal government.  He is not focused on who the Democrats may or may not get to run against him next year."