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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Rep. Harwood won’t seek re-election

Idaho Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries (Betsy Russell)
Idaho Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries (Betsy Russell)

Six-term Idaho Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, has decided to end his 12-year legislative career after this year. "I'm not going to run," Harwood said Thursday. "My wife's family's not doing well. ... She needs me to be there." After 12 years in the Legislature, Harwood says he's most proud of his work to push back against the federal government, including his failed bill this year to kick the EPA out of Idaho. "My whole goal has been to push back from the federal government," Harwood said. "Just having someone here to try to push back and say, 'Hey, we have sovereignty as a state,' and try to keep the federal government from running over the top of us. That's been my goal." He said his only regret is that he wasn't able to do more on that score; you can read my full story here at spokesman.com.

With Harwood stepping down and Rep. Tom Trail, R-Moscow, deciding to run for Latah County commissioner instead of seeking a ninth term in the Legislature, a new North Idaho legislative district that will take in all of Latah and Benewah counties has dropped from containing three House incumbents to just one, so it now will have an open House seat. Harwood said, "I've got a gentleman that's going to run that I'm going to support," Ken Devries of St. Maries. The candidate filing period for the Idaho Legislature opens on Monday.
 



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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