Demos Target Chenoweth, Craig Seats

Republican U.S. Sen. Larry Craig and U.S. Rep. Helen Chenoweth will face vigorous opposition when they run for re-election in 1996, Idaho Democratic Chairman Bill Mauk predicts.

But U.S. Rep. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, may not have any Democratic challengers, he said.”I don’t think that’s the worst of all situations if that’s the case,” Mauk said Wednesday.

Crapo, who is serving his second term in Congress from the 2nd District, faced Democrat Penny Fletcher in 1994. Crapo won 75 percent of the vote.

This time, Democrats may concede the seat to Crapo while working to help elect Boise businessman Walter Minnick to the Senate and Boise attorney Dan Williams to the House.

“If we concentrate on those two (candidates), I wouldn’t feel too badly about not marshaling a candidate against Crapo,” Mauk said.

Mauk denounced Craig as a “career politician” and claimed he can be defeated. “I think (after) 16 years in Congress, we have yet to see Larry Craig do anything of major significance on behalf of the people of Idaho,” Mauk said.

“I think the time is ripe for a non-traditional candidate who is not a professional politician who is a proven success in business and has conservative economic views,” he said.

Minnick already is receiving accolades from Idaho Democrats.

“He is a successful businessman in the forest products industry. He isn’t a bureaucrat, and Craig has been at the public trough for 20 years,” said former state Sen. Ron Beitelspacher, D-Grangeville.