United States Congress, District 1
C.L. “Butch” Otter
Republican
Age: 62
Personal: four grown children, two grandchildren
Education: Bachelor’s degree in political science, Albertson College of Idaho
Professional: At J.R. Simplot Co., was a member of the board of directors, director of the food products division, president of Simplot Livestock, and president of Simplot International. Retired in 1993 after 30 years with the company.
Political: Member of Congress, 2000 to present; lieutenant governor of Idaho, 1986 to 2000; Idaho House of Representatives, 1972 to 1974
Key issues: Energy: Otter favors a national energy policy aimed at greater independence, including incentives for domestic oil exploration, production and refining as well as for alternate energy and the “next generation” of nuclear reactors. Water: Wants to protect Idaho’s water against “unwarranted encroachments” by working to increase capacity to store and use water for irrigation, hydropower, residential and industrial use and recreation. Economy: Otter wants an economic climate focused on opportunity and freedom. “Too much of our time and money is taken up with unnecessary, burdensome and counterproductive government regulation,” he said.
Money raised/spent: $394,030
Top contributors: Associated Builders and Contractors PAC, $10,000; National Beer Wholesalers PAC, $7500; American Medical Association PAC, $5,000; American Crystal Sugar Co. PAC, $5,000; National Association of Realtors PAC, $5,000; Tom Addis, $2,000; Dick Bennett, $2,000.
Quote: “Idaho has a bright future and our people have a world of opportunity to look forward to, but only if we keep the government from interfering.”
Favorite book: Liberty! The American Revolution, by Thomas Fleming
First priority if elected: Pass a national energy policy that creates the framework for sustainable growth, greater security and less dependence on foreign oil.
Website: www.otter4idaho.com/
Q&A with the Associated Press
AP: Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions?
Otter: I don’t know what that means. If it means should they be recognized as if they’re married, no. It’s not illegal for them to contract quote-unquote now. But if it means they should be recognized as legally married in the traditional sense, no.
AP: Do you support increasing the federal minimum wage?
Otter: No. First off, I don’t know of anybody who pays the minimum (wage). There may be somebody out there, but I certainly haven’t found anybody. I know everybody that I hire has a figure well above the minimum wage. The marketplace is paying what the marketplace can pay. In the second place, every time we have raised the minimum wage – I remember way back in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s when they raised the minimum wage, when it went up above four bucks or something like that, there was a lot of people laid off – a lot of people lost their jobs. I just think it’s a restraint on the market.
AP: Would you support increasing the number of visas issued for foreign agricultural workers?
Otter: If they were legal and once the need was established. I think we need to set a number. One of the biggest embarrassments that I think we ought to have since 9/11 is how little effort we’ve really made in controlling immigration, illegal immigration into the United States.
Naomi Preston
Democrat
Age: 49
Personal: Divorced, no kids
Education: Bachelor’s degree in psychology, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, Denison University, Ohio, 1977
Professional: Marketing research analyst and then assistant product manager for Kellogg Company, Battle Creek, Mich., 1978-1981. Marketing executive, Ore-Ida Foods, Boise, 1981-1988. Certified horse trainer and champion endurance rider, 1988-2001. Owner, Wild West Bakery & Espresso, Eagle, Idaho, 1994 to present.
Political: First run for elective office. Served on National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board, reporting to secretaries of Agriculture and Interior advising BLM on its wild horse program.
Key issues: Health care: Wants reforms to make health care more accessible and affordable, particularly for the elderly. Says caring for her 85-year-old mother alerted her to deficiencies in the health care system. Jobs/Economy: Favors policies designed to bring good jobs to Idaho and prevent outsourcing of American jobs overseas. Preston also lists education among her top issues.
Money raised/spent: $5,000 loan from the candidate.
Top contributors: $1,000 from Larry L. Grant of Fruitland, $500 from former Gov. Cecil Andrus, and $250 from Victoria Coelho of Eagle.
Quote: “Success to me means raising awareness of issues. It’s not about me – it’s about issues.”
First priority if elected: “Work tirelessly to bring good-paying jobs to Idaho and keep the jobs that are here from being outsourced overseas. I will do this by joining the Rural Working Group in Congress to be part of a coalition of representatives working for Idaho and other rural states’ issues.”
Website: www.prestonforidaho.com
Q&A with the Associated Press
AP: Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions?
Preston: Yes, definitely. They deserve the same rights under the law if they have children or if one of them dies or if one of them is in the hospital. Right now it’s a form of discrimination, and they need to be treated equally under the law, period.
AP: Do you believe Congress met its commitment to finance the No Child Left Behind initiative, and if not, how much more should be made available by the federal government?
Preston: No. It’s not being funded, and that’s one of my issues. I don’t have a particular amount, but there’s no remedial funds available for students or schools that aren’t meeting the numbers, and this is wrong.
AP: Would you support increasing the number of visas issued for foreign agricultural workers?
Preston: Yes. We want safeguards, but I think our agricultural economy would fall apart if we didn’t have farm workers. The safeguards – that would have to be something that would have to be discussed with Homeland Security. Obviously make sure that we’re not letting terrorists into the country, but I think for the most part we don’t need to treat agricultural workers as potential terrorists. They’re the foundation of a big part of our economy.