Batt Endorses Otter To Succeed Chenoweth

Former Gov. Phil Batt waded into the eight-way Republican primary race for Congress Thursday, endorsing Lt. Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter.

The move by Batt - a former state GOP chairman - underscored the unpredictability of a contest among so many, in what typically is a low-turnout spring election.

“I believe the primary race may be a tougher race than the general race, and consequently I thought I should get on in the primary,” Batt said.

Others vying for the seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Helen Chenoweth-Hage include Lewiston’s Ron McMurray, who also is a former state Republican chairman; Idaho Family Forum founder and anti-abortion activist Dennis Mansfield; Moscow Republican activist Craig Benjamin; and four others.

On the Democratic side, attorney Linda Pall of Moscow is the only candidate.

Otter, who has won four statewide elections for his current post in the past 15 years, is by far the best-known of the GOP candidates. But Boise State University political scientist Jim Weathberby noted, “Strange things have happened in the First District over the years. There have been upsets.”

Chenoweth-Hage’s first win, back in the Republican primary of 1994, was among them. A longtime party worker and lobbyist, Chenoweth-Hage ran in a four-way race against former Lt. Gov. David Leroy, McMurray and North Idaho activist Sonny Kinsey. At the time, Leroy was widely thought to be the clear front-runner.

But Chenoweth-Hage turned that conventional wisdom on its ear, roaring in from the right and taking 48 percent of the vote, leaving the other three candidates to divide up the rest. She then beat Democratic Rep. Larry LaRocco in the general election, and has held the seat since.

That year, 33.3 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in the primary - a figure that’s fairly high for Idaho primaries. Since then, Idaho’s primary turnout numbers have dropped, and only 27 percent voted in the 1998 primary.

Mansfield has been positioning himself as heir to Chenoweth’s support from the right end of the political spectrum, which could prove key in a Republican primary. In both parties, primary voters tend to be less moderate than those who turn out in the general election, Weatherby said.

Otter’s endorsement from Batt, who also became the honorary chairman of the Otter campaign, may well be an attempt to counteract TV ads being aired in North and southwestern Idaho by term limits advocates that imply Chenoweth-Hage has endorsed Mansfield.

Chenoweth-Hage has insisted for two weeks that she is not endorsing any primary candidate. But she has not objected to the ad, which essentially tells viewers that if they liked Helen Chenoweth-Hage, they will love Dennis Mansfield.

The ad is being paid for by Americans for Limited Terms, which reportedly intends to spend $180,000 this spring on Mansfield’s behalf. Mansfield has adopted the same self-imposed three-term limit that Chenoweth-Hage did in 1994. Otter and McMurray have rejected the concept, and even Chenoweth-Hage now says three terms is too short to do the job constituents deserve.

Batt cited a number of other reasons for endorsing Otter on Thursday, including the two men’s long friendship, Otter’s long legislative experience both presiding over the state Senate and serving as a state lawmaker, his international business experience working for the J.R. Simplot Co. and his likability.

“There are others in the race who I also admire,” Batt added, specifically mentioning only McMurray. But he said he thinks Otter “stands out among the candidates.”

McMurray called the endorsement a sign “that this is a tight race” between Otter and himself.

“This election is not about who you know, or who endorses you, it is about what you know,” he said.

Batt made no mention of Mans field or the other candidates in the field, who also include Boise forklift operator Gene Summa, Melba resident A. “Big Jim” Pratt, Boisean Harley Brown and perennial candidate David Shepherd of Lewiston.

Weatherby said the lesser-known candidates have little chance of winning, but with so many of them in the race, “It could add up to something if it is a close race.”

If the well-known Otter wins, he would be virtually assured of victory in November, Weatherby said. But a weaker candidate would face a lively challenge from Pall.

Said Batt, “I think it’s important that Butch receive the nomination.”