Congress, 1St District Benjamin, Brown, Mansfield, Mcmurray, Otter, Pratt, Shepherd, Summa

North Idaho’s seat in Congress is up for grabs, thanks to the retirement of Rep. Helen Chenoweth-Hage.

And since the outgoing incumbent successfully staked her claim at the right end of the political spectrum, her would-be Republican successors figure that if they can win the primary, they’ll have a strong chance of taking the seat in next fall’s general election.

That’s why eight hopefuls have crowded into the field - nearly all of whom are trying mightily to show they’re just as conservative and Christian as the controversial incumbent.

J.A. “Big Jim” Pratt, one of the lesser-known members of the pack, calls the campaign so far “a right-wing beauty contest.”“Everyone’s after Helen Chenoweth’s supporters right now. They talk about family values and the Second Amendment,” on the right to bear arms. “I say, `Can we get beyond that and talk about some real issues?”’

Candidate Dennis Mansfield said, “It was Richard Nixon who said run to the right for the nomination, run to the center for the general election. But in Idaho, it’s a benefit to run to the right for both.”

Among the issues that have dominated the campaign so far are term limits and abortion. Only Mansfield agreed to sign a term limits pledge, while the others suggested Idaho would be hurt if its representatives have limits while other states’ don’t. All the candidates oppose abortion on principle, but C.L. “Butch” Otter favors leaving the decision to the individual, rather than the government.

In interviews, all but one of the candidates detailed their views on several of the top North Idaho issues they’ll have to deal with in Congress - U.S. Highway 95 funding, dams and salmon, tribal gaming. For comparison, we’ve listed their positions in the accompanying chart.

But one candidate’s views on those and other issues remain a mystery. Lewiston resident David Shepherd, who has run for office five times in three different parties, placed his name on the ballot this year, but then never surfaced again. He has no phone, and letters written to his official address went unanswered.

With so many bodies in the race, several groups canceled debates this spring because they couldn’t accommodate the large number of candidates.

Idaho Public Television, the League of Women Voters and the Idaho Press Club tried a different tack. In accordance with a U.S. Supreme Court decision that gave TV stations editorial discretion over which candidates they include, the groups decided to limit their statewide, televised debate to candidates who are actively campaigning throughout the district. They came up with a list of criteria, and asked all the candidates to submit proof that they met them. Four - Otter, Mansfield, Ron McMurray and Craig Benjamin - made the cut. Idaho Public Television offered the others - Pratt, Harley D. Brown, Gene Summa and Shepherd - free air time to give their messages separately to the voters.

Otter, who as Idaho’s lieutenant governor for the past 14 years is the best-known of the group, has far outstripped the other candidates in fundraising. He’s pulled in more than a quarter-million dollars. Among his top donors are PACs representing car dealers, beer wholesalers, Willamette Industries Inc. and Union Pacific Railroad.

McMurray has raised more than $165,000, including more than $52,000 in donations from individuals, and loans of more than $112,000. Many of his donors are from north-central or North Idaho, including Nick Chenoweth of Orofino, Frank Bennett of Moscow and Tom Addis of Coeur d’Alene, who each gave $1,000. Mansfield has raised more than $114,000, all from individuals.

Among those giving him $1,000 each were Coeur d’Alene residents Roland Almgren, Don Morris and Randy Oetken. Benjamin has raised more than $9,000, with the biggest chunks so far coming from relatives, a Boise couple and an Eagle homemaker.

Nearly all the paid advertising that’s emerged in the campaign has come either from Otter, or independent groups supporting Mansfield and criticizing Otter. Two out-of-state organizations ran expensive television ads either backing Mansfield or attacking Otter on moral issues.

Benjamin has focused his campaign on his Internet site, using thousands of business cards handed out across the state to steer potential voters to it. Otter and McMurray, a former state Republican chairman, have run more traditional campaigns. Mansfield, co-founder with Chenoweth-Hage of the conservative Christian group Idaho Family Forum, has encouraged supporters throughout the district to run for the Legislature and local offices, giving his backers an additional reason to get to the polls.

Summa’s hand-lettered signs are ubiquitous in Boise, and Brown has worn his motorcycle leathers to candidate forums and told the story of how God inspired him to run for office as a warm-up to a presidential bid.

The winner who emerges from the GOP pack will face Democrat Linda Pall, Libertarian Ronald Wittig and Reform Party candidate Kevin Hambsch in November.

This sidebar appeared with the story: The candidates

Here are the eight candidates in the GOP primary for Congress, and their reason for running:

Craig Benjamin, 47, Moscow, mechanical engineer, Church of Christ minister, Republican activist: “We all want to do things with our life that serve a purpose. We need a different kind of leadership, and I can provide that.”

Harley D. Brown, 45, Boise, demolition man, biker, former engineer and Navy veteran: “This is like a forced recon, get back into Washington, find out who the good guys are, who the bad guys are,” Brown said. He believes God has called him to eventually serve as president of the United States. Election to Congress, he said, “would be like a first-hand recon of the inner Beltway.”

Dennis Mansfield, 44, Boise, founder of the Idaho Family Forum and lobbyist for anti-abortion laws: “We must have a solid conservative continue the fight for freedom that Congressman Chenoweth-Hage began. I am that candidate and I will be that type of congressman.”

Ron McMurray, 59, Lewiston, former head of the Port of Lewiston and former state Republican chairman: “My campaign and my work in Congress will be about issues, helping solve problems and getting the government out of our pockets and off our backs. I will never embarrass you by unethical behavior or failing to talk openly and honestly.”

C.L. “Butch” Otter, 58, Star, lieutenant governor and former head of international business for Simplot Corp.: “If we had businessmen with state government experience in Congress, then we wouldn’t have the usurpation of states’ rights that we’ve seen. With me on the team, we’ll continue to have one of the strongest delegations in the United States Congress.”

J.A. “Big Jim” Pratt, 41, Melba, farm owner and landlord: “There’s a significant block of voters that don’t fall into the categories of the four main candidates,” on issues from dam-breaching to membership in the World Trade Organization. “That’s one reason why I ran.”

David Shepherd, a Lewiston resident who has placed his name on the Idaho ballot repeatedly, but is not campaigning. Shepherd has no phone, and mail sent to the official address he used in filing his candidacy was returned as undeliverable.

Gene Summa, 43, Boise, forklift operator and former small-business owner: “The federal government is out of control. We see the attack on Waco, we see Ruby Ridge, Elian Gonzalez. We see executive orders now creating national monuments. Are Americans going to stand up and quit being shoved around by the federal government?”