State Sen. Mike Jorgenson this morning called on fellow Republican legislator Raul Labrador to withdraw from the 1st Congressional District race. Today, Labrador is planning to formally announce his candidacy against Vaughn Ward in next spring’s primary election. “Raul Labrador is an immigration attorney and admits to defending illegal immigrants in his law practice,” Jorgenson said in a press release. “He has been on retainer as an immigration attorney to the Idaho industries that support a ‘free flow of labor across America’s sovereign borders’ while at the same time serving as an Idaho state representative/ Coeur d’Alene Press . More here .

• Labrador announces candidacy in Boise today /Eye On Boise
• Item: Labrador will announce candidacy at resort at 4:30 p.m. (See announcement from last week in drop-down box)

Question: Anyone want to speculate why Jorgenson is making such an unusual attack on Labrador’s candidacy for the 1st Congressional District? (BTW, Betsy Russell is working on this story)

Labrador Makes Run for Congress Official

Files Paperwork with FEC

(EAGLE, ID) Signaling his intention to seek the Republican nomination for Congress in Idaho’s First Congressional District, State Representative Raul Labrador will make an official announcement on December 7 in Boise at 10:30 a.m. at the Idaho State Legislature Annex on Jefferson Street and later the same day in Coeur d’Alene at 4:30 p.m. (PST) at the Coeur d’ Alene Resort.

Labrador, recognized as a leading conservative voice in the Idaho Legislature, has officially filed the necessary paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission to run for Congress. He has assembled a campaign committee and has begun fundraising.

“After a lot of thought and discussion with my wife, family, and conservative leaders throughout Idaho, I’ve decided to seek the Republican nomination for Congress in ID-01 and restore this seat to a proven Idaho conservative,” said Labrador.

“If one thing has become clear over the last 11 months, it’s that Democrat control of both the White House and Congress is not only bad for Idaho, it’s bad for America and our economy. Walt Minnick represents a vote for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker and the terribly ruinous policies she and other Democrats are pushing on America.”

“More than ever, we need strong conservative leadership standing up for Idaho in Congress,” Labrador continued. “We need leadership that is committed to strengthening Idaho’s economy, supporting policies that grow our local businesses, and reducing the size and cost of the federal government. That is what I have consistently fought for as a member of the Idaho House of Representatives, and that is what I will fight for as the next member of Congress in Idaho’s First Congressional District.”

First elected in 2006 with 65 percent of the vote and reelected in 2008 with 69 percent of the vote, Raul Labrador currently represents District 14B in the Idaho House of Representatives. Labrador and his wife Rebecca live with their five children in Eagle.