Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID) says he’s made no decision on a run for governor in 2018. The former state lawmaker is in his third term in Congress and says his immediate focus will be on winning re-election to the House this year, but that he’ll “have to take some serious consideration” to a potential gubernatorial bid after that.
Labrador’s profile as one of the House’s most conservative members has grown recently. He’s sponsored criminal justice reform legislation that’s received bi-partisan support, and was a key player for the Tea Party wing of the GOP in the selection of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) as Speaker of the House last fall.
“I seem to be right in the middle of all the important issues that are happening in Washington D.C.,” Labrador says. “If you think about everything that’s happening in Washington – from the change of leadership to immigration reform, to criminal justice reform – all the things that people are talking about, I’m right in the middle of those things.”
Labrador says his role in Washington will be a factor as he mulls a bid for governor.
In an interview with KBSX, Labrador also weighed in on the 2016 race for president. He had endorsed Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who dropped his bid after a poor showing in the Iowa caucuses.
“I have been wrong about everything in this presidential race so far,” Labrador says. “It’s just a really different year. I don’t know why Rand Paul couldn’t attract the attention. I do think he was very soft-spoken and this doesn’t seem to be a year for a soft-spoken politician.”
On Wednesday, campaign for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) announced Labrador's endorsement.
One of those clearly not in the running for the Congressman's support was Donald Trump. Labrador is annoyed with the success of Trump’s bombastic bid for the GOP nomination.
“I never expected him to last as long as he did,” Labrador says. “But people are so frustrated…they’re looking for outsiders. And I think Trump is making people believe he’s an outsider even though he’s been the ultimate insider his entire life. He’s been buying access to politicians, he’s been playing both sides of the coin with both Republican and Democratic politicians, and he’s been on both sides of every issue.”
Labrador says he’s surprised that many Republican voters seem to be ignoring Trump’s political past.
“Some of the people that get mad at me because they disagree with one of my votes…and they yell at me in town hall meetings – they love Donald Trump,” he says.
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