Rep. Stephen Hartgen, R-Twin Falls, offers this summary of House GOP leadership races on his Facebook page: "For speaker, Scott Bedke is running against Lawerence Denney. For majority leader, Rich Wills is running against Mike Moyle. For assistant majority leader, there are three candidates: Brent Crane, Lynn Luker and Jeff Thompson, and for House majority caucus chair, three candidates, myself, Christy Perry and John Vander Woude."

Writes Hartgen, "As a veteran legislator now into my third term, I'm honored to represent District 24, Twin Falls. I hope to bring some Southern Idaho perspectives and concerns to our leadership group and to other legislators."

Leadership contests in both parties and both houses will be decided in closed-door caucuses on Dec. 5, the evening before the Legislature's Dec. 6 organizational session.