The Idaho Democratic Party is launching a "special candidate recruitment committee for the 2010 elections," at a time when, with the 2010 primary 10 months away, the party has had no major candidate step forward to challenge sitting GOP Gov. Butch Otter. State party Chairman Keith Roark said the committee will be headed by former U.S. Attorney for Idaho Betty Richardson. “Betty did an outstanding job with candidate recruitment when she led the Ada County Democrats.  Now she will bring those skills to bear at the state level,” Roark said; you can read the party's full announcement here. Richardson also was a Democratic candidate for Congress in 2002; she's now a Boise attorney.

Roark said the committee will look most closely at the governor’s race. “We intend to offer a better alternative – someone who has a clear vision for Idaho’s future, especially our economic future,” he said. “I want to emphasize that the state party organization will not attempt to select our nominees - our voters will make those decisions in the primary elections next May.  Our role, at present, is to make sure the voters have excellent choices.  Certainly, one-party government has not served Idaho well.”

Democrats hold only one major state office in Idaho, the 1st District congressional seat held by freshman Rep. Walt Minnick. In addition to the remaining seats in the congressional delegation, Republicans hold the governor's office and all other statewide offices, plus three-quarters of the seats in the state Legislature.

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