1^st District Congressman Raul Labrador has launched a “Conversations with the Congressman” tour that he says will hit all 19 counties in Idaho’s 1^st Congressional District; he’s in Wallace at the Books Hotel this morning, and started out in McCall yesterday at Moxie Java. “My goal is to have informal, kitchen-table conversations,” Labrador said in a newsletter. Unlike typical town-hall meetings, he said, “I won’t use a microphone and we’ve chosen more intimate venues such as coffee shops and cafes. I’m most interested in hearing from everyday Idahoans.”

The series continues Aug. 3 in Eagle and Meridian, Aug. 8 in Payette, Midvale and Council; and on through Sept. 2; the full schedule is online here.

Meanwhile, Sen. Mike Crapo is continuing his series of town-hall meetings in tiny towns throughout the state, hitting eastern and northern Idaho. Crapo will be in Basalt on Thursday, at Basalt City Hall at 5:30 p.m.; Mackay, Moore and Atomic City on Friday; and Ferdinand on Aug. 3. The full schedule is online here.

Labrador and Crapo, both Republicans, both are seeking re-election, Labrador to a fourth two-year term in the House and Crapo to a fourth six-year term in the Senate.