Noble’s replacement named

BOISE – Gov. Dirk Kempthorne has named a replacement for Sen. Jack Noble of District 21, who resigned following an ethics scandal on March 7.

Russ Fulcher, a vice president of an electronics company, will represent the southwestern Ada County district.

Fulcher was the top choice out of a field of 20 candidates considered by the district’s selection committee.

Fulcher, 43, who describes himself as a “dedicated, family oriented fiscal conservative,” has said he will vote line-by-line with the Republican Party’s platform.

Brian Whitlock, Kempthorne’s chief of staff, said he expects Fulcher to be sworn into office in the next day or so.

Noble resigned from the Legislature after an ethics committee concluded he had pursued legislation to benefit his business without declaring the conflict and had lied to the committee about it.