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Chamber of Commerce Backs Minnick for Re-Election

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce praised Rep. Walt Minnick (D) as a champion for Idaho’s businesses and workers in an endorsement announcement Tuesday morning.

“In just one term, Walt has already shown a strong record of standing up for the businesses and workers of Idaho during some of the state’s most challenging economic times,” chamber Senior Vice President Bill Miller said in a statement.

The endorsement by the chamber, which is generally viewed as a Republican-friendly organization, will only boost Minnick’s claim of being one of the most conservative Democrats in the House. He is also backed by a local tea party group and has opposed many key Democratic initiatives.

“His lifetime of experience as an Idaho businessman, his strong stance for fiscal accountability and his work to rein in deficit spending all point to why he’s so well-positioned for re-election in November,” said John Foster, Minnick’s campaign manager.

The chamber endorsement won’t make Republican state Rep. Raul Labrador’s job any easier. Labrador beat the national party’s hand-picked candidate to secure the Republican nomination in May. He has campaigned as a pro-business fiscal conservative. Labrador has hit Minnick for not doing enough to get his party to cut spending on Capitol Hill. National Republican party officials, who see the conservative 1st district as a top takeover opportunity this fall, have worked to link Minnick to the fiscal policies of Democratic Party leaders such as President Barack Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), who aren’t very popular with voters in the district.

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